Orifice Meter Research Articles

Experimental evaluation of various flow meters using gaseous CO2

The need for accurate flow measurement within the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) transport network is widely reported and understood as a requirement of Emission Trading Schemes and commercial contracts. In meeting this requirement, traceable calibration is needed in conditions which closely mimic the process conditions. However, currently accredited calibration facilities cannot meet the conditions for calibrating in gaseous CO2 and so a likely alternative solution for these custody transfer flow meters is to be calibrated with an alternative fluid and the calibration transferred. In this article, which was produced under the framework of the EMPIR project “Metrology for Decarbonising the Gas Grid”, the authors will investigate this approach with a number of flow meters tested in natural gas, nitrogen gas and finally in carbon dioxide gas at varying pressures. The results of which will suggest that orifice and Coriolis meters can be calibrated in another fluid however, an ultrasonic meter would require further work and potentially require calibration in CO2. This article will also investigate the effects of impurities in a CO2 gas stream for a rotary displacement flow meter and a thermal mass flow controller compared against a piston prover which provides a primary reference flow standard.

Sector orifice with a correlation-based analysis

In single and multiphase flows, an orifice is a vital flow-measuring and flow-controlling device that operates on Bernoulli’s theorem on the determination of the pressure drop (∆p). Laboratory, petroleum, energy, nuclear, mining, chemical, processing, and food industries all depend on flow monitoring and flow regulations. A sector or segmental orifice meter is a much simpler device used for drainage and sediment-laden type non-homogeneous flow. Sector orifice meter analysis is the rate of flow, pressure and velocity profile concerning input parameters to find out the ∆p and coefficient of discharge (Cd) of an orifice meter. The present study varies with different sector angles (θ), Reynolds number (Re) and space ratio (s/d) of the sector orifice for the flow analysis with the use of CFD (Ansys. Inc) based study. The numerical simulation range considered for θ (30°-180°), Re (10000-100000), and s/d (0.1-0.9). To compute the flow rate, ∆p and Cd by using air as a working fluid to present a flow problem through high viscous flow. The simulation also presents the pressure and velocity profiles along the flow on the variant of Re, θ and s/d. Based on the numerical data a correlation developed which will help the measurement through sector orifice for wide range of future application. With the comparison of the existing literature, this will give a good contribution to sector orifice for accurate flow measurement for high viscous flow.

MEASUREMENT OF TRANSPORTED GAS CONSUMPTION: ANALYSIS OF MEASUREMENT METHODS

One of the key aspects in the development of the economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the export of natural gas to foreign countries. The relevance of the issue of measuring consumption increases over time with the expansion of gasification operations in the country and the growth of gas exports to the international market. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of new projects for the improvement of the used metering systems in accordance with modern standards, their reconstruction with more efficient methods, and the discovery and application of new measuring devices and methods. During such reconstruction activities, the main focus is naturally on creating optimal and cost-effective information measurement systems. The measurement process is a precision-demanding operation, and various nuances affect the reliability of the result. Metrology is the scientific discipline that implements measurement processes. The key stage for its accuracy is the proper organization of the measurement device and methods in accordance with the characteristics of these devices. Additionally, the expertise of the personnel involved in the measurement process significantly influences the reliability of the measurement result. Failure to adhere to these processes negatively impacts the reliability of the result. In Azerbaijan, the widely used method of consumption measurement is the orifice metering method (ISO 5167-1), but this method has both advantages and disadvantages for large-diameter flow meters. These include a limited range of measured flow velocities, fouling and contamination of the diaphragm edge during operation, the complexity and high labor intensity of regular technical maintenance, high costs of spare parts, and the construction and installation of measuring devices. These problems lead to inaccuracies in gas consumption measurement, causing time and material losses during the process. Improving the accuracy of gas measurement in Azerbaijan can significantly increase financial gains. Therefore, alongside traditional methods, there is an interest in developing new methods for measuring volume flow with high accuracy and user convenience, as well as lower initial and operating costs. One of the promising areas for the development of modern flow measurement technology is the use of optoelectronics. Among them, the most significant interest lies in the use of Laser Doppler interferometry methods. These methods have been proven to be the most effective for studying physically dispersed environments (such as gas and liquid). The advantages of Laser Doppler anemometry, based on these methods, such as high accuracy and speed, a wide measurement range, resistance to noise, the possibility of simulated calibration, controllability of characteristics, and non-changeability according to the surrounding environment, make them highly favorable. The high accuracy of flow meters based on Laser Doppler anemometry allows them to be used both as working tools and as metrological support means for the verification of flow meters. Keywords: Gas consumption measurement, Measurement systems, Measurement methods, Orifice metering method, Laser Doppler.

