Introduction to Flow Computers

M.Suresh,
Sr. Research Engineer
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Oil and Gas are transported over long distances by pipelines, rail or road
before they reach their final destination from their original sources. Gas
distribution and transportation networks comprise chiefly of gas filtering and
condensate removal stations, compressor stations, pressure reduction / gas
heating stations, metering terminals, etc. The metering terminals are usually
located intermittently as independent stations or within the premises of other
stations such as compressor stations, pressure reduction stations, etc. Metering
stations are desirably located close to the consumers as well as at the gas
collection stations, which receive gas from different wells or other sources.
The fact that oil and gas are used by a large number of industries, power
stations and other customers world-wide point to the enormous volume of sale
and purchase of oil and gas. Given the costs of oil and gas and the volume of
sale and purchase (custody transfer) involved, the measurement and
computation of volume of gas or oil assumes great importance. Flow computation
is usually done as per certain well defined procedures as laid down in standards
or recommended practices as arrived at between the buyer and seller (supplier
and consumer) and documented in the Custody Transfer Contract/Agreement. It
may be seen that almost always the standard computation of flow rate and
totalised flow are done at certain defined base or reference conditions of
temperature, pressure and other factors. This is especially true when dealing with
compressible fluids such as Natural Gas. Natural Gas custody transfer metering
is usually done at STP (Standard Temperature, Pressure) or NTP (Normal
Temperature, Pressure) conditions.
Note:
STP : 20.0deg.C, 1.01325kPa ; NTP(typically):
0.0deg.C
1.01325kPa. NTP is specified by custody transfer contract.

or

15.0deg.C,

2.0 FLOW COMPUTERS

An electronic gas or oil flow measurement system generally comprises of
the physical meter (primary device), process transmitters (secondary devices)
and the flow computer (tertiary device). Common metering devices are the
turbine meter and orifice meter. Other flowmeters such as vortex-flowmeter,
coriolis mass-flowmeter, ultrasonic flowmeter, etc., are also becoming common.
The transmitters provide signals correlating to the fluid quantities being
measured. Static pressure, differential pressure and temperature are three
common process variables that are measured by transmitters. The flow computer

takes the information produced by the metering device and transmitters, along
with user-entered inputs, and produces a record of the fluid transfer quantities
that have passed through the measurement point.
Flow Computer is defined as a device that electrically converts signals
from a gas measurement system to a useful form such as flow rate.
Prior to the advent of electronic flow computers, circular chart recorders
were the mainstay of flow measurement. A paper chart recorded differential
pressure across an orifice plate. These charts were gathered and sent in to the
company's accounting group either on a weekly or monthly basis for integration.
The integration process was slow and "off-chart" fluid flow could not be
accounted for. Records were kept in the field office showing verification and
calibration information. For Natural Gas, samples were taken quarterly and
analyzed, and the analysis information was forwarded to the accounting
department for use in chart integration. The accounting group did the rest.
With flow computers, the responsibility to enter and maintain information
used by the flow computer's flow calculations and the maintenance of the
subsequent audit trail information is shifted from the office to the field. Other
responsibilities being moved to the field are data editing and recalculation. The
office still handles the data processing, accounting and archiving.
Measurement and computation of flow and totalised flow for custody
transfer type of applications involve enormous computation, application of
correction factors for computed flow to reference conditions, etc. as well as
ensure safety, reliability, and security (against willful manipulation, changes to
calibration, changes to computation procedures, etc.) among other factors.
Special purpose dedicated systems are therefore used for accurate
measurement of oil and gas, especially custody transfer applications. These
systems, called Flow Computers are widely in use in oil and gas sectors, and
related industries. Besides custody transfer applications involving sale/purchase,
Flow Computers are also put to use in applications such as Batch Control.
Signal inputs to Flow Computers can be in analog or digital form from the
various transducers/transmitters used in the field. Outputs from Flow Computer
vary depending on individual needs, and /or the selected models. Common
outputs include analog signals proportional to flow, digital registers (data values)
and printed reports.
Some Flow Computers can communicate with other computers through
standard communication ports, such as an RS232C port. Flow Computers
sometimes form part of large SCADA systems where they are required to
communicate with remotely located computers, or the Main Terminal Computer
(MTC, also called Main Terminal Unit, MTU). In SCADA applications, Flow
Computers make themselves available to MTU for being configured for

