ANALYSIS OF MODERN APPROACHES TO THE AUTOMATION OF BELL-TYPE FLOW MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS

Accurate measurement of the flow rate and volume of natural gas is one of the key factors for improving the efficiency of technological processes and production. Bell-type flow measurement systems are widely used for the metrological verification and calibration of gas meters due to their high accuracy in reproducing flow and volume units. However, the gas meter verification process using such systems remains labor-intensive and requires automation. This article presents an analysis of different types of installations used for the metrological verification of flowmeters and gas meters, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Based on the review of scientific sources and experimental studies of bell-type reference systems, it has been established that these systems remain among the most accurate instruments for calibrating gas meters. Nevertheless, their metrological characteristics significantly depend on operating conditions, including working pressure, sealing liquid level, and ambient temperature. Changes in working pressure can introduce systematic errors of up to 1.5%, while variations in the sealing liquid level caused by temperature fluctuations, evaporation, or vibrations can lead to errors of up to 0.7%. These errors can be significantly reduced by automating the processes of gas volume unit reproduction and gas meter verification. Based on the analysis of the bell-type system as a control object, it is proposed to improve the pressure stabilization system beneath the bell, regulate the sealing liquid level to compensate for dynamic changes, and stabilize the air temperature during the meter verification procedure. Additionally, the authors intend to enhance the control system of the bell-type installation by applying mathematical models of volume reproduction errors and implementing corrective actions during the verification process of gas meters and flowmeters. The improvement of the automation system for the bell-type installation will enhance measurement accuracy, reduce operator influence, and enable integration with data acquisition and analysis systems.