Devices and methods for wet gas flow metering: A comprehensive review

Wet gas is commonly encountered in various industries, including energy, chemical, and electric power sectors. For example, natural gas extracted from production often contains small amounts of liquid, such as water and hydrocarbon condensates, which classifies it as wet gas. The presence of liquid within the gas poses challenges for accurate flow measurement. To improve the performances of wet gas flow metering methods, significant research and development efforts have been invested into the wet gas flow metering technologies due to their vital importance in the production, transfer, and trade benefits.This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the recent development of wet gas flow metering. Firstly, a comprehensive discussion of the Lockhart-Martinelli parameter (Xlm) and its relation to the gas void fraction (αg) is presented, which was mostly overlooked in previous wet gas research work. The occurrence of various flow patterns in wet gas conditions at different orientations (horizontal and vertical) was explored. Following an investigation of pressure impact on the wet gas flow patterns and development of the wet gas regions, a different test matrix for further research work was suggested. After a novel classification of wet gas measurement methods, the paper offers a detailed comparison of differential pressure (DP) meters including Venturi, Cone meter, and orifice meters, by considering both liquid and gas flow rate measurements. Secondly, the paper discusses and compares vortex flow meters, Coriolis and ultrasonic meters in comparison to DP meters. Notable phase fraction meters are also examined and compared to one another. Thirdly, the paper reviewed the concept of existing and potential hybrid wet gas meters, conducting a detailed discussion and comparison with commercial solutions by evaluating their ranges and accuracies. This assessment provides valuable insights into the capabilities of these hybrid meters, highlighting their potential to enhance the measurement of wet gas flow rates.

Analysis of shift in discharge coefficient for contaminated multihole orifice flow meter

The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive numerical study of influence of contamination and multi-hole orifice (MHO) flow meter geometry on shift in discharge coefficient. In this research, authors analyzed steady, three-dimensional, turbulent flow of dry air through MHO flow meter with 3 different β parameters. Shift in discharge coefficient was calculated for 29 different combinations of contamination parameters for 7 contamination angles, 3 different Reynolds numbers and 3 β parameters. Numerical method that was used was finite volume method with SIMPLE algorithm and standard k-ε turbulence model. Grid sensitivity study was performed on four systematically refined numerical grids for MHO with contamination for all values of Reynolds number, all values of β parameters and 3 values of contamination angle. Obtained results were grid independent. Numerical results for MHO without contamination were compared with the experimental results found in the literature. It was found that contamination angle has most influence on shift in discharge coefficient. Also it was found that the contamination has influence on the change of pressure drop values, which directly affects the change of other parameters. Pressure drop and singular pressure loss coefficient of the orifice with contamination are smaller compared to the values for a pure orifice, whereby the measurement accuracy was reduced. It was found that the multi-hole orifice meter was less sensitive to the pressure drop changes due to the increasing of contamination angle in regards to the single-hole orifice meters.

Calibration of Miniature Mass Flow Plug for Metering and Control of Intake Duct Flows

The results of experimental calibration of 63mm mass flow plug are presented here. An orifice meter was used as a reference along with total pressure rake to calculate mass flow through the intake duct. The calibration was carried out without intake and fore-body at pressurized condition including atmospheric as well as with intake and fore-body at atmospheric condition only. The results showed that the choked area obtained from orifice plate and total pressure rake data is linear. The calibration data obtained from rake data was higher than that of orifice data, which may be due to highly distorted flow at the dump region. The discharge coefficient is comparable to previously carried out calibration of bigger size of 94 mm mass flow plug.

Determining the flow correlation for an orifice with a non-dimensional number

Traditional devices like orifice meters play a crucial function as a flow measuring device because there is inaccuracy in the measurement of the flow measuring device concern. The pressure drop (Δp) between the upside and downsides of the orifice-pipe flow passage is calculated using Bernoulli's principle. Orifice meter produces errors and uncertainty in the downstream of the flow because of wake or backflow. The proposed study provides the procedure to calculate the Δp and flow characteristics for a circular orifice for a compressible fluid (Air) with CFD analysis. The numerical study was carried out by considering combined parameters such as area ratio (σ) and space ratio (s) as geometrical parameters and Reynolds number as flow parameters to minimize the errors of the numerical calculation. The input parameter σ varies from 0.2 to 0.6, and the s varies from 0.1 to 0.9. Whereas the Reynolds number (Re) varies from 10000 to 100000. A non-dimensional number is defined by the combined effect of σ and s to generated correlations with accuracy which is enhanced predicted results of the work. The correlation will make a significant contribution to the flow monitoring device design.

