Experimental Characterization of Process Pressure Variations on The Accuracy and Performance of Liquid Ultrasonic Flow Meters

This paper investigated the influence of process pressure variations on the accuracy and performance of ultrasonic flow meters. Process measurement technology provides a tool for optimizing production processes and dosing operations. Accurate measurement is key and primary to profitability in the business of supply and purchase of liquids like petroleum, gas and chemical products. Three 6” size ultrasonic flow meters were mounted on a skid and used to carry out the experiment parallel in connections each other to take flows from a common header, measure and discharge their individual flows into a common discharge header. The three meters were designate 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Meters 1 and 2 being service meters while Meter 3 is the calibrated master meter. The experiment was carried ten times to increase reliability of results. Experimental data were collected and analyzed using computational formulae technique. Results showed that; Meter 1 had an optimum process pressure of 12.38 and 9.43 bar with respect to flow rate and meter factor respectively as performance indicator. While Meter 2 had an optimum process pressure of 12.4 and 12.41 bar with respect to flow rate and meter factor respectively as performance indicator. Findings indicated significant relationship between process pressure, flow rate and meter factor using ultrasonic flow meter. The outcome of this study will be a useful guide to users of ultrasonic flow meters to maintain optimum process pressures of each meter during fluid supply.