Cameron's CALDON® LEFM® 280Ci full bore ultrasonic flow meter can be used on crude oils and refined products in single or multi-product pipelines. The operating Reynolds numbers should be above 8000 at all times to ensure maximum performance. 

The eight chordal path design of the LEFM 280Ci ultrasonic flow meters resists installation errors better than any other ultrasonic meter. The cross plane acoustic paths make the meter immune to the effects of swirl and eliminate the need for an upstream flow conditioner. The effects of swirl on the four paths in one plane are equal and opposite to the effects of swirl on the four paths in the second plane. When the velocity readings from all eight paths are averaged together any effects from swirl are cancelled out. The design also minimizes the requirement for upstream/downstream pipe runs. The elimination of a flow conditioner and the need for shorter lengths of upstream pipe reduce the installed cost for the LEFM 280Ci. In addition, the elimination of a flow conditioner means lower overall pressure loss which equates to annual savings in pumping costs.

Cameron was the first company to develop an ultrasonic flow meter, the LEFM 280CiLT, for dynamic custody transfer of LNG. The LEFM 280CiLT low temperature ultrasonic flow meter has been voted the 2010 Innovation Award by the readers of Flow Control magazine. The LEFM 280CiLT meter offers many benefits for measuring LNG. The major advantage is the 8-path design. The two-plane arrangement of the eight acoustic paths makes the meter insensitive to velocity profile asymmetry and swirl. The LEFM 280CiLT does not require a flow conditioner and needs minimal straight runs of pipe upstream/downstream of the meter. In 2005 Cameron supplied an LEFM 280CiLT to a joint ExxonMobil/ConocoPhillips project designed to assess flow technologies for LNG projects. These tests confirmed the effect of swirl was equal and symmetrical between the two planes and that averaging the velocities between the 8-paths eliminated any bias due to swirl.

Being able to measure LNG with higher accuracy than traditional methods using the LEFM 280CiLT can result in real savings. The monetary value of the LNG on an average tanker is approximately $31.9MM, based on an average tanker size of 266K cubic meters and an April 2010 estimated value of LNG of $120/cubic meter. An overall improvement of just 0.10% in uncertainty by using the LEFM280CiLT can result in a potential savings of $31.9K per tanker load. The elimination of a flow conditioner lowers overall pressure loss which equates to additional annual savings in pumping costs or faster ship loading times.

Specifications

§  Full bore meter designed specifically for dynamic custody transfer of LNG

§  Calibration methodology and uncertainty verified by NMi

§  Available in 8-inch to 24-inch sizes

§  Uncertainty of +/-0.16 to +/-0.18%

§  OIML R117 (0.3 Class)

Measuring oils having high viscosity and/or low flow conditions may involve operating at Reynolds numbers below 8000, in the laminar and transition flow regimes. Full bore ultrasonic flow meter performance has traditionally degraded for Reynolds numbers below 8000 because the liquid velocity profile erratically switches between laminar and turbulent characteristics. Cameron's CALDON® LEFM® 280CiRN ultrasonic flow meter with a reduced bore, modeled after flow nozzle technology, in which the liquid velocity profile is stabilized in the throat by forces much larger than the forces imposed by fluid viscosity. The meter design stabilizes the flow profile while preventing boundary layer separation under all operating conditions, greatly improving performance.

The eight path design of the LEFM 280CiRN ultrasonic flow meters resists installation errors better than any other ultrasonic meter. The cross plane acoustic paths make the meter immune to the effects of swirl and eliminate the need for an upstream flow conditioner. The effects of swirl on the four paths in one plane are equal and opposite to the effects of swirl on the four paths in the second plane. When the velocity readings from all eight paths are averaged together any effects from swirl are cancelled out. The design also minimizes the requirement for upstream/downstream pipe runs.

The elimination of a flow conditioner and the need for shorter lengths of upstream pipe reduce the installed cost for the LEFM 280CiRN. In addition, the elimination of a flow conditioner means lower overall pressure loss which equates to annual savings in pumping costs.

The LEFM 280CiRN has improved repeatability compared to standard full bore meters and may also be considered for applications when the meter is to be verified in-situ using a prover to reduce the number of runs required.

Specifications

§  Reduced-bore design for high performance under laminar, transition or turbulent flow

§  Excellent repeatability that reduces the number of runs required to verify the meter in-situ with a prover

§  Electronics that can be integrally or remote pipe mounted

§  Available in 6" to 36" sizes

§  +/-0.12% linearity over 15:1 nominal flow range for all sizes

§  No limit on operating Reynolds number

§  OIML R117 (0.3 Class)

Cameron's CALDON® 380Ci ultrasonic gas flow meter has Cameron's unique eight-path, dual-plane, cross-path design. Cameron has done extensive testing to prove this meter design is immune from the effects of swirl and velocity profile asymmetry. The 380Ci requires a very small installation footprint and does not require a flow conditioner. The 380Ci gas flow meter is available for pipe sizes 6" and larger and is typically used in custody transfer and other fiscal applications.

Specifications

§  Eight-path, dual-plane configuration

§  Sealed transducer housing design

§  Proprietary coating

§  LEFMLink and 2G eCheck software

§  Compact installation and reduction in CAPEX by reducing the length of required upstream pipe and eliminating a flow conditioner

§  Available in various materials of construction

§  Design that is configurable to accept various end connections requirements

§  Wide range of input/output options