Liquidmeters

Flowmeasurementbeginswithaproperlyoperatingflowmeterhowever,measurementproceduresandcorrectflowcalculationsequallycontributetogoodoverallsystem
performance.

Contents
1Guidelines
2Characteristics
3Classification
4Meteringsystemdesign
5Flowmeterperformance
5.1Linearity
5.2Repeatability
5.3Resolution
5.4Turndown
6Flowmeterselection
7Flowcalculationsandoverallsystemperformance
8References
9NoteworthypapersinOnePetro
10Externallinks
11Seealso
12Category

Guidelines
GuidelinesforliquidhydrocarbonmeasurementaredetailedintheAmericanPetroleumInstitutes(APIs)ManualofPetroleumMeasurementStandards(MPMS),acomprehensive,
ongoingpublicationinwhichchaptersareperiodicallyrevisedandthenreleased.Commonlyreferencedstandardsinclude:Chap.4"ProvingSystems,"Chap.5"Metering,"Chap.7
"TemperatureDetermination,"Chap.9"DensityDetermination,"Chap.11"PhysicalPropertiesData,"Chap.12"CalculationofPetroleumQuantities,"Chap.13"StatisticalAspects
ofMeasuringandSampling,"Chap.14"NaturalGasFluidsMeasurement,"andChap.21"FlowMeasurementUsingElectronicMeteringSystems."

Characteristics
Theinformationinthispagecoversthecharacteristicsofthreetypesofflowmetersthatarecommonlyusedforthemeasurementofliquidhydrocarbons:
Theselectioncriteriaforaflowmeter
Thebasicsoffieldmeterproving
Specificsonthedesignandoperationofaleaseautomatedcustodytransfer(LACT)system

Classification
Liquidflowmeterscanbeclassifiedintwogeneralareas:
Apositivedisplacementmeterthatcontinuouslydividestheflowingstreamintoknownvolumetricsegments,isolatingthesegmentsmomentarilyandreturningittothe
flowingstreamwhilecountingthenumberofdisplacements
Aninferencemeterthatinfersflowbymeasuringsomedynamicpropertyoftheflowingstream
Typicalinferencemetersareturbinemetersthatinferflowbymonitoringimpellerspeed,orificemetersthatmonitorpressuredifferential,andtheCoriolismeter,whichsensesthe
Coriolisforceonvibratingtubestoinferflowrate.

Meteringsystemdesign
Certainbasicinstallationrequirementsareneededforproperoperationofapositivedisplacementmeteroraturbinemeter.Asaminimum,strainers,adequateupstreamand
downstreamstraightpipe,flowconditioning,andadownstreamcontrolvalvearerequired.Thesemetersoperatebestwithcleanfluidstreams.Debrisintheflowstreamthatis
allowedtopassthroughthemeterlimitsthelifeofthemeter.Astrainerorfilterupstreamofthemetershouldbeutilized.Aproperlysizedstrainerthatcapturesthedestructivedebris
andkeepspressuredroptoaminimumisavitalpieceofequipmentinameteringsystem.
Positivedisplacementandturbinemetersaresusceptibletodisturbancesintheflowstream.Flowdisturbancescanbecausedbyanyupstreampipingconfigurationthatresultsin
distortionofthefluidflowprofile.Elbowsandbendsinthepipeupstreamofthemetercanproduceabulkswirlintheflowingfluid,which,ifleftuncorrected,couldresultinvery
unreliablemeasurements.Forthisreason,itisrecommendedthatthemeterbeinstalledinaproperlysizedrunofpipe(orspeciallymanufacturedmetertubeforgreateraccuracy)
withaminimumof10diametersofstraightunobstructedpipeupstreamofthemeterand5diametersdownstream.Itisimportantthatallflangedconnectionsintheupstreamsection
totheturbinemeter,aswellasthedownstreamsection,beproperlyaligned.Properalignmentthroughoutthemeteringsectioneliminatesoffsets,steps,andgasketsprotrudinginto
thebore,allofwhichcandisturbtheflowpattern.Dowelpinningofflangescanalsoaidinproperalignmentofthemeteringsection.
Thehistoricalmethodofflowconditioningutilizesstraighteningvanesortubebundles.Whilethismethodisadequateforeliminatingtheswirlcomponentoftheflowingfluid,it
doesnothingforthevelocityflowprofile.Severalmanufacturerscanprovideisolationflowconditionersthateliminatetheswirlandformauniformvelocityflowprofileofthefluid
beforetheflowmeter.
Provingconnectionsdownstreamofthemetershouldbeprovidedtofacilitateprovingofthemeter,withaproperlycalibratedprovingmeterorprover,underconditionsascloseto
thenormaloperatingconditionsaspractical.SeeAPIMPMSChap.4forfurtherdescriptionofaprover.Theprovingconnectionsconsistoftwoteesseparatedbyablockandbleed
valveintherunofpipedownstreamofthemeter.Blockvalvesareinstalledontheoutletofeachteetoallowtheprovertobeattachedandflowtobedirectedtoitinserieswiththe
meterbeingproved.
Followingtheprovingconnections,anotheressentialcomponentforproperoperationofthemeteringsystemisacontrolvalve.Thecontrolvalveisimportantbecauseithelpsto
maintainaminimumbackpressureonthemetertopreventmetercavitationsandproductflashing.

