Papers

The American Gas Association published Report No. 9, Measurement of Gas by Multipath Ultrasonic Meters 2nd Edition [Ref1] in April 2007. Report 9 details recommended practice for using multipath gas ultrasonic meters (USMs) in fiscal (custody) measurement applications. This paper reviews some of history behind the development of AGA Report No. 9 (often referred to …

AN OVERVIEW AND UPDATE OF AGA 9 Read More »

In today’s competitive gas market, utility companies must meet aggressive market strategies or suffer the consequences. All industries have cash registers, and gas distribution is no exception. Our measuring stations are our cash register. The problem is, these stations were designed 10, 20, 30 or even 50 years ago, and are now performing tasks they …

COPING WITH CHANGING FLOW REQUIREMENTS AT EXSISTING METERING STATIONS Read More »

The National Electrical Code (NEC) defines hazardous locations as those areas “where fire or explosion hazards may exist due to flammable gases or vapors, flammable liquids, combustible dust, or ignitable fibers or flyings.”

A number of control signals have been developed and used as technology has evolved and been applied to the natural gas industry. Control signals are a standardized method of conveying information from one device to another. A control signal is the data sent from one device to another by a specific method.

The efficient operation and maintenance of electrical and electronic systems utilized in the natural gas industry is substantially determined by the technician’s skill in applying the basic concepts of electrical circuitry. This paper will discuss the basic electrical laws, electrical terms and control signals as they apply to natural gas measurement systems.

This paper described the current contents of the United States orifice flow metering standard – American Petroleum Institute (API) Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards (MPMS) Chapter 14.3, “Orifice Metering of Natural Gas and Other Related Hydrocarbon Fluids,” Part [ 1] 2, “Specification and Installation Requirements.” This document is also known as American Gas Association Report …

A REVIEW OF API MPMS CHAPTER 14.3/AGA REPORT NO. 3 – PART 2 Read More »

One of the most common measurement errors and the most difficult to identify in natural gas metering systems is that caused by pulsating flow. It is important to understand the effects that pulsations have on the common types of flow meters used in the gas industry so that potential error- producing mechanisms can be identified …

EFFECTS AND CONTROL OF PULSATION IN GAS MEASUREMENT Read More »

The knowledge base from a field measurement technician to the measurement analyst is extremely demanding. Every field technician is tested in both knowledge and skills on a daily basis regarding:  Electronic controls to pneumatic controls  Communication system support  Multiple technical disciplines  Support of measurement equipment  Procedures that must be followed …

IMPROVING FLOW MEASUREMENTS WITH IMPROVED CALIBRATION AND DATA HANDLING PROCEDURES Read More »

Orifice plate meters are popular for being relatively simple, reliable and inexpensive. Their principles of operation are relatively easily understood. However, traditionally there has been no orifice meter self diagnostic capabilities. In 2008 & 2009 a generic Differential Pressure (DP) meter self diagnostic methodology [1,2] was proposed. In this paper these diagnostic principles are applied …

ORIFICE PLATE METER DIAGNOSTICS Read More »

In the discussion of ethics the first issue is always nomenclature. Sadly, this is often the topic that gets the least attention and frequently those involved in the conversation conduct deep insightful discourses in which there is virtually no understanding exchanged, although the participants will all agree that the quality of the rhetoric was outstanding.