Uncertainty study of fiscal orifice meter used in a gas Algerian field

Uncertainty variation of a fiscal orifice measurement system used in an Algerian natural gas exportation station is studied using data from a natural gas production field known as Gas Tin Fouye Tabankort (GTFT) located in the south-east of Algeria. The expected results are uncertainty calculus over a range of temperature and pressure variation and to the customs authorities’ allocation.In fact, each quantity of measured fluid flow has certain uncertainty and then the fiscal measurement station is very important for gas exportation, which means the income. Therefore, the pursuit of flow metering device uncertainty and its influence on the measured quantities in the transmission networks is very important.For that, the uncertainty caused by flowmeter in the measurement station causing economical revenue fluctuations is studied. The work was done to justify why there is a production decrease of hydrocarbons without identifying reasons during summer. The difference between the mass flow rate quantity produced and the transmitted value was important that is why our work is done to clarify exactly from where the problem can come.The measurements setting with two operating conditions (gas temperature and pressure) show that the uncertainty is dominated by seasonal temperatures and pressures variations which induce fluctuation in gas and pipe temperatures and influence the metrological performance of the transmitters. Indeed, the metrological measurement chain performance is affected also by these two operating conditions.The present work is done according to the ONML (National Legal Metrological Office) instructions regarding differences between the measured and the seller values represented by the mass flow rate.In natural gas transmission network, the important problem in the management and control of the network is represented by the unaccounted for gas, a quantity of measuring error which is to be considered in the equation of network balancing. One of the unaccounted for gas sources are the environmental conditions and systematic measurement errors.In this work, the calculation of the combined uncertainty of the mass flow rate measured by an Orifice fiscal gas metering plant is done. From the results founded, the authors confirm that the uncertainty in the measurement system causing by the climatic conditions generates unaccounted for gas.     

Power law approximations to gas volume fraction and velocity profiles in low void fraction vertical gas–liquid flows

A dual sensor conductance probe was used to measure the distributions of the local gas volume fraction and the local gas axial velocity in vertical upward, bubby air–water flows in which the mean gas volume fraction was less than 0.1. Very limited data are available in the literature for such low volume fraction flows. The measured local gas volume fraction and velocity distributions were approximated by power law functions. The power law exponents associated with the measured local gas volume fraction profiles were found to be up to 30% higher than values predicted in the literature. The power law exponents associated with the measured local gas velocity profiles were also found to be somewhat higher than values predicted in the literature. The power law exponents for the measured local gas volume fraction and local axial gas velocity distributions at a given flow condition were combined to obtain an estimate of the ‘Zuber–Findlay’ distribution parameter C₀ at that flow condition. The mean value of C₀ for all of the flow conditions investigated was 1.09. This value of C₀ was found to give good agreement with the gradient of a plot of the mean gas velocity versus the homogeneous velocity u_h, where and u_h were obtained from reference measurements. This agreement is evidence for the good accuracy of the measured volume fraction and velocity profiles. Finally, the paper casts doubt upon previously published criteria regarding the optimum axial sensor separation in dual sensor probes.     

Velocity measurement for two-phase flows based on ultrafast X-ray tomography

The ultrafast electron beam X-ray tomography scanner ROFEX is used for the investigation of multiphase flows. Its functional principle allows us to obtain sequences of cross-sectional flow images, which shows local attenuation properties of the flow. Hence, the X-ray CT images mainly reveal the shape and interfaces of flow constituents, such as gas, liquid and solids via their X-ray contrast. It is, however, more difficult to obtain velocity information from multiphase flows. In this article we discuss different methods to extract information on the velocities of particles or interfaces as well as for continuous phase. For disperse phase velocity measurement, e.g. in gas–liquid or gas–solids flows, we employ cross-correlation based techniques using two imaging planes. Apart from the standard cross-correlation technique we developed a method and algorithm, which is capable to identify identical bubbles in the two planes giving us a unique Lagrangian particle-related velocity information. Eventually we give an example of velocity measurement in the continuous liquid phase using an X-ray contrast agent.     

