Selection of natural gas flow meters

The flow meters used for natural gas measurement are usually specified by companies like China Resources; they do not allow users to choose them on their own. If it is for internal measurement within a company, there is no need to opt for high-quality models.

For measuring flow rates, Coriolis mass flow meters are the preferred choice; vortex flow meters for small diameters and ultrasonic flow meters for large diameters are alternatives. Turbine flow meters are a cheaper option. As for accuracy, 1% accuracy is average; it’s not a particularly high requirement.

Spinning into a vortex – feels a bit better than a vortex street

Oil fields mostly use progressive vortex flowmeters, or gas turbine flowmeters, and gas rotary vane flowmeters. Among domestic manufacturers, Zhejiang Tianxin and Zhejiang Cangnan perform well in this area. The standard accuracy is grade 1.5; to require grade 1.0, a special request must be made to the flow meter manufacturer.

Could you provide the contact persons and contact information for two manufacturers?

A swirl vortex flowmeter can be used; it’s ideal for measuring natural gas!

This post was last edited by cqdfwy on 2017-5-25 at 11:15. What was said above is correct; as for the suggestions that \"coriolis mass flowmeters should be the first choice, followed by vortex flowmeters for small diameters and ultrasonic flowmeters for large diameters, with turbines being an option for cheaper solutions\", these are not suitable for natural gas measurement. Natural gas has a low density (it is lighter than air), so it is not suitable for use with Coriolis mass flow meters (even if measurement accuracy can be achieved, it would be significantly reduced; moreover, the cost of such meters is too high, making them uneconomical). In the natural gas industry, Coriolis mass flow meters are indeed used for LNG and CNG, but they are not utilized for natural gas transported through pipelines under normal pressure conditions ； Vortex flowmeters lack sufficient interference resistance (vortex tube flowmeters are more resilient to such interference), and their measurement range can sometimes be too narrow; therefore, they are generally not a good choice for measuring natural gas (although it is said that they are used in some cases, they are not recommended) ； Ultrasonic waves are indeed commonly used in large-diameter gas supply main pipelines ； Turbine flowmeters offer guaranteed accuracy (but long-term stability is lacking, requiring regular calibration), and they have high requirements regarding the operating environment as well as maintenance ； Additionally, gas rotary vane flow meters also offer sufficient accuracy; (in the context of gas flow measurement, an accuracy level of 0.5–1.0 is considered quite high, as it’s not possible to achieve accuracy levels higher than 0.5 like in liquid flow measurement). They have a wide measurement range (they are capable of measuring low flow rates), but they require specific conditions regarding the operating environment as well as careful maintenance. Indeed, gas turbine flowmeters, gas Roots (rotary vane) flowmeters, and swirl vortex flowmeters are all flowmeters commonly used in the natural gas industry. As for which type of flow meter to choose, it depends on the specific conditions of the application in question. For example, is it to be used for monitoring and comparison with the upstream gas supplier, or for internal factory evaluations (where accuracy is a concern)? The measurement range, quality (whether it contains impurities such as water), flow stability, and ease of calibration are also all factors that need to be taken into consideration. In accordance with the owner’s requirements of \"moderate price, reliable measurement, low maintenance needs, and safety,\" if the measurement range meets the specifications, I believe that rotary vortex flowmeters are the most suitable choice. Their accuracy isn’t extremely high, but it is sufficient to reach class 1.0; they also have strong resistance to interference, and they don’t require high levels of stability in terms of gas quality or flow rate. Indeed, the rotary vortex flowmeters produced by Zhejiang Tianxin and Zhejiang Cangnan can meet the requirements for commercial use, providing adequate accuracy for corporate applications. If class 1.0 accuracy is required, it is necessary to specify this to the manufacturer of the flowmeter. These two companies’ flowmeters are widely used in the natural gas industry.

What is the caliber? Pressure, flow range, temperature?

Room temperature, 0.4 MPa, flow rate of 300 m3/h, DN100

Mainly used are: gas rotary vane flow meters and progressive cavity flow meters. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two types?