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How Coriolis
Measurement Works Transferring CO2 in pipelines can be complicated by variations in ambient temperature and
With worldwide revenues greater than pressure outside the pipeline that cause two-phase (gas and liquid) flow. Advanced digital
$400 million and expected to exceed $600 Coriolis flow meters can now accurately measure two-phase flow to improve such applica-
million in the near future, Coriolis meters tions as custody transfer, proving, tank truck and tanker loading and unloading and appli-
are among the fastest-growing flow meas- cations where two-phase flow is a key part of the process.
urement technologies. These meters meas-
ure flow by analyzing changes in Coriolis
force of a flowing substance. Coriolis force
is generated in a mass which is moving formance. Yet two-phase flow compromises Where Accurate Flow
within a rotating frame of reference. That every one of them. Measurement Matters
rotation produces an angular, outward Thus applications involving negligible Coriolis technology is highly accurate in
acceleration which is factored with linear amounts of entrained gas — even as little as single-phase flow with perhaps a ± 0.1%
velocity to define the Coriolis force. With a 2% volume — have been poor candidates for error level. Two-phase flow can boost the
fluid mass, the Coriolis force is proportion- Coriolis measurement. This has been particu- error rate to 20% or higher. Following are
al to the mass flow rate of that fluid. larly troubling in applications where reliable, some of the profitability drains that inaccu-
To use Coriolis force for measurement, highly accurate flow measurement can confer rate flow measurement causes:
a Coriolis meter has two main compo- considerable bottom-line advantage, but Lost production: in flow-intensive opera-
nents: an oscillating flow tube equipped where two-phase flow is an integral part of the tions thousands of dollars’ worth of lost
with sensors and drivers, and an electron- process or it is necessary to begin with an production can pass undetected in minutes.
ic transmitter that controls the oscilla- empty or partially filled flow tube. Inaccurate pricing: in custody transfer
tions, analyzes the results, and transmits Making matters worse, entrained air may applications, where measured amount
the information. not emerge as the culprit until after a fraz- transferred defines payment price, faulty
Reliable Coriolis measurement depends on zled process engineer has invested many measurements raise financial havoc on
consistent, reliable oscillation which is deter- hours trying to figure out why he can’t get either end of the transfer.
mined by the following four factors: the den- the results he needs. Our own analysis Excess downtime: when traditional
sity of the liquid, the balance of the tubes, the shows that up to 92% of all Coriolis meas- Coriolis meters encounter entrained air,
dampening caused by the flow stream itself, urement problems are due to entrained air they render inaccurate measurements —
and the physical isolation of the tubes from or gas, yet in the vast majority of cases and if the condition persists, will shut down
the environment. Compromising even one of two-phase flow is not even recognized as cutting into valuable production time.
these factors will degrade Coriolis meter per- the problem. To determine the extent of the problem and