Safety in the Plant


Recently, thermal technology has undergone significant advancements, moving from two-sensor to four-sensor technology, which yields unprecedented accuracy for thermal insertion flow meters of +/- 0.75% of reading (far better than the 2.0% reading possible previously). New four-sensor quadratherm technology, pioneered by Sierra, is emerging as an optimal solution for accurately measuring and managing biogas.


New metering technology Along with this new four-sensor technology, traditional analogue measurement circuits, such as the Wheatstone bridge, have been superseded by more powerful hyper-fast microprocessors that run comprehensive flow-measurement algorithms to compute mass flow. This proprietary algorithm set serves as the ‘brain’ of the mass flow meter, using inputs from the four sensors to solve the first law of thermodynamics for the sensor in the biogas flow stream.


By combining four-sensor technology with this


algorithm set, the meter has the ability to change gas and compositions without losing accuracy. This new technology creates many benefits. The meter can hold up to four user-customisable


gas mixtures onboard and store biogas composition in a proprietary gas library, easily accessed through user


software. Engineers and operators have access to this library, which contains all the gas properties needed to make algorithmic gas mass flow rate calculations.


One meter, one calibration Once sampling has determined the biogas composition, operators can use a simple software tool, qMix, to create and name a proprietary biogas mixture. This allows operators to use just one meter with one calibration for varying gas compositions. Finding the best flow meter for this biogas


measurement technology is critical for optimising the energy yields of biogas production. With these new advancements in four-sensor


quadratherm technology, operators now have higher accuracy with changing gas composition and more field flexibility. This allows them to monetise biogas and use it to get the top efficiency out of cogeneration gas engines and enables highly accurate custody transfer of gas to the collection system. n


Fig. 2. Insertion-probe QuadraTherm mass flow meter.


For more information ✔ at www.engineerlive.com/epe


Scott Rouse is VP of Product Management at Sierra Instruments. www.sierrainstruments.com


Leading manufacturer of rupture discs, explosion vents and associated burst detection systems


Tel: +44 (0)191 293 1234 Email: pr@elfab.com


www.elfab.com For more information ✔ at www.engineerlive.com/epe


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