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Positive displacement (PD) liquid meters have long been the standard of measurement for liquid hydrocarbons such as crude oil. Over the years, numerous design improvements have resulted in an expanded product line that now serves industrial as well as petroleum applications.  
Positive displacement (PD) liquid meters have long been the standard of measurement for liquid hydrocarbons such as crude oil. Over the years, numerous design improvements have resulted in an expanded product line that now serves industrial as well as petroleum applications.
 
== Theory of operation of PD meters ==
 
A liquid meter is, in essence, a hydraulic motor with high volumetric efficiency that absorbs a small amount of energy from the flowing stream. This energy is used to overcome internal friction in driving the meter and its accessories and is reflected as a pressure drop across the meter. Pressure drop is regarded as a necessary evil that must be minimized. Pressure drop across the internals of a PD meter actually creates a hydraulically unbalanced rotor, which causes rotation. A PD meter can be broken down into three basic components (See '''Fig. 1'''):


==Theory of operation of PD meters==
A liquid meter is, in essence, a hydraulic motor with high volumetric efficiency that absorbs a small amount of energy from the flowing stream. This energy is used to overcome internal friction in driving the meter and its accessories and is reflected as a pressure drop across the meter. Pressure drop is regarded as a necessary evil that must be minimized. Pressure drop across the internals of a PD meter actually creates a hydraulically unbalanced rotor, which causes rotation. A PD meter can be broken down into three basic components (See '''Fig. 1'''):
*These are the external housing
*These are the external housing
*The measuring unit
*The measuring unit
*The counter drive train  
*The counter drive train


<gallery widths=300px heights=200px>
<gallery widths="300px" heights="200px">
File:Vol3 Page 440 Image 0001.png|'''Fig. 1—Components of a PD meter (Courtesy of the Emerson Process Management).'''
File:Vol3 Page 440 Image 0001.png|'''Fig. 1—Components of a PD meter (Courtesy of the Emerson Process Management).'''
</gallery>
</gallery>
Line 15: Line 17:
*The measuring chamber walls only sense the delta pressure across the meter inlet and outlet, which allows for thinner chamber walls with less distortion
*The measuring chamber walls only sense the delta pressure across the meter inlet and outlet, which allows for thinner chamber walls with less distortion
*System piping stresses that are absorbed in the external housing are not transmitted to the precision measuring element
*System piping stresses that are absorbed in the external housing are not transmitted to the precision measuring element
 
The measuring unit is a precision metering element and is made up of the measuring chamber and the displacement mechanism. The six PD designs most commonly used (See '''Fig. 2''') are:  
The measuring unit is a precision metering element and is made up of the measuring chamber and the displacement mechanism. The six PD designs most commonly used (See '''Fig. 2''') are:
 
*The piston
*The piston
*Sliding vane
*Sliding vane
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*Disc
*Disc


<gallery widths=300px heights=200px>
<gallery widths="300px" heights="200px">
File:Vol3 Page 441 Image 0001.png|'''Fig. 2—Types of positive displacement meters (Courtesy of the Emerson Process Management).'''
File:Vol3 Page 441 Image 0001.png|'''Fig. 2—Types of positive displacement meters (Courtesy of the Emerson Process Management).'''
</gallery>
</gallery>


The counter drive train is used to transmit the internal motion of the measuring unit into a usable output signal. Many PD meters use a mechanical gear train, which requires a rotary shaft seal or packing gland where the shaft penetrates the external housing. Other meters may use:  
The counter drive train is used to transmit the internal motion of the measuring unit into a usable output signal. Many PD meters use a mechanical gear train, which requires a rotary shaft seal or packing gland where the shaft penetrates the external housing. Other meters may use:
 
*Magnetic drive couplings
*Magnetic drive couplings
*Reed switch outputs (contact closure)
*Reed switch outputs (contact closure)
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These last three offer the advantages of lower driving torque and no seals that could leak the product.
These last three offer the advantages of lower driving torque and no seals that could leak the product.


==Design considerations for PD meters==
== Design considerations for PD meters ==
Most hydrocarbons are metered using a capillary seal PD meter. In this design meter, the capillary action of the metered product forms a liquid seal between moving and stationary parts. This type of meter requires very close clearance dimensions and is sensitive to differential pressure.  
 
Most hydrocarbons are metered using a capillary seal PD meter. In this design meter, the capillary action of the metered product forms a liquid seal between moving and stationary parts. This type of meter requires very close clearance dimensions and is sensitive to differential pressure.


Product slippage is the most crucial problem affecting the accuracy of a capillary seal PD meter. All capillary seal PD meters have some clearance between moving and stationary parts and some differential pressure across these clearances. For this reason, there will always be some product that is allowed to bypass the measuring chamber by “slippage” through these clearances. If slippage were constant at all operating conditions, it could be corrected by the counter drive train gearing and would cause no inaccuracy. However, it is not constant and does vary with flow rate, pressure drop, temperature, viscosity, and clearance dimensions.
Product slippage is the most crucial problem affecting the accuracy of a capillary seal PD meter. All capillary seal PD meters have some clearance between moving and stationary parts and some differential pressure across these clearances. For this reason, there will always be some product that is allowed to bypass the measuring chamber by “slippage” through these clearances. If slippage were constant at all operating conditions, it could be corrected by the counter drive train gearing and would cause no inaccuracy. However, it is not constant and does vary with flow rate, pressure drop, temperature, viscosity, and clearance dimensions.


