Order Reprints
Clamp-on Ultrasonic
Meter Economically
Gauges Multiphase Flows
by S. Al-lababidi, Department of Process and Systems Engineering,
School of Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, UK
ltrasonic meters gauging multi-
phase flows offer the potential for
accurate, economical measure-
ment of fluid volumes over a wide
flow range with no moving parts and
using simple geometry. This article pres-
ents the clamp-on ultrasonic meter’s cur-
rent applications and highlights further
attempts to improve its functional condi-
tions in two-phase, gas/liquid, flow under
slug flow conditions.
Technology
Multiphase flow metering can be under-
stood as the measurement at line condi-
tions of the component volumetric rates of
a multiphase flow stream without its com-
pulsory separation or sampling. For oil
well test applications, multiphase flow
metering is the measurement of the oil,
water and gas flow rates of the produced
fluids from a well, without the usage either
of a two-phase or a three-phase separator.
In comparison to conventional gravity sep-
arator well test systems, multiphase flow
metering allows shorter duration and more
accurate well tests, with less operator
supervising. Additionally, multiphase flow
meters have lower capital and operating
costs for offshore and subsea applications.
In the oil industry, the main goals expect-
ed from the employment of multiphase
flow meters are:
1. To replace test separators,
2. To avoid installation of test lines and
test headers (both in subsea and topside
applications), and
3. To improve the well data acquisition
(by improving the accuracy and frequency
of well tests).
The requirements for these meters are
likely to be focused on four main areas:
Reservoir Management — the oil
recovery from a field can be improved in
the long term by continuous monitoring of
the flow rates at each well; a possible
overall uncertainty of the reservoir moni-
toring using the conventional systems (test
separator, each well being tested once a
month, further data processing) could lead
to a 10% level; the ideal situation would be
for each well to have its individual multi-
phase flow meter in order to increase the
quality and quantity of the information
available to the reservoir engineers.
Custody Transfer Metering — the pro-
duction from one oil field can be mixed
Pipeline & Gas Journal / January 2005 / www.pipelineandgasjournal.com
Permission to Copy
with the production from another, the own-
ers of both being different; the accuracy
expected from flow rate measurement
would be about 5% of the measured value.
Process Control — when gas lift pump-
ing or vapor injection is used, it is necessary
to know the efficiency of the process; here,
also the accuracy expected from flow rate
measurement would be about ± 5% of the
measured value, as the trending of the vari-
ables is more important than their actual
values for control purposes.
Fiscal Metering — much work has to
be done in this area because of the high
accuracy required (typically ± 0.25% for
oil and ± 1% for natural gas) which do
not fit into the available multiphase
meters profile yet.
However, multiphase flow systems are
difficult to predict because they combine
turbulent flows with often highly complex
interfaces. An understanding of such flows
is only obtainable by experimental obser-
vations and measurements.
Operating Principle
The transit-time ultrasonic method is
based on the apparent difference of the
sound velocity in the flow direction and the
opposite direction. This method gives a
flow velocity averaged along a particular
acoustical path. For a single beam device, to
convert this path velocity to a velocity aver-
aged over the entire-section of the flowing
medium, the knowledge of the flow veloci-
ty profile is essential. The meter consists of
three elements—the transducers, the clamp-
ing arrangement and the signal processing
and user interface electronic package.
The flowrate is measured by using the
Table 1: Clamp-on Ultrasonic Flowmeter Liquid Volumetric Flowrate Correlations
transit time difference between ultrasound
traveling from transducer T1 to transducer
T2 and when the ultrasound is traveling
from transducer T2 to transducer T1. If the
ultrasonic beam in the fluid is at an angle
to the pipe axis then the volumetric
flowrate (Qv) is related to the time differ-
ence T, given by Eq. 1 in Table 1.
However, if the wedge on which the trans-
ducers are mounted is made of a material
for which the speed of sound is cw and
having an angle to the pipe axis, then Eq. 1
can be re-written as Eq. 2, Table 1.
