How to determine whether a gas flow meter is needed for compressed air pipelines

Generally, flow meters are installed on the main pipeline, and flow meters are also installed at each individual air-using unit

1. How to determine whether it is necessary to install flow meters within a company (units that use compressors are excluded; the decision should be based on the scale of use of compressors). Typically, metering nodes are installed on the output or input pipelines of various units. 2. What are the problems of not installing a flow meter? If it can be calculated through other means, or is shared with other units and recognized jointly, it may not need to be installed. 3. What are the benefits of installing a flow meter? It will increase the conveying resistance. Actually, the above question is essentially one: why there is controversy regarding the installation of flow meters in pipelines. It comes down to the issue of measurement methods. At present, the gas flow meter whose accuracy is widely accepted is the \"orifice plate flow meter\". There are others as well, but they are not widely used due to high costs, issues related to precision, the tendency to fall off, or requirements regarding the cleanliness of the medium. As for orifice plate flow meters in particular, their very existence creates a point of resistance; to overcome this resistance, more energy must be supplied. It is not conducive to energy conservation and consumption reduction. So most devices that don’t need to be upgraded do not get upgraded.

Flow meters are required in the following two situations. 1. Production processes require flow data to guide operations ； 2. The anti-surge control of the compressor unit requires flow rate parameters

It’s necessary for production: 1. accurate cost calculation, 2. the ability to detect leaks promptly.

Install it if traffic monitoring is required; otherwise, do not install it. Most companies do not install it because it is not necessary during use. What is required is mainly participation in the reactions of materials within the production facilities, cost calculation, volume restrictions, and tracking of deliveries; minor leaks, if they occur, are generally not a major concern

In cases involving multiple users and multiple products, it is necessary to separate them for cost calculation and evaluation; in such situations, the system is installed. For scenarios with a single product and a single user, the system is generally not installed, and the power consumption of the air compressor as well as the energy used for water removal are simply allocated to the cost of that product

Conduct economic accounting and analysis of wind losses, in order to save energy and reduce consumption