Metering, Proving and Accurancy

Fundamentals
Metering, Proving and Accuracy
Transportation
Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.
PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 1
Circa 1990
Custody Transfer Metering Technologies
PD Meters For
Heavy Products
Turbine Meters For

Light Products
Todays Metering Technologies

Conventional
Turbine Meters
Meters PD
Helical Turbine
Meters
Coriolis
Mass Flow and
Density Meters
Ultrasonic
Meters
Accurate Measurement
Requires the
Right Meter Choice

for the Application
Applications
Crude oil transportation
Ship and barge loading and unloading
Refined product transportation
Terminal loading
Marketing
Fuel oil delivery
Aviation fuels
API MPMS Chapter 5, Section 1

General Considerations
for Measurement by Meters
What is APIs Opinion on:

The Advantages of Metering
Design of Meter Installations
Meter Performance
Meter Proving
The Advantages of Metering

Increases the availability of tanks.
Isolation for the sole purpose of measurement is unnecessary
Provides instantaneous values

calculation, indication and display of flow rate and volume
Can deliver a measure volume taken from several sources at the

same time
Into a single receiver, or from a single source into several receivers.
Accuracy can be readily checked

Standard references
Dynamic volumes correction

Simplified temperature measurement and online product sampling
API 5.1.1 Introduction

Design of Meter Installations

The installation should provide for proving each
meter and should be capable of duplicating normal
operating conditions at the time of proving.
API 5.1.4 Consideration for the Design of Meter Installations

Meter Performance
For custody transfer applications, meters with the
highest inherent accuracy should be used and
should be proven on site.
API 5.1.8 Meter Performance

Meter Proving
The optimum frequency of proving depends on
so many operating conditions that it is unwise to
establish a fixed time or throughput interval for
all conditions
API 5.1.9.4.2 Meter Proving

Meter Proving
Proving should be frequent (e.g., every tender or
every day) when a meter is initially installed
After frequent proving has shown that the meter
factors for any given liquid are being reproduced
within narrow limits, the frequency of proving can
be reduced if the factors are under control and the
overall repeatability of measurement is satisfactory
to the parties involved
API 5.1.9.4.3 Meter Proving
Basic Custody Transfer Requirements

Accuracy of Measured Volume must be
Traceable to a standard recognized by
International Bureau of Legal Metrology (BIML)
Validated at operating conditions
Provers and Proving
What is a Liquid Flow Prover?

Per API 4.1
An open or closed vessel of known volume utilized
as a volumetric reference standard for the
calibration of meters in liquid petroleum service.
Purpose of Proving
To eliminate bias, its
calibrated volume is
traceable to an internationally recognized
measurement
standard
Definition of Terms
From API Chapter 4
Calibration: The procedure to determine the
volume of a prover
Proving: The procedure to determine a meter
factor
Meter Factor: The ratio obtained by dividing the
actual volume passed by the indicated volume
registered
Actual
MF = Indicated
Definition of Terms
From API Chapter 4 (contd)
Prover pass: In a displacement prover, one
movement of the displacer between detectors
Prover round: In a bidirectional prover, the trip
forward and reverse passes
Meter Factor
Prover Volume
Meter Factor =
Meters Indicated Volume
Factors influencing the meters meter factor
Flow rate
Temperature
Pressure
Viscosity
Wear
Contamination
Open Tank Prover and

Master Meter Prover
Master Meter Prover

Open Tank Prover
Small Volume
Prover
Pipe Provers
Prover Volume
Pre-run
10,000 pulses
Distance Between
Detectors
Calibration Waterdraw
System
Bidirectional Prover
Condition Statement
Proving conditions should match the operating
conditions
Flow rate
Temperature
Operating
Proving
Pressure
Conditions
Conditions
Liquid characteristics
API gravity
Viscosity
Proving
Direct
Proving
Best Accuracy
Transfer Proving
Reduced Accuracy
with added uncertainty of master meter
Master Meter Offsite Proven

Significantly Reduced Accurate
with added systemic error caused by
installation and operating conditions
Product
Characteristics
Product Characteristics
Petroleum product characteristics can be classified
into two general categories:
Crude oil
Refined products
Crude Oil Assays

A Crude Oil Assay provides important
information on the products properties which
is used to determine a meters performance
Crude Oil Characteristics to

