PRODUCTION • PROCESSING • HANDLING
Tackling
AERATION M
easuring flow in a liquid hydrocarbon application becomes considerably more challenging when aeration complicates the picture.
Aeration in a pipeline has the potential to wreak havoc on many flow devices by wearing them down and negatively impacting accuracy. In the worst-case scenario, it can prevent a meter from functioning at all. Oil & gas operators pay a very high price for unreliable flow data and unplanned process downtime resulting from this type of meter failure. If not properly addressed, aeration threatens not only profitability, but worker and
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environmental safety as well. Today’s hydrocarbon industry relies on several different technologies to measure the flow of aerated liquids, but all flow systems are not created equal. Differential pressure (DP) technology has been used widely throughout the industry for decades. DP meters measure flow by way of a primary element such as an orifice plate, which creates a pressure- reducing restriction in the liquid and relays measurements to a transmitter through impulse lines. DP is a tried-and- tested method available at a comparatively low cost, but it is generally not the most suitable choice when aeration is involved.
in
pipelines Expert guidance for measuring the flow of aerated liquids
The Gas Void Fraction Eliminator improves the performance of any flow metering technology by removing and diverting all varieties of undesirable aeration
If impulse lines are not precisely oriented to
compensate for the frequency of bubbles, slugs and settled solids within a particular liquid flow, the lines can easily become blocked or develop gas voids, impeding the measurement process and reducing accuracy. Additionally, should aeration occur as liquid passes through an orifice plate, the pressure drop will force bubbles to expand and lead to cavitation. In a process characterised by high-pressure or high-velocity flow, constant cavitation can wear down the orifice plate and over time may even cause the plate to fail entirely.
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