Smokestack gas velocity measurements using 3D pitot tubes in a coal-fired power plant

On the path to carbon neutrality to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Korean government has mandated legislation for controlling and monitoring GHG emissions emitted from smokestacks. A continuous emission measurement (CEM) method is considered to be the most reliable for determining CO2 emissions from stationary sources. In Korea, an S-type Pitot tube is the most popular technique to measure the gas velocity in a smokestack, but it will result in a certain error when the non-axial velocity components exist. To vanquish this limitation, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) developed a nulling smokestack flow measurement (NSFM) instrument equipped with 3D Pitot tubes for taking on-site stack gas velocity measurements. 3D Pitot tubes used in this research, such as prism Pitot tube and sphere Pitot tube, are calibrated in the KRISS airspeed system. The instrument using 3D Pitot tubes with the nulling technique is expected to diminish the restriction on S-type Pitot tubes, and to enhance the quality of the GHG emission measurements in the smokestack. The 3D Pitot tubes can measure both axial and non-axial velocity components of a flow, whereas the S-type Pitot tubes can measure only the axial velocity component. The averaged axial velocity of the stack gas as measured by this instrument has expanded uncertainty of 3.3% (P = 95%, k = 2) for both prism and sphere Pitot tubes.     

Flow rate measurement in flows with asymmetric velocity profiles by means of distributed thermal anemometry

Flow rate in closed conduits is one of the most frequently measured parameters in industrial processes and in gas and water supply. For an accurate measurement, flow meters typically require a fully developed symmetric flow profile with preferably no radial or tangential velocity components. This is commonly secured by mounting flow meters in a pipe at a sufficiently long distance downstream any change in cross-section or pipe direction. In this paper, we introduce a new approach for flow rate measurement of gases or liquids that employs a novel spatially resolving fluid velocity sensor basing on thermal anemometry. The new principle allows accurate flow rate measurements for non-axisymmetric velocity profiles, even directly after pipe bends, T-junctions or other alterations in the pipe geometry. This is exemplified for air flow in three different pipe bend configurations.     

Uncertainty and intrusiveness of three-layer wire-mesh sensor

A wire-mesh sensor (WMS) has been applied to estimate the bubble velocity of an air-water bubbly flow in a vertical channel with a square cross-section. The WMS provides instantaneous cross-sectional gas fraction distributions which are measured by detecting the local electrical conductivity between two electrode wires crossing each other at right angles. The applied WMS has three planes of wire grids separated by 1.5 mm in the axial direction. The wires of the central grid are used as transmitter electrodes, while the wires of the two external grids are connected to the receiver inputs of the electronic unit. In this way, the sensor has two measuring planes, located between the transmitter grid and both receiver planes. Individual bubble diameters are calculated from the measured gas fraction data by using a bubble identification algorithm, and the bubble velocity is evaluated by cross-correlating the instantaneous gas fraction profiles. In case of WMS measurements, the intrusive effects caused by the wires cannot be neglected. In this study, the effect of the intrusive WMS on the bubble velocity was studied by high speed camera (HSC) observation. Bubble parameters were extracted from both WMS and HSC data. A comparison of bubble size and velocity was carried out for each bubble individually. It was found that bubbles are strongly decelerated when they collide with the wire grids in case of low liquid velocities. The effect decreases with growing liquid velocity and finally turns into a slight acceleration which corresponds to the degree of the cross-section obstruction by the wires.     

Calibration procedures and uncertainty analysis for a thermal mass gas flowmeter of a new generation

This paper deals with the differences between traditional and new technology gas meters, and focuses specifically on the calibration procedure and uncertainty evaluation of CTTMFs (Capillary Type Thermal Mass Flow Meter). In particular, measurements performed on a sample set of commercial CTTMFs for natural gas in domestic/residential (G4) applications allowed to evaluate the modifications to calibration procedures required by the new generation, digital, gas flow meters. Indeed, traditionally natural gas is metered by means of volumetric measurement techniques, while the modern, static gas flow meters (thermal and ultrasonic ones) are based on electronic flow sensors. This implies that the gas volume through the meter is measured by sampling the flow rate at selected time points and integrating the flow rate in time. The measurement time becomes therefore an important parameter, thus requiring a thorough rethinking of the calibration procedure. In order to analyse the effects of the various parameters, a series of ad-hoc calibrations were performed. Specifically, one set of calibrations was performed with constant totalized volume, while the other required a constant measurement time. In order to highlight the novelties that will have to be implemented in ordinary calibration procedures to get the best of the new technologies, the two procedures as performed on a sample set CTTMFs will be compared; the theoretical (generic) evaluation of the associated uncertainty will also be presented. Measurements were carried out at the test facility of INRIM, the Italian National Metrology Institute.     

