Gas Metering
Current calibration data indicates that more than 50 % of the meters that are recalibrated are outside the tolerances when they are recalibrated
Accurate gas flow measurements are critical for both natural gas and emerging hydrogen infrastructure. However, over 50% of recalibrated gas flow meters in the field are found to be out of tolerance, indicating drift since their last calibration. The cause of this drift is unclear.
Efforts to relate these deviations to the calibration interval, meter age, manufacturer, or measurement principle, have not revealed a clear cause of the deterioration. The aim of this part of the project is to investigate how additional data can provide extra information to evaluate when the flow meters need to be re-calibrated.
Our research aims to improve gas flow meter accuracy between calibrations. We will apply advanced sensor fusion and data analysis techniques to supplementary data from meter networks. By combining this with calibration measurements, we can estimate meter drift in real-time rather than relying on sporadic recalibration.
The goal is to reduce measurement drift to less than 0.7% for individual meters before their next scheduled recalibration. This will improve billing accuracy and allow utilities to maximize the time between costly recalibrations. It also facilitates the safe and efficient integration of hydrogen into existing natural gas infrastructure.
Our sensor analytics research transforms meter networks into intelligent, self-monitoring assets. This unlocks hidden value in the vast amounts of sensor data already available to gas utilities and network operators.