Ultrasonic Flowmeters for Energy Metering

Energy metering is a very wide category that includes all four types of fluid measurement. Natural gas is employed as a power source in power and other industrial plants. In refineries, chemical plants, food processing plants, and other industrial plants, steam is used as a heating source. Hot water is used nearly everywhere as a heat source in water and waste water applications, and in manufacturing operations. Chilled or cold water is used for cooling purposes, cleaning, drinking water, and in all types of manufacturing processes. Oil is still the chief source of power for most industrialized nations, and refined fuels are employed in ships, automobiles, trains, and in numerous manufacturing operations.

Energy metering and management is a key area for flow measurement, where all types of fluids are measured, and also different types of flowmeters are used. Compressed air measurement, district heating and cooling, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) account for a large portion of energy metering. These applications are employed worldwide in every area, since energy metering is required for commercial, industrial, and residential buildings.

In most instances of district heating and cooling, the utility’s customer is the owner of a housing compound, hotel, shopping mall, business park, or other structure with multiple tenants. By using submetering, the owner can monitor the energy usage of tenants. Submetering is also used to set up individual flowmeters at the inlet to the tenant’s property. The property owner can bill the tenant accordingly by tracking the energy used by each tenant.

Marina Bay Sands, a luxury hotel in Singapore, is an example of this type of metering. Over 1,500 units of water, electricity, and cooling meters has been installed in this hotel by Kamstrup. The consumption data for each unit is tracked, and the entire data is sent to a central location for billing purposes. M-Bus, a European standard for remote reading of electricity or gas meters, is the communication protocol used for this purpose. If the hotel is able to measure the energy as it is delivered from the utility, it can also track the correctness of the utility company’s bill.

A multivariable insertion vortex flowmeter for steam applications. Image Credit: Sierra Instruments

Smart Meters Replacing Mechanical Meters

For many of these types of units, mechanical meter reading is still employed. Positive displacement or turbine, which still has a large installed base, is a common type of mechanical meter. One example of a housing compound that used mechanical meters for submetering is Al Bustan Village in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Al Bustan houses 370 apartments and 850 residential units. Since the meters were mechanical, it is not possible to read them remotely. Kamstrup replaced the mechanical meters with smart ultrasonic meters that can be read remotely. One of the main factors that enabled Kamstrup to win the bid for this contract is its ability to offer integrated reading of electricity, water, and cooling meters.

Single Supplier Advantages

The ability to deal with a single supplier is one of the chief advantages for end users who are looking to set up a new system for submetering, or to replace their mechanical meters. It is also applicable to firms looking to measure steam, compressed air, or water flow as part of their manufacturing operations. Dealing with a single supplier eases the ordering process, offers a single contact point for technical support, and also makes it easier to manage any service calls.

A thermal mass flowmeter measuring compressed air. Image Credit: Sierra Instruments

A closer look at the thermal mass flowmeter. Image Credit: Sierra Instruments

Sierra Instruments offers three types of flowmeters that measure water, steam, air, and gas, making it a single supplier for many energy metering applications. Thermal flowmeters offered by Sierra measure compressed air as well as gas flow. The company provides vortex flowmeters that measure gas, steam, and water flow. Sierra’s clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters offer a flexible means for measuring liquid flows. Additionally, Sierra offers software apps that can be used with all three types of meter. ValidCal Diagnostics for field validation, MeterTuning, and Datalogging are some of the examples.

Sierra’s thermal flowmeters are used by Air Compressor Supply (ACS) for measuring compressed air. ACS estimates that electricity usage constitutes 76% of its factory operating costs, with the cost of compressed air making up the major portion of its electricity bill. With Sierra’s thermal flowmeters, ACS has been able to increase the accuracy of its energy audits as these meters are resistant to changes in operating temperatures. The flowmeters which were previously used by ACS showed a 5-10% reduction in accuracy with changes in operating temperatures. Therefore, ACS estimates that it saves around $40,000 every year in electricity costs.

Sierra Instruments combines its three solutions together through its proprietary Raptor operating system. This system has firmware together with software apps that run on its vortex, thermal, and ultrasonic flowmeters, which is called the Big-3. The Big-3, along with the Raptor operating systems, provides a complete energy solution for flows such as natural gas, compressed air, steam, and hot and chilled water. As it is essential for many manufacturing companies to measure all these fluid types during their energy management, Sierra’s solution should be appealing to companies that want to control their energy costs.

An Integrated Approach

Great Plains Industries (GPI) is another company that offers an integrated approach to its products. GPI provides a QSI Interface Board that offers a single operating system and communication protocols that can be used with all of its FLOMEC flowmeters. These include insertion magnetic, turbine, positive displacement, and clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters. Moreover, the QSI Interface Board can be used with many non-FLOMEC products. Among the three versions offered for scalable flow or energy, two of them come with a BTU calculator.

Sierra Instrument’s clamp-on ultrasonic liquid/thermal BTU flowmeter. Image Credit: Sierra Instruments

Undoubtedly, many companies provide multiple types of flowmeters, some of which can be employed for energy management. However, both Sierra and GPI are taking innovative approaches by introducing software and firmware that are designed to offer an integrated approach, particularly for firms that wish to use more than one of the company’s flowmeter types. This trend is likely to be followed by other companies in the future.

Ultrasonic energy meters take the lead

Ultrasonic flowmeters are moving ahead in displacing mechanical meters in the energy metering market. Typically, three suppliers—Siemens, Kampstrup, and Danfoss—have been dominating the ultrasonic metering market. Compared to most other ultrasonic meters, these meters tend to be lower in cost and are sold in larger quantities. Perhaps, it is not a coincidence that all these are European-based companies. Submetering and energy metering have normally been more popular in Europe than in the United States but due to their inherent advantages and apparent cost savings, they are also becoming more popular in the US.

Energy metering is also known as ‘district heating and cooling’. While a similar concept is involved in this, it is more specific to metering hot and cold water. In the United States, district heating and cooling is also on the rise. Kamstrup just launched its first water meter manufacturing facility in the US on 8 February 2018. Due to the potential cost savings involved, the stakes are high for energy metering as well as district heating and cooling. It is no wonder that these applications are attracting expanded offerings from high-quality companies like Sierra Instruments, Kamstrup, Danfoss, and Siemens. Companies offering an integrated approach with a single source solution will have a competitive edge in this growing and dynamic field.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Sierra Instruments.

For more information on this source, please visit Sierra Instruments.