operation, set values or parameters for batch-processing and control, to operate

or control local shut-off valves or devices, etc., as well as communicate relevant
data, alarms, status reports, etc., at regular intervals or when requested.
A PC or a general-purpose computer is not intrinsically safe and may not
be installed in hazardous locations. In general, Flow Computer is designed to be
located in a weatherproof enclosure pursuant to electrical codes and in close
proximity to the primary metering source. Common power inputs are 24 VDC,
110 VAC and 240 VAC with wide tolerance limits for withstanding grid-power
variations/fluctuations. Most systems will function properly between temperature
limits of about -20 to about 65 degrees C; and depending on the model, some
systems can operate within even wider temperature ranges. Intrinsically safe
computers are designed for use in hazardous locations. Power is limited either
by current barriers or by internal design.
Inputs to Flow Computers depend on the primary metering element.
Inputs from an orifice meter include differential pressure, static pressure and gas
flow temperature. Input from rotary and turbine meters are pulse signals along
with static pressure and flow temperature. Other inputs may, depending on the
computer model, include heating value, specific gravity, mole percent carbon
dioxide and nitrogen, etc. for Natural Gas, and inputs from densitometers,
viscometers for liquid petroleum.
Many computers have the capability for accepting inputs from multiple
meters, calculating and reporting flow rate through each individual meter, and
reporting a station total.
3.0 TYPES OF FLOW COMPUTERS
Flow Computers can be categorized basically into three basic types:
Analog computers with fixed programs, digital computers with fixed programs,
and digital computers with variable programs. With the last, program changes
typically are made from the keyboard. All present day Flow Computers are
based on microprocessors and are inherently Digital.
3.1 Analog Flow Computers
Analog computers operate by electrically manipulating continuous
electrical signals. Input information is continuous and the voltage or current is
representative of a physical condition such as pressure or temperature. The
computer transforms the electrical input to a physical output, such as flow rate,
through signal amplification, division, summations, etc. The computed
measurement is available to the user or operator as electrical analog signal
which needs to be displayed in appropriate engineering flow units on an analog
or digital display Indicator. The measurement may also be available as a
frequency or pulse output which may be totaled over a period of time to compute

the gross flow over that period. Analog computers built for a specific type of flow
measurement can be used only for that application. Any change in inputs or
metering devices will almost always mean the use of a new or another Flow
Computer.
3.2 Digital Flow Computers
Digital computers process information by using a combination of
discontinuous input signals. The analog input information is sampled at a fixed
rate and converted to a fixed value through the use of an analog to digital
converter. Once in the digital form, the computer processes the information and
exercises its program in a serial manner. Outputs can be discrete digital values,
such as contact closures and printed reports, or analog outputs, which are
generated through the use of digital to analog converters. Digital Flow
Computers also can communicate with other computers through standard
communication ports, such as RS232C or RS485 ports. Normally, Flow
Computers nowadays implies the use of Digital Systems with built in
microprocessors and associated peripheral electronics and devices such as
memory, digital Input/Output interface, serial and parallel input-output features,
etc.
Some digital Flow Computers allow measurement of flow through multiple
flow-metering devices simultaneously and/or allow different computational
methods using different standards and references.

