Gas must be clean
If natural gas contains dust, droplets, sulfides, or mechanical impurities, it can severely wear bearings and impellers, leading to decreased accuracy or even jamming.
Efficient filters (such as cyclone separators and filter cartridges) must be installed upstream of the flow meter.
Temperature and pressure compensation must be carried out
The volume of gas is greatly affected by temperature and pressure.
Turbine flow meters measure volumetric flow rates under operating conditions, while trade settlements typically use standard state volumes (such as Nm ³, 20 ° C, 101.325 kPa).
Solution:
Equipped with temperature transmitter (Pt100) and pressure transmitter.
Use a flow integrator or intelligent converter to perform real-time compensation based on the ideal gas state equation and output standard volumetric flow rate.
Regular calibration and maintenance
Due to mechanical wear of the bearings, the accuracy will decrease after long-term operation.
It is recommended to conduct a periodic inspection (inspection or online calibration) every 1-2 years.
Regularly check the differential pressure of the filter and clean or replace the filter element in a timely manner.
Strict installation requirements
Straight pipe section: upstream ≥ 10D, downstream ≥ 5D (D is the pipe diameter) to ensure uniform flow velocity distribution.
Avoid vibration: The installation position should be far away from strong vibration sources to prevent affecting the bearing life.
Horizontal installation: It is usually required to install horizontally, with the impeller shaft level to avoid impurity deposition.
Good grounding: prevent static electricity accumulation and electromagnetic interference.
Explosion-proof certification
Natural gas is a flammable and explosive gas, and flow meters must have explosion-proof certification, such as:
China: Ex d IIB T4 Gb
ATEX, IECEx and other international certifications.
Material Selection
Shell: usually made of 304 or 316L stainless steel, corrosion-resistant.
Impeller: Made of aluminum alloy or stainless steel, lightweight and wear-resistant.
Bearings: Hard alloy or ceramic bearings, improve service life.