提高电收尘器离子产生浓度的实验研究

为了寻求提高离子浓度的方法,采用自制电收尘器进行了除尘模拟实验。实验以工作电压U、气流速度v、集尘板间距L、放电极距出口距离A等作为影响因素考察对离子浓度C进行研究。实验结果表明,通过提高除尘器内的气流速度,增加空气离子动量,可以有效地防止放电空间内产生的离子复合,增加了离子输运率,提高了放电空间的离子浓度。通过提高风速,可以将放电空间的离子浓度提高1~2个数量级,对提高电除尘的除尘效率具有积极的意义。同时,由于气流速度的提高,增加了处理烟气的流量,使除尘器的体积成倍减小,降低了一次性投资。     

Performance of the LDA Volumetric Flow Rate Standard Under Severely Disturbed Flow Conditions

Flow meters in thermal power plants are operated at high temperatures and pressures and often encounter disturbed flow profiles. This leads to an increased measurement uncertainty, limiting the safe operating range of flow rates and thus, the plant's power output. To respond to this shortcoming, the laser optical flow rate standard (LFS) was developed. The LFS is designed to allow the on-site calibration of industrial flow meters in power plants at high temperatures and pressures. It makes use of the laser Doppler anemometry (LDA), as a fundamental and non-invasive method, to measure the velocity field simultaneously with two LDA systems. The volumetric flow rate is then determined by means of integration. Here, we present flow rate measurements for a fully developed pipe flow and for six pipe diameters downstream of a disturbance generator. The mean deviation in flow rate between the two LDA systems was 0.05%, with a mean deviation from the gravimetric reference flow rate of 0.12%. The highest deviations from the reference were 0.21% and 0.31%, for the first and second system respectively.     

一种新型二维速度和加速度测量方法研究

速度和加速度的实时测量在机械工程和土木工程中都有十分重要的意义。本文对一种新型的速度和加速度测量方法进行了研究。该方法可以实现二维速度和加速度的多点实时测量。该方法的主要原理是设计一种平面坐标检测杆,检测杆可以实时测量出杆上各点的坐标。坐标对时间数值差分可以计算出速度和加速度。将坐标检测杆精确牢固附在被测构件上进行测量。在编写了基于本方法实时计算并直观显示速度和加速度的程序后,本文以一个示例演示该方法。比较了理论解数据与该方法模拟测量数据,两者较为吻合。     

Coriolis mass flow measurement of gas under normal conditions

This paper presents a new method of directly measuring the mass flow of gas using the well-known Coriolis principle, which has proved successful for mass flow measurement of liquids. The prototype consists of two U-shaped tubes, forming a device resembling very much a tuning fork, which is stimulated by electromagnetic actuators to perform autonomous bending oscillations. By this means the fluid is subjected to a radial velocity that, in combination with the axial velocity of the flow, induces harmonic Coriolis forces of the same frequency. This causes the U-shaped tube to perform torsional oscillations that superimpose on the bending oscillations. Both oscillations can be detected via electromagnetic transducers.

The amplitude of the torsional oscillation induced by the Coriolis forces is very small as the density of gas is very low. It can be amplified by tuning the eigenfrequencies of torsion and bending in a control loop. This results in an amplification of the torsional amplitude by a factor of 10², allowing the mass flow of gas to be measured under normal conditions.     

