Results of the North American Natural Gas Flow Calibration Laboratory Comparison: CEESI - SwRI - TCC

Published

October 16, 2008

Author(s)

Pedro I. Espina

Abstract

The performance of the three commercial laboratories that provide flow meter calibrations to the natural gas industry in North America was evaluated. A tandem flow meter transfer standard package was used and it consisted of commercial flow meters (a turbine and a multi-path ultrasonic) separated by a commercial flow conditioner. Results indicate that the transfer standard package has day-to-day reproducibilities in the 0.37 % level, at a 95 % confidence interval. This level of performance was less than desired given that the calibration laboratories claim uncertainties better than 0.3 %. The results show a consistency in performance among laboratories at the 0.3% to 0.4% level, which indicates that the three calibration laboratories have equivalent performances within the scope of their claimed uncertainties. In addition, the results did not pointed out any significant installation effect at any of the laboratories. The results from one of the laboratory capable of variable pipeline pressure were inconclusive in regards to this parameter influence on flow meter performance.

Citation

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR) -

NIST Pub Series

NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Keywords

flow meter calibarions, installation effects, laboratory comparison, measurement uncertainty, multifpath ultrasonic flow meter, natural gas, North America, pressure effects, turbine meter

Citation

Espina, P. (2008), Results of the North American Natural Gas Flow Calibration Laboratory Comparison: CEESI - SwRI - TCC, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (Accessed April 26, 2024)