Electronic Liquid Measurement - API Chapter 21.

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Terrell Ledbetter
Technologist - Loss Control / Utility Accounting
Star Enterprises

18th Annual Measurement Short Course

FOREWORD
Prior to going into the specifics on "Real Time Electronic Flow Measurement" it is
important to understand why you should develop an integration plan that has established
goals and system configurations defined. As you will see later the definition of "Real
Time" in itself might mean something different to various companies or even departments
within the same company.
The "Integration Plan" is where most companies will go wrong, the matrix of a Flow
Measurement System is much broader than we all first think. The term "Real Time EFM
Flow Measurement" like many others involving new technologies it has an ominous
sound to it, at times this is true. Most "systems" can act like the house of mirrors; after
unlocking the first door to success, what do you find?... about a thousand more doors
with all kinds of variables, problems, and situations. The only way you can effectively
handle those variables is to have a logical, well organized plan.
The process of creating a plan forces you to take a realistic, objective, unemotional, more
or less detached look at the measurement system. Most companies establish plans
department by department; operations vs administrative, this style of compartmentalized
development will not work in the area of electronic measurement and control system
integration. Writing down the specifics related to your EFM integration plan provides you
with the opportunity to evaluate the system in its entirety and see how many departments
are involved within the project matrix. This goes a long way toward establishing what
interaction is needed between dissimilar departments that become joined by a "Real Time
EFM System".
This integration plan does several things for you:
 Helps in identifying your objectives;
 Helps you develop strategies to meet those objectives;
 Helps red-flag problems and suggests ways to solve them"
 Helps in maintaining project structure by defining activities and responsibilities;
 Helps budgeting the necessary capital and future OB.M dollars related to the
system;
During this process your company can establish its immediate goals in relation to the
final objective. It is imperative that a company do as much research and investigation as
it feels comfortable with, but keep in mind many great plans lose focus if the timetable
for implementation is set too far into the future. A key to success is to let everyone know
what your final company objective is as early as possible, this keeps all the departments
within the matrix working toward a single conclusion and greatly lessens the chance of
one area running off on a tangent and slowing down the integration process while an odd
piece of the puzzle is fit in. Just developing a EFM system integration plan is an
indispensable management tool to introduce discipline and a logical thought process into
multiple departments on a project team. Plans like this covering such a complex problem
will let a company know where it is going, how to get there, and what the system will
look like once completed.
REAL TIME ELECTRONIC FLOW MEASUREMENT
By Mr. Charles Derr
"Real Time" seems self explanatory, however, it has different meanings to different
operating scenarios.
DEFINITION:
Equivalence in time or speed between the output of an electronic computer and a
particular physical process which depends on the data or solutions for its continuation or
completion.
This definition explains a computer which, when operating, sends information to control
something. In the definition above "Real Time" is the time period between the computers
output and the usage of that output.
In the current world of measurement with "Real Time" electronic flow computers.........
the term is equally as elusive as it is given no exact clock time value. Truly; REAL TIME
is any time frame wherein we get data or results which occur often enough to satisfy the
data users requirements.
To many people, Real Time means virtually instant. In measurement it has evolved to
mean "IN TIME..." Even though the common denominator exists for many groups who
use the same form of electronic flow meters (EFMs), time has different weights of
consequences to different operational conditions.
A production field operator may need to approximate for management, (within 5-10%)
daily the total volume that the field can deliver to a gas plant within the next 48 hours
following that daily report. This may be that operator's REAL TIME DATA requirement.
An interstate carrier pipeline may need supply data and need to give delivery data on a
