Precession Vortex Flow Meter Solution for Natural Gas Station Metering and Custody Transfer

Precession Vortex Flow Meter Solution for Natural Gas Station Metering and Custody Transfer

Natural gas stations are the metering chokepoints of urban gas transmission, distribution and industrial supply, and the accuracy of custody transfer metering directly affects the economic interests of both trading parties. For a long time, station metering has suffered from inconsistent temperature-pressure compensation bases: suppliers and buyers each apply different compensation references and compressibility-factor algorithms, settlement data cannot be aligned, billing disputes are frequent, and original measurement evidence is hard to produce. Manual meter reading is infrequent and lagging - deviations are often discovered only during monthly reconciliation, long after the best window for tracing gas losses has passed. Station loads fluctuate strongly with daily peaks and seasonal variations, so single-range meters show marked errors in the low-flow region and wide-range metering is difficult. In addition, natural gas stations are explosion-proof zones where cabling and power retrofits of conventional instruments are restricted, and metering data from multiple stations are scattered in silos, lacking a unified platform for gas balance analysis and differential assessment.

This solution deploys intelligent precession vortex flow meters as the core metering units at every custody transfer point. The meter measures flow by the vortex precession phenomenon formed as gas passes through the sensor: the precession frequency is proportional to flow rate and unaffected by changes in the physical properties and density of the gas. With no moving mechanical parts inside, it runs stably and reliably and needs no special maintenance over the long term. The intelligent meter integrates a flow probe, microprocessor, pressure sensor and temperature sensor in one body, with automatic real-time tracking compensation and compressibility-factor correction; nominal diameters DN15-200 and nominal pressures of 1.6/2.5/4.0/6.3 MPa cover city gate stations, regulating and metering stations and industrial offtake points. Metering data are output via pulse, 4-20 mA or RS485 to RTU telemetry terminals and reported over 4G/Ethernet to the metering management platform, which unifies compensation and compressibility algorithms, achieves hourly volume acquisition, remote reconciliation and differential analysis, and keeps original temperature-pressure-flow records fully traceable as the data foundation for trade settlement and metering audits. Low overall power consumption allows internal battery or external power supply, meeting the deployment needs of stations without mains power in explosion-proof zones.

Precession Vortex Measurement Principle for Natural Gas Custody Transfer

• Precession vortex measurement principle: precession frequency is proportional to flow rate, unaffected by gas physical properties or density changes; no moving mechanical parts ensures stable, reliable, maintenance-free long-term operation

Integrated Intelligent Metering with Real-Time Compensation

• Integrated intelligent metering: flow probe, microprocessor, pressure sensor and temperature sensor in one body with automatic real-time tracking compensation and compressibility-factor correction for high accuracy under varying conditions

Wide Operating Coverage for Gas Station Applications

• Wide operating coverage: DN15-200 nominal diameters, 1.6/2.5/4.0/6.3 MPa nominal pressures, -20 to +80 degrees C medium temperature, stainless steel 1Cr18Ni9Ti and aluminium alloy ZL101A bodies for gate stations, regulating stations and industrial offtakes

Flexible Outputs and Networking Integration

• Flexible outputs and networking: pulse, 4-20 mA and RS485 outputs with flange connection for easy installation, seamless integration with RTU telemetry terminals, SCADA and metering management platforms

Low-Power Flexible Supply for Explosion-Proof Stations

• Low-power flexible supply: low overall consumption with internal battery or external power; pressure and temperature signals use standardized sensor inputs with strong interchangeability, suited to explosion-proof stations without mains power

Metering Audit Traceability and Settlement Evidence

• Metering audit traceability: LCD displays instantaneous and cumulative flow with temperature and pressure; original records are uploaded and retained on the platform for remote reconciliation, differential analysis and settlement audit evidence