Where “D” is the internal pipe diameter;
“C1”is the velocity of sound in the fluid; “K”
is the ratio of actual average velocity to veloc-
ity determined by the transducer “ T”; is
time difference between ultrasound travelling
from transducer T1 to T2 and from T2 to T1
and “ ” is beam angle to the pipe axis.
Performance Issues
TTUFs are designed for operation with
liquids which have only low content of air
bubbles or solids. The effect of air bubbles
is to scatter the ultrasound andbut also to
affect the speed of sound in the liquid by
affecting the compressibility of the liquid.
These have the effect of attenuating the sig-
nal and degrading the signal- to- noise ratio
in the flowmeter. The degree of scattering
and attenuation is dependent on the size,
number and distribution of the air bubbles.
Table 2 presents the application areas of
clamp-on flowmeter. Clamp-on transit-time
ultrasonic meters are likely to be used over
a very wide range of pipe sizes and liquids
and because the overall performance
achievable in the field depends on the care
with which the operators prepare the pipe
work and mount the transducers, coupled Table 3: Performance criteria for transit-time ultrasonic flowmeters.
with an inability to provide traceable cali-
brations of clamp-on meters in the field, it is Design Accuracy Rangebility Linearity Repeatability
difficult to obtain figures for the uncertainty, Single path ±1% over a Site-dependent ±0.5 % ±0.25 %
repeatability and reproducibility of such specified flow range.
flowmeters in the field. The values manu- Multi-path ±0.5 % over a Site-dependent ±0.5 % ±0.25 %
facturers quote for the accuracy of clamp-on specified flow range
TTUFs range between ±1% to ±5% of read- with sufficient chords
used to accurately
ing with this performance being over a determine true
restricted flow range which is generally average velocity
specified in terms of flow velocity. At the under slug flow condition, which has a spe- aration. Some manufacturers continue to
lower flow rates, the performance is gener- cific gas flowrate and a constant liquid use this value for the flow measurement
ally specified as a fixed uncertainty flowrate. itself whereas other manufacturers provide
expressed as a velocity which may range on-line measurement of the speed of sound
from 0.01 m/s to 0.03 m/s depending on the Correction Factors in the liquid under process conditions. For
pipe size and the particular manufacturer. , Velocity Profile Correction Factor. The major liquids for which the temperature is signifi-
Table 3 presents the performance criteria for uncertainty parameters of clamp-on transit cantly changing, it is necessary to enquire
transit-time ultrasonic flowmeters. time ultrasonic flowmeter (TTUFs) are the of the manufacturer what means of temper-
measurement of time of flight and velocity ature compensation is provided.
Two-Phase Flows profile correction factor. The uncertainty due
Much effort has been undertaken to test to time of flight measurement can be reduced Conclusion
and study the performance of the clamp- using the multi-path technique. However, the Commercial multiphase meters have
on transit-time ultrasonic flowmeter in optimized velocity profile correction factor can reached uncertainties of ± 5-10% over a
two-phase gas/liquid flows under different only be obtained through iterative experi- large operating range, which is considered
flow regimes. The results show the per- ments and simulation. Since the (TTUFs) a satisfactory performance, equal to or bet-
formance of the liquid clamp-on ultrason- measures the path velocity at which the ultra- ter than that of a test separator. However,
ic meter to be seriously affected by the sonic wave is propagated, it should be con- ultrasonic flow meters offer the potential
presence of free gas in a manner that is verted to velocity over the entire cross section for accurate measurement of fluid volume
Table 2: Application areas of TTUFs. over a wide range of flow using simple
geometry and having no moving parts.
Areas Applications With high accuracy readings independ-
ent of external influences, such as time,
Water Industry Temporary or semi permanent installation temperature, flow and installation condi-
Checking of installed meters; leakage determination; tions, ultrasonic flow meters have great
network analysis potentials over conventional flow meters
Permanent installation (venturi, positive displacement). P&GJ
Applications where hygiene, operation (for example Supply
interruption), maintenance and cost are of major consideration.

