A significant global resources company has recently replaced its existing turbine flow meter with ABLE Instrument & Controls’ new portable ultrasonic gas flow meter to ensure reliability and accurate measurement.
The client’s original turbine flow meter, with its history of failure, had been unavailable for long periods of time as a total platform shutdown was required to replace or repair the meter. The client needed to find an alternative accurate and reliable measurement technique which they could utilise with a minimum amount of change or disruption to their operation process.
The flow meter is required to measure fuel gas usage for EU emissions trading and reporting. Accuracy of the metered fuel usage is most important to ensure correct payments are made. With the turbine meter being unavailable for long periods, estimated figures could have resulted in errors in the gas usage and subsequent payments.
A non-intrusive, high-precision clamp on gas meter
ABLE Instruments has been involved with the client’s asset for many years and has successfully trialled and installed various flow and level instrumentation. Due to ABLE’s background in measurement solutions, their engineers were asked to trial a suitable replacement flow meter offshore at the beginning of 2008.
The trial utilised ABLE’s portable clamp on gas meter with its unique and stable Widebeam® technology for extremely high precision and reliability at a very low maintenance requirement. The flow meter is suitable for pipe diameters between 25mm and 1.52m with a minimum line pressure of 7–10 bar.
The portable clamp on gas meter proved to be ideal for the job since alternative types of flow meters would have required expensive modifications to pipe work configuration. This would not have been practical as total platform shutdown is required to accommodate any pipe work changes.
ABLE’s clamp-on gas flow meter is a non-intrusive instrument which can be installed, serviced and maintained without the need for pipe alterations and plant shutdown.
