Oi l and Gas Industry

User Appl i cat ion Guide

The mass flow experts for flow, level

and temperature instrumentation

YEARSOF

SERVICE

40

rom the early 1960s, Fluid Components Internationalrecognized the need for flow and level instrumentationwhich met specific customer requirements and

demands for the Oil and Gas Industry. By utilizing ThermalDispersion and Coriolis technology exclusively in all FCI flow,level, interface, temperature switches and mass flow meters, ourproducts solve typical Oil and Gas Industry application challengeswith standard product features such as: No moving parts All welded materials of construction Direct mass flow measurement No pressure drop Explosion-proof design Wide flow range Low flow capability

By closely monitoring the everchanging requirements for theOil and Gas Industry, FCI has maintained its reputation as thetechnology leader with new product features such as: Modern digital communications with HART, Modbus,

Profibus, Ethernet and ASI Fail-safe mode selection per Namur NE43 Compliance with the latest approval requirements

of FM, CSA, CRN, ATEX, CE Mark and PED Application focused marketing and engineering research

and design Secondary sealed flow element sensor design Integral flow conditioners Two-wire loop-power flow, level and

interface detection

FCI Oil and Gas Industry customers Exxon Mobil Chevron Texaco BP Amoco Shell Petro Canada Aramco, Saudi Arabia Kuwait Oil Company Joint Operations, Kuwait Oil & Natural Gas Corporation, India Pertamina, Indonesia CNPC, China Petrozuata, Venezuela Pemex, Mexico

FCI Oil and Gas Industry customers forEngineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) Bechtel Fluor Daniel Kellogg Brown & Root Parsons Petrofac, U.A.E. Japan Gas Company, Japan S. K. Engineering and Construction, Korea

Solv ing cr i t i ca l process appl i cat ions for the Oi l and Gas Industry

Flare gas mass flow measurement

In a variety of oil production and refining environments, FCI’s GF90Series mass flow meters monitor total gas flow to flare stacks aswell as through feed lines to the main flare header. As an integralpart of energy conservation and emission control systems, it meetsstrict accuracy and wide turndown requirements. The GF90 is highlyreliable because of its durable construction and no moving partsdesign. Units are also used to assist in the control of steam additionand blower and louver adjustment for smokeless flares. A packinggland option permits hot-tap installation and retraction of the flowelement without system shut down. The GF90 also features high flowrange turndown ratios up to 1000:1 and micro-processor based user-friendly electronics.

Tanker loading /unloading

GF90 Series mass flow meters provide the solutions for several difficulttanker loading/unloading applications. It is used to measure the flowof hydrocarbon vapors that are vented from the storage tanks, bothon the tanker and at the port tank farm, to ensure compliance withenvironmental laws governing waste vapors. It is also used to measurenitrogen gas flow to inerting and gas blanketing systems that areoften required in these operations. Finally, FCI’s GF90 may be usedto measure flows to flare systems to assist in determining “throughput loss” for the tank farm.

Chemical injection /additive flow monitoring

In monitoring chemical and other additive injection flow, the ultra-sensitive FLT93L inline FlexSwitch® outperforms the competition. Itdetects gas flows down to 0.6 cc/sec and liquid flows down to0.02 cc/sec -- ideal for virtually all injection processes. The no-moving-parts flow element design provides outstanding durabilityand reliability under the harshest process conditions. And, the inherentthermal time delay, available in all FCI flow switch/monitors, preventsfalse alarms caused by flow pulsation and eliminates the need forauxiliary time delay relays. Optional dual switch point circuitry helpsmaintain product quality and process safety by alarming both highflow and low flow conditions.

Automated oil well testing systems

FCI FLT93S FlexSwitch Series have continued to play a key role inthe automation of oil well testing facilities throughout the UnitedStates. Thousands of units are in service today, monitoring the flowof crude oil from the well, so that non-producing sites can bequickly identified and corrected. In addition to improving productivity,this efficient no-flow detection system eliminates time wasted onthe continued testing of non-producing wells. These ruggedFlexSwitch monitors enable the system to automatically switch to thenext well in the test cycle.

Pump-off control

FCI’s FLT93S FlexSwitch Series is well suited to monitor productionin oil wells and indicate when an extended pump-off conditionoccurs. Coupled with a programmable logic controller, the FLT93Scan control the operation of the well to optimize oil production;while minimizing wear and tear on the down hole pump. In addition,restricting the operation of the pump to periods when oil is producedsaves energy and reduces operating costs.