time frame where two day old data would be useless. They may need hourly or on a basis
of only minutes between reporting updates. Real Time usually means AS FAST AS I
NEED IT. Real Time systems as those have the hardware, software and telemetry to get
the user the data when needed.
WHO NEEDS REAL TIME MEASUREMENT?
WHAT CAN IT DO FOR US.?
FIELD OPERATION GROUPS........ have a few questions to answer each day
PRODUCTION:
 How much gas have we made today?
 How much oil have we made today?
 What's the discharge rate of that compressor?
 Do we need to shut in another well?
 Is the back pressure regulator holding?
  Are the stock tanks nearing full?
 Is the separator operating properly?
 What is the tubing and casing pressure?
GATHERING:
 What is the gas plant's requirements today?
 Can we supply enough to them if we get one more compressor up?
 What did our balance look like this morning ?
GAS PROCESSING
 What's are current inlet rate on unit -2?
 How can we meet that peak demand by six o'clock?
 Can we get another 5,000 MCF from them?
PIPELINE:
 How close are we to that nomination?
 Can we deliver that tonight?
 Is the Northern corner line at full regulated pressure?
 What's the chance of delivering that premium call?
 How much do we need to supply today to avoid penalty?
REAL TIME ELECTRONIC METERING GIVES YOU THE EDGE ON BEING
ABLE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS READILY AND TIMELY.
IT BENEFITS OTHER GROUPS ALSO
MEASUREMENT:
Every component of every primary element and every transmitter is a small multiplier to
the bottom line of a energy company.
MEASUREMENT ERROR = FINANCIAL ERROR
We all get upset if our employer makes an under payment on our paychecks. Energy
companies must also be profitable and the only way to plan their operations and get
equitably paid for their products delivered is to Accurately measure them.
Real Time EFMs enable a company to:
 Avoid losses Control product source and delivery
 Avoid environmental problems
 Comply with government regulations
 Bill deliveries quicker
 MAKE MORE PROFIT!!!
INFORMATION SYSTEMS GROUPS:
Telemetry links between EFM / RTUs and SCADA systems maximize the investment of
the field measurement hardware. Automatic timed retrieval of rates and volumes is the
real return on the investment on EFMs. Exception reporting on exceeding alarm levels
and automatic dial- out notification avoid major losses, penalties, safety hazards and
maximize key field people's time by having them where needed quickly after problems
first arise.
Information groups acquire data, route it for auditing and input the data into the central
billing system computers as well as archive the data for future operational, commercial,
and legal reasons.
Real Time systems are now direct feeding sophisticated data auditing, presentation,
archiving and billing systems which have multiple interface drivers to make final
presentations appear the same regardless of which EFM / RTU they were acquired from.
Real Time EFM / RTUs on telemetry assist the huge tasks of measurement, control,
product accounting, maintenance, field personnel dispatching, product sales and
marketing.
REAL TIME ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
WHAT IS NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT ONE ?
HARDWARE
 Electronic flow meter
 Accurate transmitters
 Local hand held terminal (usually a laptop computer)
 Telemetry link
o Modem and leased line ' 450 to 900 MHZ data radio
o Cellular phone / modem link
o Spread spectrum radio
o Data via trunking radio
o Satellite....various bands
 Intrinsically safe interfaces for hazardous areas (cl. 1 div. 1, cl. 1 div.2 etc.) Some
special test gear (simulators etc.)
 Data central or regional receiving stations, (with communication interfaces)
Receiving point computers, modems,
 backup media etc.
SOFTWARE:
 Proper onboard program ROM for the EFM / RTU to do calculations and
measurement.
 EFM compatible field setup and calibration programs
 Proper smart telemetry software, diagnostic or setup disks for microprocessor
based radio and cellular systems.
 Base receiver software and configuration to scan and allow reporting and direct
communication mode.
 SCADA central software system to accumulate data on entire fields, districts,
states, or LAN / WAN.
 Field communication software via laptop to allow local access or dial up into the
EFM data "Real Time" remotely.
 Data management programs to correct and audit data prior to final export to
central system.
Many vendors of EFMs and RTUs have sources which integrate these programs to ensure
compatibility. Its a big job and an emerging specialty, but the paybacks are tremendous
once implemented.