Six Degrees of customisation

Litre Meter supply a range of flow meters for Oil & Gas applications. They specialise in customising a range of flowmeters to meet specific customer requirements. A good example of this is flow meters for subsea use i.e. with the ability to work subsea and transmit a flow signal signal to the surface. The image (from 2011) shows another which uses many of the custom attributes of the VFF series of rotary piston positive displacement meter. A 2011 VFF showing 5 degrees of customisation There are six degrees of customisation: Connections – in this meter Grayloc hubs were utilised Materials – normally 316 but Duplex S32760 was specified Flow Range – This series included 139 meters all with PVD coating, removable PBCs and special calibration ranges. High Pressure – most were 1035 bar/15,000 psi/15ksi Communication – these had HART 5. The current FlowPod versions offer HART 7 Subsea – The only missing degree… A 2018 VFF Flowmeter showing the compactness of the FlowPod display. Same 5 degrees of customisation: High pressure, special connections, communication, low flow, flow range PBC The Pressure Balanced Chamber (PBC) is used to isolate the measuring element from the pressure vessel purpose of the VFF. This allowed optimised materials for the rotor and chamber – to give better flow range, for example, and simultaneously enabled the use of more exotic materials for the pressure vessel. Many more units have been constructed in duplex and super duplex which would have proved almost impossible to use for measurement surfaces (due to the tolerances of manufacture). PVD When Litre Meter separated the meter into two functions of measurement and pressure containment the use of coatings could be exploited. After careful selection and testing all of the VFF range are now supplied with PVD coating. This remarkable addition enables both higher and lower flow rates. For example, and it is the best example, the HF66 size was rated to 66 l/min maximum. Typically, without coating, the stainless steel rotor could measure down to 5 l/min on water. With the PVD coating the coefficient of friction is reduced and the minimum reduces to 12 l/hr, yes 12 litres per hour, and the added hardness enables over-range up to 130 l/min – subject to factory approval.

For more information on Six Degrees of customisation talk to Litre Meter Ltd