4.0 COMPUTATION OF FLOW OF NATURAL GAS

The computation of gas flow differs for different types of flow meter
instrumentation. Each kind of flow computation follows a different standard.
4.1 Differential Head Meters (Orifice Plates, Nozzles, Venturi Tubes)
In the United States and Canada the standard most commonly used to
calculate gas flow measurement is A.G.A. (American Gas Association) Report
No.3, also referred to as ANSI/API 2530. Another major standard, ISO
(International Standard Organization)-5167, is used throughout Europe. Although
both standards were developed from the same data, they use different equations
and will provide slightly different results. Proper application of either standard will
yield final results within the expected accuracy.
The basic flow formula of A.G.A Report No. 3 is:
Qh = C

hwPf,

where:

Qh = hourly rate of flow, SCFH

C = orifice flow constant

hw = differential pressure, inches of water
Pf = absolute static pressure, PSIA
One of the advantages of using digital Flow Computers is the ability to compute
and apply the C factor continuously. C consists of a number of multipliers which
may also vary continuously depending on the input parameters/flow conditions.
Flow Computers are most accurate when these values are continually measured
and updated for flow calculation. Some of the multipliers are as follows:
Fb
Fr
Y
Fpb
Ftb
Ftf
Fg
Fpv
Fa
Fe

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

basic orifice factor

Reynolds number factor
expansion factor
pressure base factor
temperature base factor
flowing temperature factor
specific gravity factor
supercompressibility factor
orifice thermal expansion factor
gage location factor (only used with mercury gages)

4.2 Pulse Output Meter

Flow Computers used with pulse output meters (turbine, positive displacement,
vortex shedding, etc.) utilize a different formula for the computation of flow, as
follows:
Qs = Qa x Fp x Ft x Fc = corrected volume standard cubic feet
where :
Qa = Qd x MF (meter factor determined through calibration)
= actual volume (cubic ft.)

Qd

Fp

Ft
factor

pulses (meter output)

= ----------------------------------------pulses/cubic ft (meter output)
gage + atmospheric pressure
= -----------------------------------------base pressure

= displaced volume (cubic ft)

= pressure correction factor

459.67 + base temperature deg.F

-------------------------------------------------459.67 + flowing temperature deg.F

= temperature-correction

Fc

= (Fpv)2 = Square of supercompressibility factor

4.3 Computations in Flow Computer

It may be seen that custody transfer pricing for natural gas is fixed at
Standard volumes at specified base temperature and base pressure. The
pressure-temperature-volume relationship (based on thermodynamic laws of
Charles and Boyle) for a real gas is often expressed as:
PV=nRT, where P, T, V, n and R are pressure, temperature, volume, no.
of moles of gas, and Universal Gas Constant.
Natural gas deviates from the general Gas laws appreciably as indicated
below:
PV = ZnRT, where Z is the compressibility factor.
This is because Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons, Carbon-dioxide,
Nitrogen, and other constituents. The compressibility is computed according to
AGA/NX-19 or as per AGA-8.
The AGA/NX-19 method is applicable to natural gas that does not exceed
0.750 specific gravity and/or diluent contents of 15 mol percent Carbon-di-oxide,
and/or 15 mol percent of Nitrogen. The pressure adjusting factor, Fp, and
Temperature adjusting factor, Ft, are computed based on values for flow
pressure, flow temperature, specific gravity, Carbon-di-oxide content and
Nitrogen content. The super-compressibility factor, Fpv, is then computed using
the adjusted pressure (Fp x P) and adjusted temperature (Ft x T - 460). Most
flowcomputers use NX-19 tables for Fp, Ft, and Fpv stored as Look-up tables or
as empirical formulae.
The AGA-8 computes the compressibility factor by one of the three methods
listed below:
Detailed Characterization Method
Gross Characterization Method-1
Gross Characterization Method-2
The three methods are differentiated by the input parameters needed for the
equation of state calculations, ie supercompressibility, density, etc. In Detail
Characterization method, the detailed knowledge of gas composition is
required. It can be applied over the entire temperature, pressure and
composition regime. The Gross Characterization methods applies an
aggregate or gross knowledge of natural gas composition given by heating
value and/or relative density and diluent content information. These methods
apply to a limited temperature, pressure regions.
5.0 FLOW COMPUTATIONS IN LIQUID PETROLEUM