Design and Development of Throttle Valve-based Hydrodynamic Cavitator for Food

Hydrodynamic cavitation is an emerging non-thermal technology in food sector. The existing methods are venturi meter, orifice meter, and high-speed homogenizer. The former two are economic, but susceptible to clogging as cavitation occurs close to the walls. High volumetric flow rate causes flow instability and super-cavitation that limit the use of venturi meter. The latter device performs well, but is expensive. The present research was undertaken for design and development of a throttle valve-based hydrodynamic cavitator to overcome above issues. The throttle valve for creating cavitation was fixed on the suction side of the pump. To avoid cavitation and to fully recover the downstream pressure, the minimum length between throttle valve and pump was found to be 1.25 m. Iodine liberation was studied as a function of cavitation number for performance evauation of the hydrodynamic reactor. It increased increased when cavitation number decreased up to 0.42, and super-cavitation occurred beyond that value.

Auto tuned PID and neural network predictive controller for a flow loop pilot plant

This paper presents an advanced control strategy that uses the neural network (NN) predictive controller to govern the dynamics of a Flow loop pilot plant. The set point tracking using NN Predictive controller and conventional PID strategies are investigated. The control objective is to keep the outlet flow of the Single Input Single Output Flow loop at a reference value. An orifice meter as a flow measuring device and Variable Frequency Drive as a final control element is selected to collect Input, Output data. System Identification toolbox in MATLAB is used to construct the model of a flow loop from measured input–output data. Various models are estimated, validated and realized that the transfer function model gives the best fit. This model is used to build the PID and NN Predictive controller. NN predictive controller parameters are set, by the designer's expertise. The performance of a NN predictive controller is then compared with the conventional auto-tuned PID controller. Experimental results are presented, which emphasizes the superiority and effectiveness of the NN predictive controller.

A Literature Review on Orifice as a Flow Measuring Device

An orifice meter is one of the flow measuring devices which are more popular among all the instruments because of its simple design, less cost, and easy manufacturing to determine the discharge in single and multi-phase flow. In a multiphase flow problem such as oil and gas industry, chemical and processing industry wellhead chokes are used to control the production of oil and control, which create more fluctuation in the downstream flow due to back pressure on the reservoir and create significantly error in the measurement. To avoid the above problem orifice is an alternative device. The review paper gives an idea about single orifice consider for various applications, which will be helpful for betterment of orifice design and analysis. The review papers also produce the numerical and experimental studies on orifice to determine the pressure drop and coefficient of discharge on the variation of geometrical and flow parameters.

Review of metering and gas measurements in high-volume shale gas wells

Coriolis, turbine, V-cone, and orifice meters have been used in measurement of gas production in shale wells. Flange-tapped concentric orifice meters are commonly used in measurement of shale gas production volumes due to their low cost, accuracy, and ease of maintenance compared to other types of meters. However, shale gas wells are producing at high flow rates, high pressure, and possibly gas compositions change, which might affect volumetric measurement accuracy that was developed for conventional gas wells. Thus, it is critical to investigate the metering and measurements technologies that are being applied in shale gas wells to further understand and improve the accuracy of gas volumetric measurements. This paper provides a comprehensive review and analysis of background information, design, measurement, and uncertainties associated with Coriolis meters, turbine meters, V-cone meters, and orifice meters. We also discussed the lessons learned through our field experiences in computing gas volumes using SCADA information in shale gas and conventional gas production.

Prediction of flow by linear parameter varying model under disturbance

Flowrate being one of the most measured process parameters, thus it is essential to produce higher accuracy. The objective of the paper is to design an estimator using the Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) model which would estimate the flow rate using the data from the orifice meter for varying parameters like, the beta ratio of an orifice, and liquid density. For the development of an estimator, a process model is used, which is designed with the help of a system identification technique using a data-driven method. Data for system identification is obtained by the process model designed using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The output of the CFD model is compared with experimental results, there is a good agreement in results obtained with an average of 5.97% and 3.19% error in terms of differential pressure and discharge coefficient respectively. The estimated output from the LPV model is compared with that of results obtained from the neural network model and experimental setup, which are also in good agreement with an average error of 2.14%. Thus can be used to estimate flow, when orifice design or density of fluid change intentionally or unintentionally.