Reverse flow switching

Nitrogen is utilized for purging and blanketing throughout a chemicalplant /refinery. The possibility of contaminating the nitrogen supplywith hydrocarbon gas exists if the pressure at the destination becomesgreater than the pressure at the source. The FCI RF83 bi-directionalflow monitor is used to shut down the supply line if flow is detectedreturning back to the supply tank.

Interface control in separation vessels

Unlike density-dependent displacers, often used for level and interfacecontrol, the FLT93S FlexSwitch Series relies on the specific heat transferproperties of the media involved to identify product interface. Becauseof this unique detection feature, interfaces between products of similardensity are reliably controlled in separating tanks and other vessels.FCI liquid level and interface controllers can identify the interfacebetween any media including liquids, slurries, foams and evenemulsion layers. The dual switch point option allows one instrumentto control two different product interfaces. Two or more units areused to control product discharge and intake at specified points.

CI introduced the first thermalflow switch /monitor in 1964and has since established a

worldwide reputation for the design andproduction of precision high performanceflow, level and temperature instrumentation.With reliability second to none, FCI hasplaced over 200,000 units in the fieldcovering the full range of liquid, gas andslurry process requirements. FCI productsservice some of the world's most demandingprocesses in industries such as food &beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, oiland gas, pulp and paper, power and energy,water and wastewater, nuclear power,aerospace and more. FCI offers a broadrange of instrumentation solutions andservices, from off-the-shelf devices to customengineered systems. FCI's engineeringstaff provides expertise in mechanical,electronic and thermo-dynamic disciplinesoffering innovative solutions to specializedcustomer application needs, configurationobjectives, software enhancements, andmaterial problems.

Thermal Dispersion principleThe typical sensing element contains twothermowell-protected precision platinumResistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs).When placed in the process stream, oneRTD is heated and the other RTD senses theprocess temperature. The temperaturedifference between the two RTDs is relatedto the process flow rate as well as the

properties of the process media. Higherflow rates or denser media cause increasedcooling of the heated RTD and a reductionin the RTD temperature difference.

FlexSwitch® FLT93 SeriesThe FLT93 Series utilizes proprietary thermaldispersion technology to provide the highestreliability in flow, level and temperaturedetection. The sensing element is composedof two matched RTD's. One RTD is prefer-entially heated. The other RTD is unheatedand thermally isolated to provide continuousprocess condition temperature and baselineindication. At no flow or under dry condi-tions, the temperature differential betweenthe two RTDs is greatest.

For flow / no flow detectionNo-flow conditions produce a large signal.As flow increases, the heated RTD iscooled and proportionally reduces thetemperature differential. Changes in flowvelocity directly affect this rate of heatdissipation. An electronic circuit normalizesthe differential measurement with theprocess media temperature and converts

the RTD temperature/resistance differentialinto a DC voltage signal. This signal isprovided at output terminals and used todrive two adjustable setpoint alarm circuitsthat are independently field configurablefor specific flow service applications.

For liquid level /interface detection Dry conditions (no liquids present) producethe greatest temperature differential. Thesignal decreases when the level element issubmerged as the cooling effects of thefluid drive the temperature /resistancedifferential downward. Since all processfluids have different thermo physicalproperties, different fluids exhibit uniqueheat transfer characteristics. Interfacedetection between non-miscible fluids canbe factory or field calibrated to alarmwhen the fluid changes from liquid tofoam, between two different fluids, orbetween fluid and rag layer or emulsion.

continued on back cover

Product development, testing and calibration are performed in FCI’s laboratory using NIST traceableequipment, which ensures highly reliable performance in hundreds of applications.

Thermal mass flow technology supports virtuallyall gas or air measurement needs. It is especiallywell suited for dirty gas because of its no-movingparts design with no orifices, bearings, or sealsto foul or fail.

HeatedSensor

UnheatedSensor

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Serv ing cr i t i ca l process instrumentat ion needs around the wor ld

FCI’s complete line of flow, level and temperature instrumentation

Doc. No. 07SA011393A

� For temperature detectionThe unheated RTD serves as the baselinefor establishing the differential temperatureand continuous monitoring of the processtemperature. Being thermally isolated, theunheated RTD provides accurate indicationand detection of process fluid temperatures.Simultaneous temperature and flow andlevel detection can provide comprehensiveprocess monitoring as well as criticallysupplement operator process health andefficiency awareness.

