Issues regarding the installation of flow meters at stations in long-distance pipeline systems
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There are two questions that I would like the experts to clarify: 1) Will flow meters be installed at all stations in the long-distance transmission system? It is possible that the stations at both the beginning and the end of the system use instruments designed for commercial measurement (such as mass flow meters), while flow meters at the intermediate stations can be used to detect any significant fluid leaks. 2) If commercial measurement flow meters are installed at the beginning and the end of the system, what type of flow meters should be used at the intermediate stations? How can we avoid discrepancies in measurement results caused by differences in accuracy between the flow meters at these different stations, especially when dealing with high-pressure gases, which require temperature and pressure compensation. Is it determined that there is a possibility of leakage when the deviation value of the flow meter between the two stations reaches a certain percentage? :)
In long-distance pipeline gas transmission, flow meters are not only used at the start and end stations for trade settlement; those used in the middle sections can also be used for trade settlement, as well as flow meters intended for leak detection. In our **West-to-East Gas Transmission projects, ultrasonic flowmeters are often used to address these issues.
In long-distance pipelines, ultrasonic flow meters are no longer used in pipelines for transporting refined oil. The flow meters installed along the pipeline are meant only for balancing the volume of fluid transported; if data needs to be downloaded at intermediate stations, mass flow meters are necessary. As for leak detection, there are many software solutions available for this purpose, and they collect a variety of data such as flow rate, pressure at the inlet and outlet, temperature, and so on.
In long-distance pipelines, ultrasonic flow meters are no longer used in pipelines for transporting refined oil. The flow meters installed along the pipeline are meant only for balancing the volume of fluid transported; if data needs to be downloaded at intermediate stations, mass flow meters are necessary. As for leak detection, there are many software solutions available for this purpose, and they collect a variety of data such as flow rate, pressure at the inlet and outlet, temperature, and so on.
Generally, only intermediate stations with distribution functions are equipped with flow meters, which are installed when trade metering is required. If there are pumping stations or pigging stations in between, it is not necessary to install flow meters, unless the owner specifically requires it for performance evaluation. But it has no practical utility
Flow meters are installed only at the starting and ending stations, as well as at the distribution stations and the intermediate stations that receive oil and gas. To determine whether there is a leak in the intermediate sections, pressure or sound measurement methods are generally used; for example, several pressure sensors are placed along the pipeline, and by analyzing the trends in pressure changes and the timing of these pressure fluctuations, it is possible to determine whether there is a significant leak or where it occurs.
So, at the intermediate stations, there is distribution and collection; is it installed on the branch pipelines or subjectively?