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Author: Sylvia Hopkins
The world’s hunt or exploration for energy comprises renewable energy, nuclear power, coal, natural gas, and crude oil. Before, crude oil has been ranging between 90 to 100 dollars per barrel range. However, since August 2014, the prices have shrunken to at least 60 dollars. We are discussing here the best flow meters for oil and gas measurement.
Flow Meters For Oil And Gas Measurement
Although this is an advantage for consumers, it’s likely to make a massive impact on the search and production in the long run. In particular, if the crude oil prices stayed at this level, it’s critical to learn that most energy projects can’t be stopped and are long-term.
Whether crude oil prices are low or high, the world’s hunt for energy will keep going since the need for power will always exist. Flow meters for oil and gas measurement appear to benefit from this continuing demand for energy.
Natural Gas
For the most part, natural gas is known to be a more environmentally-friendly and cleaner alternative to crude oil. Well, it stays true today since renewable energy is rigorous to develop. Even though a lot of countries, like Germany and the United States, have established ambiguous intentions for boosting their dependency on renewable energy, the cost is still a huge factor.
Up until the price of solar and wind power is vying with the cost of fossil fuels, the cost of adopting renewable electricity systems is still high. Thus, making natural gas an appealing option that could last at least twenty years.
The potentials for natural gas have, without a doubt, never seemed intense than they look today. Moreover, for natural gas to be utilized, it must be measured. It can be gauged as it’s taken from the ground, brought to the processing plants, leaves the plants, and multiple times as soon as it reaches its point of use.
Although analytical devices, pressure, and temperature all play a crucial role in measuring gas, gas flow measurement is the most vital of all. There are many flow meter types used to gauge the gas flow. And each flow meter type has its own set of pros and cons.
Coriolis Flow Meters
This flow meter type is used to gauge gas flows. However, they have a few limitations or restrictions. Coriolis flow meters are much better in estimating liquids than gases. It is because liquids are more compressed and solid than gases.
This type of flow meter becomes unwieldy and expensive in pipeline sizes larger than four inches. But over the years, a lot of manufacturers have started producing coriolis flow meters in line sizes greater than six inches.
Because of this, Coriolis flow meters are earning or receiving broad acceptance or acknowledgment in large line size applications. Nevertheless, this flow meter type can’t surpass the turbine and ultrasonic meters for line sizes at least twenty inches.
Positive Displacement Flow Meters
The primary types of PD flow meters are the helical, diaphragm, nutating disc, piston, rotary, and oval gear. PD flow meters are for industrial, commercial, and residential applications. They’re also extensively used in utility gas flow measurement.
In this application, they come up against turbine flow meters. But PD flow meters outstand at gauging low flow rates. Plus, they perform excellently in line sizes of at least ten inches. Both rotary and diaphragm meters are utilized for gas flow measurement, even if there’s a continuous trend toward rotary flow meters.
Although advanced flow meters, like Coriolis, are starting to make a significant name on the utility gas market. In many instances, they don’t have the appropriate industry approvals to let them be extensively used for such applications.
Thermal Flow Meters
This type of flow meter is roughly exclusively to gauge gas flow. Usually, thermal flow meters add heat to the flow stream. Then, they estimate how fast the heat evaporates. This value corresponds to the mass flow.
There are two technologies for this flow meter type. These are constant temperature and constant power. Moreover, one major application for thermal flow meters is gauging stack gas flows.
Vortex Flow Meters
This flow meter type is one of the most versatile and functional flow meters available. It can measure liquid, steam, and gas flows. Over the years, vortex flow meters don’t have the necessary approvals to let them be used in custody transfer applications.
But in 2007, the American Petroleum Institute endorsed a draft standard for the usage of vortex flowmeters for custody transfer applications. However, so far, the custody-transfer market is still dominated by the turbine, DP, and ultrasonic flow meters.
Takeaway
There are a lot of flow meter types suitable for measuring oil and gas flow. And each flowmeter type has its own set of features, specifications, as well as pros and cons. Some of the best flow meters for oil and gas measurement are Coriolis, positive displacement, thermal, and vortex.
Author’s Bio:
Sylvia Hopkins is a writer and a blogger who specializes in email marketing campaigns and ghost blogging. She writes about flow measurement instrumentation, flow measurement application, and technology. When not working, Sylvia spends some quality time with her family and friends.
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