NuTec® 2000 Series� 2-wire loop-power andnon-intrusive switchesExtraordinarily responsive and accurate,the versatile NuTec flow/ level switch seriesoffers superior reliability in extreme processconditions. The FS2000 and LS2000 switchesfeature the first 2-wire thermal flow/noflow and level detection switches. Theseinsertion switches are designed withFCI's proven thermal mass flow sensortechnology in a rugged package that iseasy to install and requires minimalmaintenance. The FS2000L inline flowswitch has an advanced non-intrusive sensordesign constructed of 316L stainless steelwith up to a 10 Ra electropolish finishapproved for 3A sanitary and high purityapplications. The FS2000L is available withinline sizes of 1/2 inch, 1 inch and 2 inchesfor easy installation using male NPT,butt-weld or sanitary flanges.

FlexMASSter® ST Seriesand GF Series mass flow metersBecause the relationship between flow rateand cooling effect directly relates to massflow in gas applications, FCI thermal massflow meters provide a highly repeatable andaccurate measurement of gas or air massflow rates. The ST98 Series "smart"electronics, equipped with advancedmicro-processor-based circuitry, enable

customers to reconfigure the signal outputseasily, as well as, display or alarm in thefield by using either a built-in key pad ora handheld communicator. The GF Seriesoffers wide turndown rations up to 800:1with multiple gas calibrations with analogelectronic circuitry.

FlexMASSter technology delivers perform-ance and value by offering the mostinnovative, accurate and cost effective gasmass flow measurement systems availablein the industrial flowmetering marketplacetoday. This highly reliable instrumentprovides the durability and speed requiredfor today's harsh process environmentsand delivers true direct mass flow meas-urement. FCI's FlexMASSter simplifies gasmass flowmetering with a single processpenetration, eliminating costly temperatureor pressure transmitters and a flow com-puter required with other technologies.

CMF FlexCOR® SeriesThe CMF FlexCOR Series Coriolis flowmeters push development a giant leapforward in Coriolis measurement tech-nology. Unaffected by variations in pressure,temperature, density, electrical conductivityand viscosity, the FlexCOR Series provideshighly accurate mass flow measurementover wide flow ranges while utilizing itsadvanced technology to achieve unsur-passed operational performance stressingsafety, reliability and quality.

VORTAB® flow conditionersFCI ensures the field performance of itshighly accurate mass flow meter productlines by offering VORTAB flow conditioners.VORTABs ensure accurate, repeatable gasflow measurement and are the efficientalternative to long lengths of straight pipingor ducting upstream of a flow meter instal-lation location. VORTAB units reduce oreliminate pressure drop, swirl, jetting and

more, while requiring just six diameters ofpipe upstream from the flow meter. Eachof the three available flow conditionerconfigurations consist of a short sectionof swirl reduction tabs combined withthree arrays of patented VORTAB profileconditioning tabs.

FCI’s extensive instrument testand calibration laboratoryFCI maintains an extensive, instrumenttest and calibration laboratory at its head-quarters in San Marcos, California.Utilizing the latest in advanced, computerizeddata acquisition systems and calibrationtest equipment, this facility permits com-prehensive product development, testing,and calibration. Any FCI product can becalibrated in accordance with customerspecifications. Laboratory standards aremaintained with NIST (National Instituteof Standards and Technology) traceableCavitating Venturis (CVs) and precisioncalibrated, pressure and temperaturecorrected turbine flow meters. Combustibleand non-combustible gas calibration flowstands allow for the calibration of FCIproducts in a wide range of gases as gasmixtures in flow stand sizes as small as1/8 inch to 30 inches [3 to 760 mm] indiameter. A variety of flow profiles fromlaminar to turbulent conditions aregenerated to duplicate actual field condi-tions. Flow rates from 0 to 20,000+ SCFM[0 to 34,000 NCMH], velocities from 0 to800 SFPS [0-240 NMPS], pressures fromvacuum to 3000 psig [200 bar(g)], andtemperatures from -100° to 850°F [-70°to + 454°C].

FCI on-site instrumentcalibration and trainingIn-situ calibration is available from FCI'sField Service Engineers where precise testand calibration is accomplished in actualmedia conditions.

©Copyright 2006 by Fluid Components International LLC. All rights reserved. Subject to change without notice.

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