Technology qualification of flow meter systems
DNV offers the industry’s first technology qualification scheme to assure accuracy of flow meter systems in field conditions.
Today’s standards for flow metering are applicable for design and installation of the meters. However none of these cover the sensitivity of the flow metering equipment in real life field applications which might change during operation. DNV now offers the industry’s first technology qualification scheme which provides assurance of a meter’s field robustness.
The operational use of a flow meter in field applications can be distorted by many factors. The presence of liquids in gas or gas in liquids, dust, accumulated dirt on the inside of the pipe and meter and vibrations and pulsations or a noisy valve – all of these factors can severely influence the results. These difficult field conditions can lead to inaccuracies in metering after design and installation and pose a major financial risk for metering system operators.
The new scheme is risk-based and assesses to what extent the meter is being influenced by field distortions. It ensures greater accuracy in the field for higher value metering, thereby reducing the potential loss of revenue. When the technology qualification process has been completed for a flow meter, a technology certificate is issued in which robustness claims are verified for the specific technology.
The new technology qualification scheme for high accuracy gas flow meters is based on DNV’s industry recognized recommended practice (RP) DNV-RP-A203 Technology qualification. The process is widely accepted and applied for new technology, particularly in offshore applications. The TQ process is a methodology developed with specific acceptance criteria for technology under review and can be applied during any stage of the development lifecycle of systems or technology.
Testing and verification in DNV’s world-class laboratories
Two of our world-class laboratories are qualified to do the testing and verification of high-end meters:
- Groningen Gas and Multiphase Flow Laboratories, the Netherlands and
- Bishop Auckland Research and Testing, UK.
These labs have accurate flow references well-suited to determine how metering systems will react on several real-life field distortions. In addition to testing in own laboratories, we also provide independent verification of field robustness testing performed at other laboratories or in-field applications as part of the verification process.
More than 30 years of hands-on gas and oil metering experience
DNV provides gas users and traders with metering policy advice and recommended practices to enable the best industry practices while managing investment and operational costs.
We also provide a number of courses that focus on fiscal and allocation metering of dry gas, wet gas and multiphase flows.
