Achieving Flare Gas Measurement Accuracy Regardless of Changing Gas Composition

One of the major challenges oil & gas engineers face for EPA compliance is accurately measuring gas mixtures with changing gas compositions in applications like distribution systems, flare gas produced in refineries, and hydraulic fracturing. Traditionally, all flow meters that measure flare gas mass flow rate, except coriolis meters, require knowledge of gas properties. This poses a challenge for EPA compliance because these properties change not only with the temperature and pressure in the pipe line, but also with any changes in gas composition. Left uncorrected, errors in mass flow rate will occur.

This white paper, presented at the American Gas Association Operations Conference, proves (charts included) that for the first time QuadraTherm® thermal mass flow meters with qMix gas mixing software compensate for the changes in the composition of natural gas (and other pure gases and gas mixtures) and providing accurate mass flow measurement- all in the field without sending the meter back to the factory for recalibration.

This white paper is sponsored by Sierra Instruments, Inc.