The computation of flow in liquid petroleum depends on the type of primary

metering device used. Generally the Flow-computers used in Oil are
associated with metering installations for Provers, Turbine flowmeters
(TFMs) and Positive displacement flowmeters (PDmeters). The pulse output
meters (ie TFMs and PDmeters) compute flow based on the Meter factors
and the various corrections factors.
Meter Factor(MF)
It is defined as a non-dimensional value that corrects / converts value
indicated on meter, to provide true volume or mass flow. Meter factor could
be a single value for the entire measurement range or may be more than
one. Multiple meter factors help in linearisation and use of meter over a
much larger span with a much improved accuracy. MF may depend on the
range. MF can also get affected by the liquid viscosity.
Correction Factors
In order to compute flow at defined base temperatures and pressures,
correction or adjustment factors need to be applied for flow measured under
actual temperature and pressure conditions to be converted to flow at the
desired base conditions. It is often the case that corrections to account for
the actual flow conditions need also be applied for their effects on the meter.
Because the meters internals, geometry, etc., can get affected. It is
generally provided for by the meter manufacturer and it also takes into
consideration the material of construction of the meter.
Correction for effect of Temperature
Effect on Meter, [CTS]
Effect on Liquid, [CTL]
Correction for effect of Pressure
Effect on Meter, [CPS]
Effect on Liquid, [CPL]

6.0 DISPLAYS AND INDICATORS

Instantaneous flow rates may be displayed on the computers front panel.
This display may take the form of an analog indicator such as a meter with a
pointer, or it may take the form of a direct numeric readout by light emitting
diodes or liquid crystal displays. A multiplier may be required to convert the
displayed value to a meaningful number.
Accumulated flow displays also may be displayed on the computers front
panel. This display can be a direct reading electrical readout or an electromechanical counter. In the case of an electrical readout, memory is necessary to
preserve the accumulated volume during power failure. This electronic display

may be independent of the instantaneous display or may be a time-shared

display. Electo-mechanical counters retain the last reading during a power failure
but are susceptible to mechanical failure. In either case, during a power failure no
flow is accumulated. Accumulated flow determination requires that readings be
taken at the beginning and at the end of the flow period. The difference between
the two readings is the total flow.
Other data may be displayed on the computers front panel. A common
practice is to switch various parameters to a single front-panel display for time
shared viewing. Digital computers generally are very versatile in that they can
allow more data types to be displayed. The display of these data assists in
calibration and maintenance work. Some examples of data commonly displayed
are:

Input static pressure

Input temperature
Input differential pressure
Uncorrected rate of flow
Supercompressibility factor
Gravity factor
Temperature factor

Status indicators, which offer assistance to the operator as a quick

operational check, may be displayed on the computers front panel. Generally,
these displays consist of indicator lamps. Some examples are :

Power on
Number of meter runs in service
Type of function displayed on numeric display
Present alarm condition
Alarm condition that has cleared

A printer may be an integral part of the flow computer to provide a hard copy
of certain data. The data may be printed out at various times over the day, week
or month. Examples of printed data are:

Hourly flow rate cf/h

Daily flow rate cf/d
Line pressures and temperatures
Alarm conditions

7.0 ELECTRICAL INTERFACE FOR REMOTE USE OR MEASUREMENT

Electrical output from analog and digital computers may represent
corrected or uncorrected volumetric or mass flow. Commonly used electrical