Unlikemeterswithmovingparts,theCoriolismetercanhandletypicalpipelinesolidswithoutdamagetothemeterhowever,astrainerupstreamofthemeterisrecommendedto
protectthemeterprover.NostraighteningvanesorflowconditioningisrequiredforaCoriolismetertherefore,nostraightpipesectionsupstreamordownstreamofthemeterare
necessary.ThismakesaCoriolismeteridealfortightlocations,asaretypicalonoffshoreplatformsandforbidirectionalmeteringsystems.Considerationshouldbegiventothe
locationofthemeterelectronicsthatgeneratethepulseoutputsothattheprovingconnectionsandthetransmitterarelocatedincloseproximity.
ValvestostopflowthroughtheCoriolismeterarerequired.Verificationthatthemeterregisterszeroflowinanonflowingconditionisrequiredoninitialinstallation.Thezeroing
procedurerequires,asaminimum,ablockandbleedvalvedownstreamofthemeter,anditispreferabletohaveashutoffvalveupstreamtoblockthemeterinduringzeroing.
TheCoriolismeteractsasadensitometerinadditiontomeasuringflow.Thereisaconsiderablecostsavingsformeteringsystemsthatrequireboththemeasurementofflowandthe
measurementofdensityorgravitywhenthemeasurementcanbemadewithasingleinstrument.Finally,thelargeturndownofaCoriolismetercaneliminatetheuseofabankof
severaldifferentsizemeterstocovertherates,againprovidingacostsavingsforthemeteringsystem.

Flowmeterperformance
Manufacturerstypicallystateperformancecharacteristicsforflowmetersbasedonafactorycalibrationutilizingwaterorotherstablefluid."Accuracy"isthemeasureofhowcloseto
trueoractualflowthemeterindicationmaybe.Itisexpressedasapercentoftruevolumeforaspecificflowrange.

Linearity
Linearityisdefinedasthedeviationofmeasurementfromthemetersminimumflowratespecificationtothemaximumflowratespecification.Itisgenerallyexpressedasa
percentage.Forexample,ameterwithalinearitystatementof+/0.25%meansthemeterfactorforagivenmeterwillnotdeviatemorethan0.5%fromtheminimumtomaximum
flowrate.

Repeatability
Repeatabilityisthemetersabilitytoindicatethesamereadingunderthesameflowconditions.Forcustodytransferapplications,ametersrepeatabilityisusuallyspecifiedtobeat
least0.05%.

Resolution
Resolutionisanotherkeyparameterinametersperformancecriteria.Resolutionisameasureofthesmallestincrementoftotalflowthatcanbeindividuallyrecognizedbythe
meter.

Turndown
Turndownisthemetersflowrangecapability.Theflowrangeofthemeteristheratioofmaximumflowtominimumflowoverwhichthespecifiedaccuracyorlinearityis
maintained.Forexample,ameterwithaminimumflowrateof100bbl/hrandamaximumflowof1,000bbl/hrissaidtohavea10:1turndown.Forpositivedisplacementmeters,
excessivelylowratestendtounderregisterflowasslippageincreases.Atexcessivelyhighflowrates,thereisanincreaseinwear.Ametershouldoperateoptimallyaroundthe
midpointofitsratedflowrange.

Flowmeterselection
Fluidpropertiesoftendictatepropermeterselectioninaliquidapplication.Liquidssuchasanhydrousammonia,refinedhydrocarbonslikegasolineordiesel,crudeoil,andliquefied
petroleumgas(LPG)havedifferingfluidpropertiessuchasdensity,viscosity,pourpoint,flashpoint,flowingtemperature,andflowingpressure.Allofthesefactorsareimportant
whenspecifyingtherequirementsfortheflowmeter.Fig.1isaflowmeterapplicationguidebasedonfluidproperties.

(/File%3AVol3_Page_446_Image_0001.png)

Fig.1Flowmeterapplicationguide(Courtesyof
theEmersonProcessManagement).

