Can a thermal mass flow meter measure natural gas?

This post was last edited by bbblooming on 2015-6-16 08:58. The principle of thermal gas flow measurement can be found at http://www.56.com/u97/v_MTE4NjgzMDQ2.html. It’s advisable to understand this principle first before deciding whether to use it for natural gas. Pure fluids with low viscosity and stable temperatures should work fine. However, although the principle is applicable, thermal mass flow meters have not been used in natural gas systems, from the wellhead to processing plants, long-distance pipelines, and urban distribution stations. This is likely due to insufficient accuracy; the composition of natural gas varies, and it is necessary to calibrate the instrument using actual flow rates. Different compositions result in different heat conduction efficiencies, which significantly affect the measurement results. Such meters cannot be used for trade transactions or process control, but they can be used merely to get an approximate reading

In principle, it can still be used; specifically, parameters need to be provided, and it’s better to make the selection based on those parameters. Our company is a manufacturer of thermal flowmeters; if you need any information, you can contact Mr. Zhu at 010-56202815

The calorific value is ensured by the components, and stable components are the primary guarantee for accuracy. You can provide the component list + the predicted range of variation, so that the manufacturer can estimate the accuracy. Large companies conduct basic research on commonly used gas mixtures, such as natural gas, as well, within a certain range. If it is special, you can request a calibration with a physical sample, with its valve timing calibrated separately. It is still up to them to determine the accuracy; you cannot verify it in practice.

It’s not possible; the components of natural gas determine its instability

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What I want to say is that there is no universal flow meter; excellence isn’t something that can be boasted about – trains don’t get pushed along.

It depends on the actual circumstances. If the composition of natural gas is stable, with the proportion of components remaining unchanged or changing only slightly, a thermal method is a good choice. Of course, the proportion of the natural gas components consumed varies greatly, and it is not possible to ensure accuracy using thermal flowmeters. There are many cases of using thermal methods for measuring natural gas abroad, mainly because the composition of natural gas there is very stable, and it is well processed with very low sulfur content. In our country, natural gas is measured based on volumetric flow rate, while internationally, energy is used as the measurement unit, which is more scientific. If measured by volume, when the composition varies greatly but the volume remains the same, the heat value can differ significantly. Therefore, from this perspective, using other flowmeters to measure the volumetric flow rate of natural gas is also unscientific and deceptive to customers. Therefore, accurately knowing the composition of natural gas is a key factor in determining its energy content, which is necessary for the use of all flowmeters. By the way, the three thermal flowmeters we sold to Guangzhou Dongfeng Honda in 2012 were used for measuring natural gas flow. It has been performing very well over the past few years. Typically, the total reading from the three thermal flowmeters in use on weekdays differs by only a small amount from the reading of the main meter (turbine type – imported brand), at around 1%. However, on non-working days, the total reading of the three thermal flowmeters is higher than that of the main meter. This is easy to understand: on non-working days, the amount of natural gas used is very small. At such low flow rates, turbines are unable to measure it, whereas thermal mass flow meters can measure it without any problem. This also shows that thermal flowmeters have clear advantages in applications where operating conditions change significantly.

9th floor “ Mountains and Fields. _What the “President (884950)” said illustrates that there are no absolute things; each issue must be analyzed on its own merits ； It also reminds me of a specific scenario in which thermal gas mass flow meters can be used for natural gas measurement: natural gas distribution pipelines that use liquefied natural gas as the gas source (after the LNG is vaporized). This gas source is clean and has stable composition, making it highly suitable for thermal mass flow meters.