Non-Newtonian Two-Phase Flow in a Turbulent Pipe.(Dept.M)

The presented study in this paper is concerned with the performance of an orifice meter handling water-polymer solution, water-sand mixture (two-phase flow), and water-sand mixture with polymer additives (two-phase non-Newtonian flow). An ASME recommendation orifice meter was constructed and installed in a hydraulic circuit. Sand of different grain sizes (0.063-0.125, 0.125-0.25 and 0.25-0.5 mm) with concentrations 0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1,5% by weight was tested. One type of polymers (polyacrylamid) was used with an average concentrations of 20, 30 and 40 wppm. The results show that both polymer and sand concentrations affects the coefficient of discharge of the orifice meter. The coefficient of discharge was found to be increased with increasing polymer concentration, while increasing sand concentration decreases the coefficient of discharge. The used sand grain sizes has no effect on the coefficient of discharge.

The Performance of Orifice Meter Handling Two-Phase Non-Newtonian Flow.(Dept.M)

The presented study in this paper is concerned with the performance of an orifice meter handling water-polymer solution, water-sand mixture (two-phase flow), and water-sand mixture with polymer additives (two-phase non-Newtonian flow). An ASME recommendation orifice meter was constructed and installed in a hydraulic circuit. Sand of different grain sizes (0.063-0.125, 0.125-0.25 and 0.25-0.5 mm) with concentrations 0.25%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1,5% by weight was tested. One type of polymers (polyacrylamid) was used with an average concentrations of 20, 30 and 40 wppm. The results show that both polymer and sand concentrations affects the coefficient of discharge of the orifice meter. The coefficient of discharge was found to be increased with increasing polymer concentration, while increasing sand concentration decreases the coefficient of discharge. The used sand grain sizes has no effect on the coefficient of discharge.

Performance evaluation of an innovative design modification of an orifice meter

This paper evaluates the effect of innovative design modification on the performance of an orifice meter. The orifice meter of 10 mm plate thickness is considered as reference meter and the plate has been modified by changing the surface topology to curvature on both the sides of the orifice plate and the performance has been evaluated using CFD. The performance of the meter is evaluated in terms of coefficient of discharge (Cd) and standard deviation. The study reveals very interesting phenomenon. The newly designed orifice meter has higher discharge coefficient with an improvement of about 22% compared to the reference orifice meter with β-value of 0.6. The performance of the new orifice meter with β-value of 0.6 and radius of curvature of 7.07 mm (2R/d = 0.471) is nearly independent of Reynolds number over the entire range of flow conditions studied (103 ≤ Re ≤ 106).

Optimization of Orifice Metering Station Construction with Time Cost Trade Off Methods

Delay is a common problem in project. In case of building project, the delay in project completion means that the user has to pay penalty corresponding to contractual agreement with the host. The construction of the Seberida Metering Station Engineering Procurement Construction & Commissioning (EPCC) project has been delayed. Based on the project’s physical progress scheduling report. The user demanded by the host to complete the project on time. One solution that can be done to overcome the project delay is to accelerate the duration of the project. However, the acceleration of the duration must be carefully calculated so that the project can be completed on time and the additional costs incurred as a consequence of reducing the duration do not swell. This Research uses the Time Cost Trade Off (TCTO) method as a solution to overcome delays, namely the method of scheduling projects by exchanging time and costs. From the results of the analysis with the Time Cost Trade Off method, it was found that the construction of the Metering Station was accelerated for 50 days, from the total duration of the project which normally takes 180 days to 130 days with an additional cost of $ 80,047.01.

Approximation of the discharge coefficient of differential pressure flowmeters using different soft computing strategies

Due to its importance in flow measurement and instrumentation, as well as its frequent application in differential pressure flowmeters, orifice discharge coefficient (Cd) needs to be estimated precisely. In this study, different soft computing models (including multiple linear regression (MLR), group method of data handling (GMDH), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), M5P tree model, and random forest (RF)) were employed for the first time in estimation of the Cd value, and their respective prediction performances were analyzed statistically. Coefficient of correlation (CC), mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE), scattering index (SI), and Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (NSE) were used as the statistical indicators for validating the performance of each soft computing model. The statistical indicators approved the superiority of the RF model over the other models, while the MARS model also showed a competitive prediction potential over M5P, GMDH, and MLR models. The findings of this computational study clearly demonstrated that the implemented soft computing strategy had the capability to be used in precise estimation of the Cd of the orifice meter, specifically, in situations where the measurement of the parameters in deterministic equation is not practically feasible.