signals are 0-10 Vdc, 1-5 Vdc, 0-1 mAdc, 4-20 mAdc, and 10-50 mAdc. The flow
rate represented by the maximum signal level is usually adjustable by the user.
When more than one signal is offered, the maximum flow represented by each
may be independent of the others. Manufacturers specifications should be
consulted to avoid electrical overloads on the output signals and concerning the
maximum length of the interface cables.
Analog and digital computers may provide electrical outputs that represent
accumulated gas flow. This is done with either a dry-contact-closure or an opencollector. In either case, each signal represent a predetermined quantity of gas.
The number of accumulated pulses within a given time period multiplied by the
quantity of gas per pulse equals the total accumulated flow.
Digital outputs are offered by some digital on-site Flow Computers. These
outputs can be used by telemetering-terminals, teleprinters, and other display
equipment. Digital outputs such as thoses from a RS232C port with ASCII
formats are commonly used. Receiving equipment must be able to decode the
signal to complete the data transfer. Digital representation of other data may be
available through the digital output ports on the computer for serial and parallel
data. Transfers of digital data can be made efficiently and quickly and, with the
proper coding and checking, can be made error free. Digital data transfer
eliminates the calibration errors associated with analog signals.
Alarm indications for external use may be available on both analog and
digital computers. Normally these will be of the dry-contact or voltage pulse type
and can indicate different conditions within the computer or for conditions of flow
parameters.
8.0 VERIFICATION
Periodic checks should be made to ensure that the on-site computer is
calculating correctly. Verification that the on-site computer is correct can be
made if the computer output can be compared to a standard of known accuracy.
After the fixed system parameters are correctly entered in to the computer
program, the computer output should be verified. In addition to conducting the
initial verification, the responsible person should verify the computers output
periodically to ensure its accuracy.
The on-site flow calculation can be verified in the following two ways:
Computer System Verification-Compare the on-site computer output to a
standard by simulating input signals through the analog-to-digital (A/D)
converters.
Computer verification-Compare only the on-site computer output to a
standard, ignoring any error in the A/D converter by setting fixed inputs for the
measurement parameters.

8.1 Calculation of a standard

A manual calculation of the flow rate can be used as a standard to which the
computer output can be compared. The precision of this manual calculation
should be at least as accurate as that of the computer. Errors in the standard will
occur if an incorrect variable is used as input for the manual calculation.
Examples of the inputs that are required to produce acceptable manual
calculation of the flow to be used as a standard are:
Pressure
Differential pressure or pulse frequency
Temperature
Specific gravity
Supercompressibility data or factor
Meter factor(s)
Other data necessary to solve the applicable equation
8.2 Computer Calculation Verification Using External Input Signals
The on-site computer will scale the primary data variables (simulated transmitter
signals), calculate a flow rate and generate a value representative of the flow
through the meter. A comparison between the manual flow rate calculation, as
the standard, and the computer output should be made to verify that the
computer is calculating flow rate correctly.The test signals must be of known
accuracy and stable during the test period. These values are then used in the
flow equations to calculate manually the flow rate to be used as the standard.
The calculated standard then compared to the computer outputs.
The following precautions should be observed when this comparison is made:
Values and equations used in the manual calculation muster be the same as
those used by the on-site computer.
The accuracy of the input variables is limited to the manufacturers tolerance
of the calibration equipment; any differences should not be attributed
automatically to the on-site computer.
All computer outputs should be compared to the standard.
The verification comparisons should be done at multiple poin6ts spaced
throughout the normal operating range of the equipment.
8.3 Computer Calculation Verification Using Fixed Internal Inputs
The on-site computer will use the fixed values entered as calculating parameters
to calculate a flow through the meter. A comparison between the manual flow
calculation, as the computer output should be made to verify that the computer is
calculating flow correctly.
The following precautions should be observed when this comparison is made.
The values and equations used in the manual calculation must be the same
as those used by the on-site computer.

All computer outputs should be compared to the standard.

8.4 Instantaneous comparison versus Accumulated

Instantaneous comparisons are much easier to make than accumulated
comparisons. A single manual calculation can be used as an instrument
standard.
A standard to use in comparing accumulated flow over long periods of
time involves the integration of the instantaneous flow with respect to time. This
can introduce errors of unknown magnitude in to the calculations. For
verification of the on-site computers integration circuitry, consult the
manufacturer.

9.0 REFERENCES :
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

AGA Part No. 8, Electronic Flow Computers and Transducers, AGA Gas
Measurement Manual - Transmission Measurement Committee of the
Operating Section, USA; 1988.
AGA NX-19,Manual for Determination of Supercompressibility factors for
Natural Gas, 1962.
Compressibility factors of Natural Gas and other related Hydrocarbon
gases, AGA Transmission measurement committee Report-8.Nov 1992.
Gopinath Swamy, Gas Metering Terminal & Meter Prover in System,
National Seminar on Flow Measurement & Control, FCRI; 1989.
Irvin Schwartzenburg, Considerations for Flow Computer Selection, Fisher
Controls International, Inc.