Determine Meter Performance:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
API gravity
Viscosity
Temperature
Cloud point
Vapor pressure
Sediment and water
Gases
Chemical contaminants
API Gravity
API gravity is a measure of the weight density of
crude oil at a specific temperature compared to
water at a standard temperature, 60F
The relationship between specific gravity (S.G.)
and API gravity is:
S.G. at 60F = 141.5 / (131.5 + API)
Viscosity
Viscosity expresses the readiness of a fluid to flow
when it is acted on by a force. The absolute
viscosity of a liquid is its resistance to internal
deformation or shear stress
The unit for absolute viscosity or dynamic viscosity
in the metric system is a Poise (P)
Viscosity Units
Commonly Used in the Petroleum Industry
Dynamic viscosity
(Symbolically, ) has units of Poise (P) which equal
100 centipoises (cP)
Kinematic viscosity
(Symbolically, ) has units of Stokes (St) which equal
100 centistokes (cSt), where:
(cSt) = (cP) / S.G. (Specific Gravity)
Saybolt Universal Second (SUS or SSU)
Can be converted to cSt using a conversion table
Temperature Effect
on Petroleum Products
The relationship of temperature and viscosity:
The viscosity of a petroleum product decreases as
the temperature increases but not proportionally
The more viscous the product the greater the effect
of temperature on the products viscosity
Cloud-Point
The temperature at
which wax crystals
begin to form as it is
cooled
If a meter is operated
below the cloud-point,
wax can form on the
measuring element and
can significantly
decrease an inference
meters ability to
measure accurately
Sediment and Water (S&W)

API defines S&W as:
A material, coexisting with and
yet foreign to a petroleum liquid,
may include free water and
sediment (FW&S) and emulsified
or suspended water and
sediment (SW&S)
Pipeline Quality Oil
Normally less than 1% S&W
A requirement of pipeline
operators
Crude oil at the production level
may be a problem
Consider the fluid characteristics
carefully before deciding on the type of meter to use. S&W
greater than 1% can cause ultrasonic signals to deflect, lowering
the number of velocity samples being processed which can affect
the meter accuracy
Gases
Slugs of gas can seriously damage mechanical meters
like PD and turbine meters
Entrained gas may not damage a meter but it:
Does affect the measurement accuracy PD and

Turbine Meters
Interrupts the output signal Coriolis Mass and
Ultrasonic
Gases
In ultrasonic meters
even a small
number of gas
bubbles can cause
attenuation of the
ultrasonic signal
The degree of
attenu-ation
depends on a
number of factors
such as pressure,
bubble size, amount
of free gas, signal
frequency, etc.
Chemical Contaminants
Normally pipeline quality oil is not a problem.
Crude oils at the production level can have a
variety of chemicals and it is important to
check the compatibility of the meters materials
of construction with the crude oil assay.
Crude Oil Assay Website

This website is operated on behalf of the UK Energy
Institute HMC-4 Oil Transportation Measurement
Committees to provide rapid access to crude oil
measurement and property data.
http://www.melvcon.co.uk/Crude_Oil_Data/crude_oil_data.html
Crude Oil Assay Website
Refined Products
Topics of Discussion
Viscosity/viscosity index (lubricating quality)/
driving torque
Vapor pressure
Viscosity
Viscosity Index abbreviated VI or lubricating
quality is an arbitrary scale (0 400) used to show
the magnitude of change in kinematic viscosity
with temperature for refined products
Fluid Driving Torque is defined as the turning
force that is applied to a rotary mechanism to
cause it to rotate. The amount of rotary torque is a
function of fluid density (mass per unit volume).
The lower the density, the lower the effective
driving torque of the fluid on the rotor
Flow
Fundamentals
Topics of Discussion
Newtonian fluids
Reynolds number
Flow profile
Swirl and cross flow
Flow conditioning
A Newtonian fluid is
defined as a fluid which,
when acted upon by an
applied shearing stress,
has a velocity gradient
that is solely proportional
to the applied stress
Petroleum products and
most mixtures of particles
in petroleum products are
Newtonian fluids
Shear Stress (T)
Newtonian Fluid
Newtonian
Fluid
Non-Newtonian Fluid
Shear Rate
( dv
dx )
Reynolds Number
d pipe ID
v velocity
Re = d/
density
viscosity
A dimensionless parameter expressing the ratio between the

inertia (driving) and viscous (retarding) forces.
Useful formulas:
Re = 2214 x BPH / (D x )
or
Re = 351 x m3/hr / (D x )
Where the flow rate is in BPH barrels/hour (or m3/hr); D is the diameter of
the meter in inches; and, is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid.
Flow Profile vs. Reynolds Number
Laminar < Re = 2,000; Turbulent > Re = 4,000 to 6,000

Flow Profile vs Performance

Laminar
Flow
(Re < 2,000)
Higher Viscosities
Velocity
Turbulent or
Plug Flow
(Re > 6,000)
Max. V
Low Viscosities
Max. V
Average V
Average V
Average Velocity
Maximum Velocity
K-Factor
Average Velocity
3/4 Maximum Velocity
Reynolds Number (Re No.)

Petroleum Products vs
Reynolds No.
Heavy Crude
Medium Crude
Light Crude
K-Factor
Refined Products
Heating Oil
2,000
50,000
Diesel
Gasoline
LPG
1,000,000
Reynolds Number (Re No.)
Fluid Flow and Velocity Profile

REDUCERS
Secondary
flow
EXPANDERS
Secondary
flow
Valve
Elbow
High-flow entering pipe
Two elbows, same plane, with valve

Two or more elbows
Fluid Flow and Swirl
Flow
Conditioning
Why Flow Conditioning?