Evaluation of multi-holed orifice flowmeters under developing flow conditions – An experimental study

This study focuses on multi-holed orifice plates, which have superior flow measuring characteristics as compared to their conventional counterparts. However, literature is scant on quantitative parametric investigations. In this experimental study, the performance of a multi-holed orifice plate is evaluated for variable number of holes (n), equivalent diameter ratio (EDR), compactness ratio (C), plate thickness ratio (s/d) and upstream developing length (L/D) in developing flow regimes for the Reynolds number range of 24,500–55,500 by using Central Composite Design. A total number of 324 experiments were performed. It was found that EDR has the most significant effect on pressure loss coefficient, followed by ‘n’ and ‘C’. Moreover, it was found out that single orifice (SO) and multi-holed orifice (MO) have almost the same pressure losses for the same value of EDR/β. However, flow develops quickly for MOs. Higher values of coefficient of discharge were observed in the case of MOs as compared to the SOs with little effect of upstream disturbances. The effect of developing length is significant on the accuracy of orifice meter. However, when the multi-holed orifice plates are installed at 2D upstream length, the effect of upstream disturbances are diminished. This result provides the flexibility of installation, which means that multi-holed orifices can be installed at 2D. The experimental data is in good agreement with literature. Finally, an optimum orifice plate (5,0.4,0.7) was selected for flow developing region with minimum pressure loss coefficient based upon the experimental results.

Investigation on different scenarios of two-phase flow measurement using Orifice and Coriolis flow meters: Experimental and modeling approaches

In this study, various methods for multiphase flow metering were introduced. These techniques include measurement of gas-liquid average density by a Coriolis flow meter and determining the gas volume fraction by discharge coefficient of an orifice plate. Application of Orifice plate and Coriolis flow meters were investigated for gas-liquid flow metering. The principle of using these instruments as single-phase flow meters, for measurement of the two-phase flow was not focused in previous studies. In the second part, gas volume fraction was predicted by a soft sensor. Variation of Coriolis meter factor with gas volume fraction and Reynolds number was studied. Moreover, changes of pressure drop and discharge coefficient of Orifice with Reynolds number was investigated. On the other hand, 250 data sets were collected to develop a soft sensor using 2-layer and 3-layer neural networks optimized by genetic algorithm and Least Square Support Vector Machine. Increasing Reynolds number led to decrease in Coriolis meter factor. Among various computational intelligence methods, 3-layer neural network was the best, with mean square error and mean absolute percent error of 0.91% and 3%, respectively and computation time of 0.0001 s.

Investigation of the Contamination Influence on the Parameters of Gas Flow Through Multihole Orifice Flowmeter

The aim of this article is to determine the contamination influence on the parameters of gas flow through multihole orifice (MHO) meter. The numerical investigations of the contamination influence for the MHO flow meters have not been reported in the previous researches. The air flow was steady, 3-D, and turbulent. The finite volume method was used for the purpose of numerical analyses. The main considered physical properties of air were density and dynamic viscosity. The standard <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k-\varepsilon $ </tex-math></inline-formula> turbulence model was used. MHO meter with two different <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\beta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> parameters was observed. Also, the influence of contamination formed in front of the MHO meter with the same <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\beta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> parameters was analyzed. In order to qualitatively analyze the influence of the contamination, the 15 different combinations of contamination parameters for seven different Reynolds numbers were analyzed. The pressure drop, singular pressure loss coefficient, and discharge coefficient were analyzed. The grid sensitivity study was performed on four systematically refined numerical grids for MHO meter without contamination and the results were compared with the experimental results found in the literature. Also, the grid refinement was done for MHO meter with contamination for two different values of Reynolds number. It was found that for the same values of contamination angle, regardless of the contamination parameters ratio, the results were unchanged. Also, it was found that the contamination has an influence on the change of pressure drop values, which directly affects the change of other parameters. Pressure drop and singular pressure loss coefficient of the orifice with contamination are smaller compared to the values for a pure orifice, whereby the measurement accuracy was reduced. Also, for cases of contamination, the discharge coefficient was increased, leading to a negative measurement error. It was found that the same trend occurs regardless of the Reynolds number. It was found that the MHO meter was less sensitive to the pressure drop changes due to the increase of contamination angle in regard to the single-hole orifice meters.