Ultrasonic Flowmeters

[voltages]

We sort of to upgrade our flow meters in our power plant. The old one uses the gear type positive displacement meters. By the way the medium measured is bunker fuel C (HFO). As I got to inquire new products, we come to talk about ultrasonic flow meters. Despite being expensive i think its a good shot due to no more piping needed (just clamp in existing piping), and durable I think due to no physical contact of the medium), etc.

1. What do u think about this ultrasonic meters?
2. Are they best applicable to HFO measurement?
3. What are the disadvantages of ultrasonic flowmeters.
4. I heard someone says that ultrasonic flowmeter is only good for long straight line pipes and we tend to use it in a booster module where the piping is bends many times. Is it really true?
5. What are issues of this meter i need to consider before buying these types?

thanks for all comments.

Volt,

 

[anychris]

I have a very limited knowledge of ultrasonic flow meters (natural gas industry), but I do know that you need a certain distance of straight pipe on each side of the meter. That distance is a multiplier of the pipe diameter, so I don't know if you would consider that to be long or not.

They do tend to be expensive, but can be less susceptible to fouling than positive displacement meters and orifice meters.

Good luck with your research.

Chris

 

[SaskGear]

If you are talking about a clamp-on or bolt on USM you still need some up stream and down stream pipe diameters. There is most likely a recommended length for hfo.

Have you considered Coriolis type meters they require no up or down stream length and have good turn down ratios

 

[eyec]

second Coriolis

they did a study comparing different types of flowmeters for accuracy and operation for off loading bunker fuel and found that Coriolis was most accurate and could be used in more line situations.

it also handled the beginning slug and trailing gurggle better in indicating actual flow rate

Steven C
Senior Member
ThirdPartyInspections.com

 

[danw2]

Siemens now owns Controlatron who has done clamp-on ultrasonics for years.

They have one specific meter for refined petroleum products, the FUH1010, which claims "automatic Reynolds Number compensation for temperature and viscosity changes".

Link here:

http://pia.khe.siemens.com/index.aspx?Nr=14387

I've used similar models on water based fluids and they work fine. The goop between the transducer and the pipe needs renewal annually. We consider a small cost compared to the cost of installing into an existing pipe.

I've heard (forum chatter) that in-line ultrasonics have accuracies good enough to be used for custody transfer of petrochem products.

 

[catserveng]

I have used ultrasonic flowmeters for commissioning of HFO engines, and they normally worked well as long as you had a good enough run of straight pipe and no air pockets. Did find in older systems we revisited that we could not always get consistant results.

Best luck in permanently installed units was as stated above, coriolis units provided best service of all the different types we tried in the plants and fuel treatment skids we provided at the time.

Hope that helps.