I have a question regarding the temperature and pressure compensation for vortex flowmeters
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I would like to ask my colleagues: do vortex flowmeters for measuring gas flow come with built-in temperature and pressure compensation? If temperature and pressure instruments are installed on the pipeline, can temperature and pressure compensation be performed directly on the DCS system? Is the error large? Is there a big difference between a flow meter with built-in temperature and pressure compensation and one that uses a flow integrator for such compensation?
Either one is fine; if it has built-in temperature and pressure compensation, that’s preferable, as it offers slightly higher measurement accuracy compared to measurements fed into the DCS system separately
If both temperature and pressure need to be monitored, use three sensors connected to the DCS for temperature and pressure compensation; otherwise, it is recommended to use a unit with built-in temperature and pressure compensation. Make sure to choose one with built-in temperature and pressure sensing, rather than one that requires separate sensors installed on the pipes.
How should this be understood? Shouldn’t external temperature and pressure compensation be more accurate when there is a sufficient straight pipe section?
Some modern intelligent vortex flowmeters may be equipped with temperature and/or pressure sensing elements within the instrument, and these elements can be used to adjust the flow measurement for gases or steam; typical digital vortex flowmeters usually have such capabilities. For ordinary vortex flowmeters, it is possible to perform compensation calculations by reading the temperature and pressure signals using some compensation calculation software packages in flow meters/DCS/PLC systems.
The hassle with external installations is that you have to handle the piping and wiring yourself, and the straight sections of pipe also need to be longer. For vortex flow meters, accuracy is what matters; there’s no need to be too precise.