Improper flow pattern
upstream of a turbine
meter showing fluid
swirl
Flow in two
directions
This condition is
caused by:
Elbows
Valves
Reducers
Strainers
Flow Profile
Proper flow profile
can be distorted by
obstructions
This unwanted
condition may also
be caused by:
Partially open
ball valves
Eccentric reducers,
elbows
Conventional Straightening
Section
API Recommended Flow Conditioning
5 Pipe
Diameters
10 Pipe Diameters
Straightening Vanes
Upstream
Pipe Section
Meter
Downstream
Pipe Section
Fin Type
High Performance Flow Conditioner
FLOW
10 Pipe Diameters
Flow Conditioners
High Performance
Flow Conditioner with Fins
Conventional Flow Conditioner

with Tube Bundle
Mathematical Model Testing

of Flow Conditioners
Objective Evaluate Flow Conditioners for their
ability to remove swirl and to condition distorted
flow profiles
Procedure Using a Computational Fluid
Dynamics (CFM) model to determine the
efficiencies of the flow conditions of different
designs over a wide Reynolds Number range

- Conventional Flow Conditioners
V
Cross Sectional
Velocity Profile
at 7 Diameters
Downstream

- High Performance Flow Conditioner
V
Cross Sectional
Velocity Profile at
7 Diameters
Downstream
Conclusion Flow Conditioning

Conventional Flow Conditions (CFCs) are
effective at reducing swirl and are adequate for
many applications
High Performance Flow Conditioners (HPFCs)
reduce swirl and flow profile distortion over a wider
range of operating conditions
Fin type HPFC have a lower pressure drop than
most flow conditioners
Accuracy
Accuracy
The closeness in the agreement between the result
of a measurement and the true value of the
measurement. The quantitative expression of
accuracy is in terms of uncertainty. Good accuracy
implies small random and systematic errors.
The Cost of Inaccuracy

Application
12" Pipeline
Throughput of
100,000 BPD
Cost Per Barrel $90
Value of each 0.1%
of bias:
$9,000/Day
$3,285,000/Year
Types of Errors
Spurious errors
Errors that result from obvious failures
that can be identified and documented.
Remedy: Good procedures
Random errors
Errors that cause a variation in output reading even
when the input parameter has not changed.
Remedy: Track Repeatability and Define an
Uncertainty Tolerance
Types of Errors
Systemic error
A bias that may vary over the range but is constant
in time, and could, in principle, be corrected out of
the reading
Remedy: In-situ proving of the meter
Uncertainty Statement:
An estimate characterizing the range of values within which the
true measured value of a quantity lies and how frequently the
reading does lie within this range - Confidence Level.
Custody Measurement starts with verification or proving a
meter to a repeatability of 0.05% with 5 runs. Statistically this
is an uncertainty of:
+/- 0.027% at 95% confidence level.
Uncertainty Statement:
Accurate
Measurement
0.1% repeatable
20 out of 20 100% confidence level
Zero bias
20
Center of Target
Custody
Measurement
0.1% repeatable
Zero bias
19
1/2
1/2
Center of Target
Repeatable
but Biased
0.1% repeatable
0.4% bias
0
Bias
19
1/2
1/2
Center of Target
Poor
Repeatability
0.3% repeatable
Zero bias
1/2
4 1/2
4 1/2
1/2
Center of Target
Basic Measurement - Summary

0.1% repeatable
20 out of 20
100% confidence
level
Zero bias
0.1% repeatable
19 out of 20
95% confidence level
Zero bias
0.1% repeatable
19 out of 20
0.4% bias
0.3% repeatable
19 out of 20
Zero bias
Conclusion
The key criteria for accurate measurement
Understand the fundamentals for the Custody
Transfer Applications
Proper Application to Minimize Systematic Errors
In-situ Proving that is Traceable to a Measurement
Standard

Metering, Proving and Accurancy

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Fundamentals

Metering, Proving and Accuracy

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 1

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

Turbine Meters For

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 2

Todays Metering Technologies

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 3

Right Meter Choice

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 4

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 5

API MPMS Chapter 5, Section 1

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 6

What is APIs Opinion on:

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 7

The Advantages of Metering

Provides instantaneous values

Can deliver a measure volume taken from several sources at the

Accuracy can be readily checked

Dynamic volumes correction

API 5.1.1 Introduction

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 8

Design of Meter Installations

API 5.1.4 Consideration for the Design of Meter Installations

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 9

API 5.1.8 Meter Performance

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 10

API 5.1.9.4.2 Meter Proving

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 11

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 12

Basic Custody Transfer Requirements

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 13

Provers and Proving

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 14

What is a Liquid Flow Prover?

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 15

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 16

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 17

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 18

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 19

Open Tank Prover and

Master Meter Prover

Open Tank Prover

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 20

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 21

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 22

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 23

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 24

Copyright 2007, FMC Technologies Measurement Solutions, Inc.

PR0A020I Issue/Rev. 0.0 (7/07) - Slide 25