Small Volume Provers

FLOW MEASUREMENT VERIFYING YOUR VALUEJames Hensley

June 21, 2017

Honeywell Internal

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Today’s Topics

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•Fundamentals of meter proving- Definitions

- Financial Impact

- Traceability

- Pulse Collection

•Meter proving techniques and characteristics- Tank Provers

- Weigh Scale

- Master Meter

- Ball Provers

- Uni-Directional Captive Displacement or Small Volume Provers

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Definition from MPMS 4.1.5

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API

• All meters should be proved with the

liquid to be measured and at operating

flow(s) rate, pressure, and temperature.

• This means the preferred way of proving

a flow meter is installed and under actual

operational conditions.

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General Considerations

API Definition from MPMS 4.1.5

• All meters should be proved with the

liquid to be measured and at operating

flow(s) rate, pressure, and temperature.

• This means the preferred way of proving

a flow meter is installed and under actual

operational conditions.

3

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What is Meter Proving

4

API Definition from MPMS 4.1.5• The purpose of proving a meter is to determine its meter factor, which is the

number obtained by dividing the actual volume of liquid passed through a meter

during proving by the registered volume by the meter.

• The purpose of a meter factor is to correct a meter’s indicated volume.

Obtaining a meter factor is an essential step in calculating the standard net

volume of a receipt or delivery of petroleum liquids.

MFG Meter Factor X = New Meter Factor Actual Volume Passed thru Meter

Volume Registered by Meter

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Accuracy and Repeatability

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Repeatability and Reproducibility

• Repeatability is the ability to obtain identical

measurement results when a measurement is repeated

under the same conditions several times in a row.

Repeatability (%) = (Maximum – Minimum) / Maximum * 100%

• Reproducibility is the ability to obtain identical

measurement results when a measurement is preformed

under the same conditions at a later date, by other

people or at a different location.

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Reasons for Meter Proving

A Prover is used for flow meter calibration to establish :

A meter’s meter factor (Actual volume divided by indicated volume)

A meter’s K - Factor (Pulses per unit volume)

A meter’s Linearity (Accuracy over the calibrated flow range)

A meter’s Repeatability (Repeatable information under same conditions)

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Why do companies perform flow meter proving ?

Flow measurement systems are the

“cash registers” for all petroleum

operations.

What does it all mean ?

Simply stated.

Errors in meter factors can and will

generate enormous financial errors in a

company’s invoicing in a very short period

of time!

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Honeywell Confidential - © 2017 by Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.

Did you know?

20 hours of

product transfer

per day at 5000

BPH

Measurement

uncertainty of

0.17%.

With product

Price of

$80.00 per

BBL

After one day

uncertainty

losses could

be $13,600

After one month

uncertainty

losses could be

$408,000

After one year

uncertainty

losses could

be $4,896,000

Measurement

uncertainty is

verified to

0.02% prior to

each transfer

Possibly

$12,000 less

uncertainty in

one day

Possibly

$376,000 less

uncertainty in

one month

$300,000 investment will

get you there with

a

30 day payback

...Providing

REAL operational VALUE

Honeywell Confidential - © 2017 by Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.

Did you know?20 hours of

product transfer

per day at 5000

BPH

Measurement

uncertainty of

0.27%.

With product

Price of

$80.00 per

BBL

After one day

uncertainty

losses could

be $21,600

After one month

uncertainty

losses could be

$648,000

After one year

uncertainty

losses could

be $7,776,000

Measurement

uncertainty is

verified to

0.02% prior to

each transfer

Possibly

$20,000 less

uncertainty in

one day

Possibly

$616,000 less

uncertainty in

one month

$300,000 investment will

get you there with

a

16 day payback

...Providing

REAL operational VALUE

Honeywell Confidential - © 2017 by Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.

Honeywell Small Volume Prover

11

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SVP Cutaway

12

1200:1 Turndown Ratio

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Summary

13

Technique Advantages Disadvantage

Prover Can Inexpensive

Accuracy

Limited flow rate

Unpractical

Weigh Scale Inexpensive

Accuracy

External influence

Unpractical

Master Meter Unlimited volume

Inexpensive

Closed system

Inaccurate

Drift

Range of products limited

Ball Prover High flow rate

Work on most fluids

Closed system

Large footprint

Maintenance sensitive

Expensive

SVP Works on most fluids

High turndown ratio

Closed system

Expensive

“Complex”