Oil Industry Used for measurement of crude oil after first stage separator; References
offloading of crude oil; water injection; refined oil. Thorn, R., Johansen, G.A., and Hammer, E
A.,”Recent Developments in Three Phase Flow
Food Industry Blending and batching of food and drink where issues of Measurement”, Journal of Measurement Science &
Technology 8, 691-701 (1997).
hygiene and contamination are of major concern. Mehdizadeh, P., and Frachy, D., “Multiphase
Flow Metering Using Dissimilar Flow Sensors:
Chemical Industry Employed as a tool for checking, servicing and Theory and Field Trial Results”, SPE Middle East
Oil Show, Bahrain (March 1995).
maintaining existing flowmeters Sanderson, M.L., “Process Measurement
Systems”, MSc Course Module 10, Cranfield
dependent on the actual flowrate of the of the pipe. Flow profile depends on the
University, Bedfordshire, England (2001).
gas and the flow regime. Al-lababidi and Gurevich, Y., “Performance Evaluation and
Reynolds number (Re) and, the roughness Application of Clamp-On Ultrasonic Cross-
Sanderson (2003) investigated the per- and the shape of the pipe. Manufacturers may Correlation Flow Meter CROSSFLOW”, Paper pre-
formance of the clamp-on transit time or may not compensate for this. For those sented at the International Conference of Flow
ultrasonic under slug flow conditions in manufacturers who do compensate, the com-
Measurement, Sao Paolo, Brazil (2000).
two-phase gas/liquid flows in horizontal Sanderson, M.L., and Yeung, H., “Guidelines
pensation is generally based on a knowledge for the Use of Ultrasonic Non-Invasive Metering
pipe where new closure method for liquid of the particular liquid being monitored. For Techniques”. Journal of Flow Measurement and
flowrate was obtained. The closure products whose temperature is changing sig- Instrumentation, 13, 125–142 (2002).
method for the liquid flowrate employs a ANSI/ASME MFC-5M-85, “Measurement of
nificantly during measurement, compensation Liquid Flow in Closed Conduits Using Transit –Time
mathematical relationship, under slug flow for Reynolds Number on-line is required. Ultrasonic Flowmeters”, ASME, New York NY (1985).
conditions, between the estimated liquid Enquiries should be made to manufacturers as Lahey, R. T., Cheng, L. Y., Drew, D. A. and
flowrate QESTIMATED the indicated liquid to whether they provide on-line correction. Flaherty, J. E., ”The Effect of Virtual Mass on the
flowrate QINDICATED; a velocity profile Numerical Stability of Accelerating Two-phase
Flows”, International Journal of Multiphase Flow
correction factor, (K2 (Re)); the partial- 6,281-294 (1980).
filled area of the pipe; the cross-sectional Cheng, L. Y., Drew, D. A., Lahey, R. T. “An
area of the pipe and a height correction analysis of wave propagation in bubbly two-compo-
factor (K1 (h)). The closure method corre- nent, two-phase flow”, Trans. ASME, Journal of
Speed of Sound Correction Factor. All Heat Transfer, 107,702-408 (1985).
lation is given by: manufacturers require the user to input Al-lababidi, S., and Sanderson, M.L., “Closure
It has been demonstrated through using either the speed of sound or identify the Model for Two-Phase Liquid-Gas Measurement
the closure method that the clamp-on transit- liquid (and perhaps its temperature) in the
under Slug Flow Conditions”, Paper presented at
time ultrasonic flowmeter has offered a suc- International Conference of Flow Measurement,
initialization stage of measurement as part Groningen, The Netherlands (May 2003).
cessful measurement in two-phase flow of the process to determine transducer sep-

Pipeline & Gas Journal / January 2005 / www.pipelineandgasjournal.com