==References==
== References ==
 
== Noteworthy papers in OnePetro ==


==Noteworthy papers in OnePetro==
Use this section to list papers in OnePetro that a reader who wants to learn more should definitely read
Use this section to list papers in OnePetro that a reader who wants to learn more should definitely read


==External links==
== External links ==
 
Use this section to provide links to relevant material on websites other than PetroWiki and OnePetro
Use this section to provide links to relevant material on websites other than PetroWiki and OnePetro


==See also==
== See also ==
 
[[Liquid_meters|Liquid meters]]
 
[[Inference_liquid_meters|Inference liquid meters]]


[[Liquid meters]]
[[Liquid_flow_meter_proving_and_LACT_units|Liquid flow meter proving and LACT units]]


[[Inference liquid meters]]
[[Gas_meters|Gas meters]]


[[Liquid flow meter proving and LACT units]]
[[Coriolis_gas_flowmeters|Coriolis gas flowmeters]]


[[Gas meters]]
[[Orifice_gas_meters|Orifice gas meters]]


[[Coriolis gas flowmeters]]
[[Ultrasonic_gas_meters|Ultrasonic gas meters]]


[[Orifice gas meters]]
[[Gas_turbine_meter|Gas turbine meter]]


[[Ultrasonic gas meters]]
[[PEH:Liquid_and_Gas_Measurement]]


[[Gas turbine meter]]


[[PEH:Liquid and Gas Measurement]]
[[Category:4.4 Measurement and control]]

Latest revision as of 12:38, 2 June 2015

Positive displacement (PD) liquid meters have long been the standard of measurement for liquid hydrocarbons such as crude oil. Over the years, numerous design improvements have resulted in an expanded product line that now serves industrial as well as petroleum applications.

Theory of operation of PD meters

A liquid meter is, in essence, a hydraulic motor with high volumetric efficiency that absorbs a small amount of energy from the flowing stream. This energy is used to overcome internal friction in driving the meter and its accessories and is reflected as a pressure drop across the meter. Pressure drop is regarded as a necessary evil that must be minimized. Pressure drop across the internals of a PD meter actually creates a hydraulically unbalanced rotor, which causes rotation. A PD meter can be broken down into three basic components (See Fig. 1):

  • These are the external housing
  • The measuring unit
  • The counter drive train

The external housing is the pressure vessel that contains the product being metered. It can be a single- or double-case construction. A single-case meter has the housing and the measuring chamber walls as one integral unit. In double-case construction, the external housing is separate from the measuring unit and serves only as a pressure vessel. This type of construction has two major advantages:

  • The measuring chamber walls only sense the delta pressure across the meter inlet and outlet, which allows for thinner chamber walls with less distortion
  • System piping stresses that are absorbed in the external housing are not transmitted to the precision measuring element

The measuring unit is a precision metering element and is made up of the measuring chamber and the displacement mechanism. The six PD designs most commonly used (See Fig. 2) are:

  • The piston
  • Sliding vane
  • Oval
  • Trirotor
  • Birotor
  • Disc

The counter drive train is used to transmit the internal motion of the measuring unit into a usable output signal. Many PD meters use a mechanical gear train, which requires a rotary shaft seal or packing gland where the shaft penetrates the external housing. Other meters may use:

  • Magnetic drive couplings
  • Reed switch outputs (contact closure)
  • Differential inductance (DL) pickoffs

These last three offer the advantages of lower driving torque and no seals that could leak the product.

Design considerations for PD meters

Most hydrocarbons are metered using a capillary seal PD meter. In this design meter, the capillary action of the metered product forms a liquid seal between moving and stationary parts. This type of meter requires very close clearance dimensions and is sensitive to differential pressure.

Product slippage is the most crucial problem affecting the accuracy of a capillary seal PD meter. All capillary seal PD meters have some clearance between moving and stationary parts and some differential pressure across these clearances. For this reason, there will always be some product that is allowed to bypass the measuring chamber by “slippage” through these clearances. If slippage were constant at all operating conditions, it could be corrected by the counter drive train gearing and would cause no inaccuracy. However, it is not constant and does vary with flow rate, pressure drop, temperature, viscosity, and clearance dimensions.

References

Noteworthy papers in OnePetro

Use this section to list papers in OnePetro that a reader who wants to learn more should definitely read

External links

Use this section to provide links to relevant material on websites other than PetroWiki and OnePetro

See also

Liquid meters

Inference liquid meters

Liquid flow meter proving and LACT units

Gas meters

Coriolis gas flowmeters

Orifice gas meters

Ultrasonic gas meters

Gas turbine meter

PEH:Liquid_and_Gas_Measurement