声学法炉内温度场与速度场协同测量方法研究

实时监测炉内燃烧温度场和烟气速度场是保证锅炉安全、经济运行的重要手段,声学法测物理场被认为是一种非侵入性和有效的测量方法。本文提出了一种基于声波法的炉内温度场和烟气速度场的协同测量新方法,建立了基于径向基函数的多物理场重建模型,采用Tikhonov正则化算法求解不适定问题,同时考虑了声波的折射效应对物理场的重建影响。采用典型的炉内物理场模型进行了数值模拟,模拟结果表明,本文方法能够很好的协同重建温度场和速度场。当考虑声线弯曲时能够显著提高各物理场的重建质量。算法具有较好的适应性和良好的抗噪性能,重建精度较高,标准均方根误差在10%以下。模拟实验平均计算时间为31.4 s,可保证炉内声学测量的实时性。声学法协同测量多物理场可为优化炉膛燃烧过程提供依据。     

Measurement of velocity profiles in multiphase flow using a multi-electrode electromagnetic flow meter

This paper describes an electromagnetic flow meter for velocity profile measurement in single phase and multiphase flows with non-uniform axial velocity profiles. A Helmholtz coil is used to produce a near-uniform magnetic field orthogonal to both the flow direction and the plane of an electrode array mounted on the internal surface of a non-conducting pipe wall. Induced voltages acquired from the electrode array are related to the flow velocity distribution via variables known as ‘weight values’ which are calculated using finite element software. Matrix inversion is used to calculate the velocity distribution in the flow cross section from the induced voltages measured at the electrode array. This paper presents simulations and experimental results including, firstly the effects of the velocity profile on the electrical potential distribution, secondly the induced voltage distribution at the electrode pair locations, and thirdly the reconstructed velocity profile calculated using the weight values and the matrix inversion method mentioned above. The flow pipe cross-section is divided into a number of pixels and, in the simulations, the mean flow velocity in each of the pixels in single phase flow is calculated from the measured induced voltages. Reference velocity profiles that have been investigated in the simulations include a uniform velocity profile and a linear velocity profile. The results show good agreement between the reconstructed and reference velocity profiles. Experimental results are also presented for the reconstructed velocity profile of the continuous water phase in an inclined solids-in-water multiphase flow for which the axial water velocity distribution is highly non-uniform. The results presented in this paper are most relevant to flows in which variations in the axial flow velocity occur principally in a single direction.     

Improvement and uncertainty evaluation of mercury sealed piston prover using laser interferometer

Many NMIs (National Measurement Institute) and calibration laboratories are using a mercury sealed piston prover as calibration system for gas flow meter. But it has problems in deciding measuring volume, traveling time of piston and generating low flow rate below 10 cc/min. In this study, a new structure of a piston prover is designed and its flow measurement uncertainty is evaluated according to ISO/IEC 17025. A laser interferometer, instead of optical sensors used in a typical piston prover, is employed to measure testing time and moving distance of the piston, accurately. A new material of the piston is used to eliminate contaminated particles from the material of the piston body. Uncertainty is calculated by evaluating various uncertainty factors which have influence on gas flow measurement. The expanded uncertainty of the piston prover is 0.11% at the confidence level of 95%. The uncertainty evaluation procedure of this study would be useful in flow measurement uncertainty determination of other types of gas flow measurement systems.     

Measurement of horizontal flow in a large scale furnace using acoustic vector tomography

Acoustic pyrometry is one of only a few techniques that can give information about temperature and flue gas velocity in a large scale furnace of a coal fired power station. The time of flight of acoustic signals through the furnace is influenced by both temperature and gas velocity. Here, the reconstruction of the velocity of gas from acoustic measurements via vector tomography is considered. A reconstruction algorithm based on a stable series expansion method for vorticity and a finite difference method for the nonrotational part of the vector field is presented. It is applied to realistic synthetic data and data measured at a large scale furnace.     

Quality check of wire-mesh sensor measurements in a vertical air/water flow

Extensive measurements were executed for a vertical upward air/water flow to generate a high-quality database for the development and validation of CFD-Codes for two-phase flows (e.g. for models on bubble forces or on coalescence and break-up). Thereto, in a pipe with a nominal diameter of 200 mm, the wire-mesh sensor technology was used. The present paper aims on the assessment of uncertainty caused by the experimental procedure and especially global deviations arising from the use of the wire-mesh sensor technology. Special attention was paid to the plausibility and accuracy of the data regarding the evolution of the vertical multiphase flow. In the result, a clear and consistent trend regarding their evolution with increasing distance from the position of the gas injection was found. Comparisons of the trend of time and cross-section averaged gas volume fraction along the pipe height with the theoretically expected values were carried out. From the measured radial profiles of the void fraction and the velocity of the gas phase, the superficial gas velocity at the wire-mesh sensor is integrated over the cross-section and compared with the set value from the test matrix. Thus, a general uncertainty analysis of the sensor data is possible.     

