2015

2015:
A New Outlook
13th Annual Canadian School of
Hydrocarbon Measurement
MARCH 17-18, 2015
TELUS CONVENTION CENTRE
CALGARY, ALBERTA

2015

Please complete your course

evaluation online:

www.cshmsurvey.com

2015

Fundamentals of
Gas Measurement
PRIMARY ELEMENTS
Darren Pineau

Background

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Primary
Element

Common Primary Elements

Quantity

Posi3ve
Displacement

Rate of Flow Dieren3al

Pressure
Velocity

Mass

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Diaphragm
Rotary Impeller
Rotary Vane
Orice
Pitot
Tube
Venturi
V-Cone
Annubar
Turbine
Vortex Shedder
Ultrasonic

Coriolis
Thermal

How Measurement Works

Some infer measurement using pressure and
temperature
Some measure directly (using a fixed volume
concept)
Some use radio waves
Some use infrared sensors
Some use microphones to measure acoustic noise
Some use harmonics
Some use heat

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Considerations for Meter Selection

Industry Acceptance
Required Uncertainty
Rangeability
Flow Rate or Velocity
Sand and liquids
Location
Power requirements
Maintenance
Volume interpretation

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Positive Displacement Meters

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Positive Displacement (PD)

Pros:
Accurate
Reliable
Good Range
Wide Variety of Outputs
Compact

InstallaDon requirements:
Manufacturers specicaDons

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Cons:
Only cost effective for
low pressure
Not good with dirty
gas or gas with liquids
Must be removed for
service to calibrate

Positive Displacement Meters

What are they good for?
Low pressure fuel gas

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Differential Pressure
Measure pressure drop caused by an
obstruction
Examples: orifice, v-cone, flow nozzles, pitot
tubes, venturi meters, etc.

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Principle of Orifice Measurement

DierenDal
Pressure
Orice
Plate

Upstream

Flow

High
Pressure
Tap

Low Pressure
Tap
Downstream

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Orifice Plate

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Grove Orifice Fitting

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Orifice Meters

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Orifice Meter Run

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Flow Conditioners
Tube Bundles
Perforated Plates

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Orifice Meters
Pros:
No Moving Parts
Proven
Tolerant of liquids and
solids
Low maintenance
costs

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Cons:
Meter run required
Permanent pressure loss
Low rangeability with one
primary element
Require minimum
velocity

InstallaDon Requirements:
American Gas AssociaDon (AGA) Report #3

Orifice Meters
What are they good for?
Transmission Measurement
Production Measurement
Process Measurement
Fuel Gas (line size > 2)

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Differential V-Cone Meter

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V-Cone Meters
Pros:
No Moving Parts
Very Tolerant of liquids
and solids
Low maintenance costs
No meter run required

InstallaDon Requirements:
Manufacturers RecommendaDons

2015

Cons:
Permanent pressure
loss
Low rangeability with
one primary element

V-Cone Meters
What are they good for?
Production Measurement
Process Measurement

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Differential Pitot Tube Meter

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Averaging Pitot Tubes

What are they good for?
Production Measurement
Process Measurement

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Turbine Meter Tube

10 Nominal pipe diameters

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Gas turbine
meter

Temperature well

Inlet

Straightening vane

5 Nominal pipe
diameters

5 Nominal pipe
diameters

Gas Turbine Meter

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Gas Turbine Meter

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Gas Turbine Meter

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Turbine Meters
Pros:
Good rangeability
Direct readout
Wide variety of outputs
Low pressure drop

InstallaDon Requirements:
American Gas AssociaDon (AGA) Report # 7

2015

Cons:
Limited low flow
minimum velocity required
Not good for sour gas,
dirty gas or gas with
liquids
Must be taken out for
service
Cannot be field calibrated

Turbine Meters
What are they good for?
Transmission Measurement
Fuel Gas Measurement

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Vortex Shedding Meter

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Vortex Shedding Meter

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Vortex Shedding Meter

Pros:
Low pressure drop
No moving parts
Tolerant to junk and
liquids
Ease of calibration
Immune to vibration
Not affected by specific
gravity

InstallaDon Requirements:
ANSI/API Standard

2015

Cons:
Meter run required
Specialized
personnel required
to install and
maintain
Requires minimum
velocity

Vortex Shedding Meters

What are they good for?
Fuel Gas Measurement
Production Measurement
Process Measurement

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Ultrasonic Flow Meter

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Ultrasonic Transducer

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Principle of Operation

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Transit Time (No Flow)

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T2 Transit Time = 0.007s

T2

T1

T1 Transit Time = 0.007s

T =T1-T2=0.007-0.007=0.000s

Transit Time Measurements

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Transit Time = 0,004s

Flow

T1

Transit Time = 0,009s

T2

T =T1-T2=0.009-0.004=0.005s

Ultrasonic Meter
Pros:
No pressure drop
No moving parts
Very accurate
Good self diagnostic
tools available
Does not require annual
calibration

InstallaDon Requirements:
American Gas AssociaDon (AGA) Report #9

2015

Cons:
Meter run required
Specialized personnel
required to install and
maintain
Must be removed in order
to calibrate
Limited calibration labs
Very sensitive to density
changes

Ultrasonic Meters
What are they good for?
Transmission Measurement
Flare Gas Measurement

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Thermal Meter

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Thermal Meter

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Thermal Meter
Pros:
Low pressure drop
No moving parts
Good for both small and
large diameter pipes

Installa3on Requirements:
Manufacturers Specica3ons

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Cons:
Specialized personnel
required to install and
maintain
Sensitive to composition
changes
Gas must be clean and noncorrosive
Requires power to operate

Thermal Meters
What are they good for?
Process Measurement

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Coriolis Meter

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Coriolis Mass Flow Meter

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No Flow

No Flow
Side View

Flow

Coriolis Meter

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No Flow State

Flowing State

Coriolis Meter
Pros:
Very accurate
regardless of type of
fluid passing through it
Not sensitive to
relative density
Can handle junk and
liquids

InstallaDon Requirements:
AGA 11

2015

Cons:
Can be expensive
Requires power to
operate
Pressure drop is high

Coriolis Meters
What are they good for?
Transmission Measurement (< 6)
Fuel Gas Measurement

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Conclusion
Know the strengths and weaknesses of the
meter selected
Are they accepted?
How do you know they are accurate?

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2015

Please complete your course

evaluation online:

www.cshmsurvey.com