Mike Conway of PMC, a key distributor of Photon Control's Optical Flare Gas Flow Meters, talks to AZoM about the importance of flare gas metering and the advantages of Photon's optical metering technology.
What are the main applications of Photon Control's optical flow meters?
Photon's Focus 2.0 flow meters are specifically designed for measuring flow of flare gas, in the oil and gas industry.
Why is gas flow metering so important in oil and gas production?
It is important to have accurate measurements of flare gas emissions, in order to ensure compliance with environmental regulations, and to make sure that the flare stack is operating safely and efficiently.
What technology is the Focus flow meter based on, and what makes it suited for these applications?
The system’s principal technology, Laser-2-Focus Velocimetry, uses laser beams to measure the gas flow by sensing the velocity of microscopic particulates naturally occurring in gas. As long as there are particles in the flow of gas, the Focus 2.0 flow meter will accurately work. Unlike some competing products, gas composition, condensation, and CO2 do not affect the accuracy of measurements made with the Focus 2.0.
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The Focus 2.0 Optical Flow Meter from Photon Control
What are the other differences between the Focus 2.0 and conventional metering technologies?
The Focus 2.0 Optical Flow Meter maintains very good accuracy at low flow rates and is not affected by gas composition, where many measurement techniques become unreliable. It also offers a high turn down ratio 1500:1, allowing it to work perfectly in the demanding conditions which are typical in flare metering applications.
What are the main improvements you've made to the Focus 2.0, compared to the previous model?
The new system features a more compact and robust design for easier installation and maintenance in the field, and includes new user-friendly software with a Wizard mode that enables an easy step-by-step configuration of parameters.
The Focus 2.0 was unveiled at the Global Petroleum Showin June - how was the response to the new generation?
The system was received well by existing and new potential customers. The compact size, easy installation time (under 3hrs) and that no shut down of a flare system is needed for either the installation or during maintenance of the Focus 2.0 optical flow meter, make this a very enticing product.
How can Photon Control's other products be used in the oil and gas sector?
Our spectrometers can be used to detect H2S content in crude oil. Our Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors can be used anywhere accurate temperature measurement is needed, where a Thermocouple would fail. They are very accurate in high RF environments, because our patented technology is highly immune to electromagnetic interference..jpg)
What are your plans for the next 12 months?
In the fall of this year the Focus 2.0 Optical Flow Meter will be fully ATEX and IECX certified. Unfortunately I can’t reveal quite yet any new product plans, for the upcoming year.
When information is available it will be on the Photon Control website, www.photon-control.com.
About Mike Conway
Mike Conway has over 30 years of instrumentation Sales & Service experience, with primary areas of work in flow and temperature measurements.
Mike has been distributing and installing Photon Control’s Focus® Optical Flow Meter for over 10 years, working closely with Photon Control engineers and providing valuable feedback from the field, which was an integral part in the development of the new generation, Focus® 2.0 Optical Flow Meter.
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