An investigation into the effects of installation on the performance of insertion flowmeters

An electromagnetic and a turbine insertion flowmeter were tested in three different flow conditions inside a 0.590-m bore pipe inserted in the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL) large water flow measurement facility. The results were compared with velocity measurements obtained from a laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV). The advantage of using such a reference measurement is that LDV is non-intrusive and does not affect the velocity profile itself.Of the meters tested, one was supplied with a whole meter calibration factor and the other was supplied with a calibration factor for the D/2 position.For both meters, application of the respective manufacturer's blockage correction improved the velocity measurements, reducing the differences between the LDV and corrected insertion meter measurements and the difference between the integrated insertion meter measurements and the gravimetric measurements.Swirling and skew flow profiles were generated by the installation of the NEL designed swirl generator and flow disturber, respectively. Neither of these disturbed profiles affected the performance of either of the meters in terms of accuracy of measurement compared with the LDV readings. The profiles themselves, however, changed the velocities at the D/8 and 7D/8 points, making single point estimates of the mean velocity inappropriate. A complete 13-point traverse, integrated using the method of cubics as described in BS 1042 [1] (Section 2.3: Measurement of fluid flow in closed conduits, 1992), gave acceptable estimates of mean velocity in both swirling and skew flow for both probes.     

网状静电传感器弯管处颗粒速度与浓度的测量

为了对气力输送管道进行实时监控,并且提高炉膛内的燃烧效率,需要对气力输送管道中颗粒的速度与浓度分布进行测量。采用一种网状结构的静电传感器测量气力输送管道弯管处的颗粒速度与浓度分布。为了研究传感器的特性,首先建立了网状静电传感器的有限元模型。根据有限元仿真结果,优化网状静电传感器的设计,使其拥有更高更均匀的灵敏度分布,在实验室规模颗粒流实验平台上进行了实验研究。通过对上下游平面对应位置网状电极所得静电信号进行互相关运算,可以估测颗粒的轴向速度分布;通过对同一平面网状电极静电信号的均方根值进行重建,可以得到固体颗粒的相对浓度分布。实验研究表明,该网状静电传感器可以用来测量气力输送管道弯管处颗粒速度与浓度分布。     

烟气粉尘脱硫治理喷射系统的计算

阐述烟气粉尘脱硫治理和喷射系统的结构。计算治理塔内液膜的层流底层和湍流层的速度、液膜的总流量及雾化旋动流体的附加流量。分析了治理塔内旋动气--固微粒流的分离性能,通过实验求得塔内旋流的准自由涡区的速度分布,计算分离的最小粒子直径。文中研究脱硫剂的动态喷雾与烟气含硫化合物的化学反应过程,讨论影响脱硫除尘治理效果的主要因素和喷射器的作用。最后介绍在工业炉窑烟气脱硫(SO     

Investigation of the three-dimensional turbulent flow fields of the gas swirl burner with a cone type baffle plate (II)

This paper presents three-dimensional mean velocities, turbulent intensities and Reynolds shear stresses measured in the Y-Z plane of the gas swirl burner with a cone type baffle plate by using an X-type hot-wire probe. This experiment is carried out at the flow rate of 450 ℓ/ which is equivalent to the combustion air flow rate necessary to heat release 15,000 kcal/hr in a gas furnace. Mean velocities and turbulent intensities etc. show that their maximum values exist around the narrow slits situated radially on the edge of and in front of a burner. According to downstream regions, they have a peculiar shape like a starfish because the flows going out of the narrow slits and the swirl vanes of an inclined baffle plate diffuse and develop into inward and outward of a burner. The rotational flow due to the inclined flow velocity going out of swirl vanes of a cone type baffle plate seems to decrease the magnitudes of mean velocities V and W respectively by about 30 % smaller than those of mean velocity U. The turbulent intensities have large values of 50 %–210 % within the range of 0.5<r/R<1 and around the narrow slits in front of a burner because the large transverse slope of axial mean velocity remains in these region. Therefore, the combustion reaction is expected to occur actively near these regions. Moreover, the Reynolds shear stresses are largely distributed near the narrow slits of a burner.