Pressuredropthroughameteristheamountofpermanentpressurelossthatisaresultoftheliquidpassingthroughthemeter.Metermanufacturerscanprovidedatatocompute
expectedpressuredropforavarietyofliquids.Astheviscosityand/orflowrateofthemeasuredproductincreases,sodoestheamountofpressuredrop.Thespecifieddesign
pressureofthesystemandtheminimumandmaximumoperatingpressuresshouldbeprovidedtothemanufacturer.Themaximumpressureisusedtoensurethatthemechanical
ratingofthemeterissufficient.Theminimumpressureisneededtoensurethatadequatepressureisavailableinthesystemtoallowforpressuredropthroughthemeterwhile
maintainingthefluidinaliquidstateinotherwords,topreventtheproductfromflashingorchangingtoagaseousstate.Controlvalvesorbackpressurevalvesareoften
recommendedtomaintainsufficientpressureonthefluidasitismetered.
Fluidtemperatureandambienttemperaturearefactorstoconsider.Iftheproductisverycoldorveryhot,itcouldwellexceedthemanufacturerstemperaturelimitsforthe
electronics,aswellasexceedthestandardmaterialstemperaturerangeforthemeterbodyorinternalparts.
Flowmetersthathaveinternalmovingpartsmaybeaffectedbychangesinliquiddensityandviscosity.Forlighthydrocarbons,theminimumflowratecapabilityofthemetermay
needtobeincreasedtomaintainspecifiedlinearityandrepeatability.Viscositycanalsoaffectthelowendofthemetersflowrange.Theactualviscosityofthefluidatoperatingor
flowingtemperatureiswhatisrelevant.Acrudeoilmayhaveaviscosityof50cStat60Fhowever,thetemperatureofthecrudeatflowingconditionsmaybe80F,whichwould
significantlyreducetheviscosityandincreasetheactualflowraterangeofagivenmeter.

Chemicalcompatibilitymustbeconsideredinthematerialselectionofallinternalwettedsurfaces.Dry,abrasiveproductsmayrequirespeciallubricatingsystemsthatisolate
bearingsandgearsfromtheproduct.Entrainedsolidsarenotreadilypassedbymostflowmetersandshouldberemovedbyanappropriatelymeshedstrainerupstreamofthemeter.
Mostmetersyieldgrossmeasurementinaccuracieswithaproductthatcontainseitherfreeorentrainedair.Removalofthisairwithanappropriatelysizedaireliminatorisessential.
Largevolumesoffreeairnotonlyimpairaccuracybutcanalsooverspeedanddestroyameterwithmovingparts.
Aswithallmeteringsystems,thechoiceofflowmetertechnologyshouldbebasedoncostofownership.Costofonetypeofmeterrelativetoanothervariesbysizeandmanufacturer.
Theinitialcost,however,isonlyoneofseveralcoststhatshouldbeconsidered.Forexample:
Accuracy:considera16in.pipelinemeterflowingat12,000bbl/hr.Withoilpricedat$22/bbl,animprovedaccuracyofonly.05%couldresultinasavingsofU.S.$132for
everyhourofoperation.
Maintenance:recurringcostsinmaintainingametercanbeasignificantfactorinoverallmetercost.

Flowcalculationsandoverallsystemperformance
Mostflowmetersoutputapulsethatrepresentsgrossvolume(volumeatflowingconditions).Grossvolumeisthenconvertedtonetvolume(volumeatcontractconditions)withthe
appropriatecorrectionsfor:
Temperature
Pressure
Sedimentandwater(S&W)
Meterfactor
Withcustodytransfer,lineintegrity,orallocationbasedonnetvolumes,itiscriticaltoaccuratelymeasureallvariablesandtomaintainallmeasurementequipment.
PLCs,SCADAequipment,andflowcomputersofferahugebenefitforrealtimemonitoringofmeasurementstations.Theyoffertheadvantageofbeingabletoactinatimely
manneruponinformationthatcansavethousandsofdollarsinrevenue.

References
NoteworthypapersinOnePetro
UsethissectiontolistpapersinOnePetrothatareaderwhowantstolearnmoreshoulddefinitelyread

Externallinks
UsethissectiontoprovidelinkstorelevantmaterialonwebsitesotherthanPetroWikiandOnePetro

Seealso
Positivedisplacementliquidmeters(/Positive_displacement_liquid_meters)
Inferenceliquidmeters(/Inference_liquid_meters)
LiquidflowmeterprovingandLACTunits(/Liquid_flow_meter_proving_and_LACT_units)
Gasmeters(/Gas_meters)
Coriolisgasflowmeters(/Coriolis_gas_flowmeters)
Orificegasmeters(/Orifice_gas_meters)
Ultrasonicgasmeters(/Ultrasonic_gas_meters)
Gasturbinemeter(/Gas_turbine_meter)
PEH:Liquid_and_Gas_Measurement(/PEH%3ALiquid_and_Gas_Measurement)

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