Letter from the President
Ultrasonic,
Coriolis, and multiphase flowmeters grab Intellectual mindshare
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During
the third week of June 2012, I was fortunate enough to spend nine days
in
Colorado
. The main reason for my
visit was to attend the Ultrasonic Meter Workshop (USM) and the
International Symposium on Fluid Flow Measurement (ISFFM).
Both conferences, which were held from June 17 – 22, were
sponsored by Colorado Engineering Experiment Station, Inc. (CEESI).
The first USM was held in 1999 and this was the 14th
annual conference. This
year the USM drew 213 attendees.
The
purpose of both conferences is for speakers to present the results of
ongoing research. There
were also exhibits, including an exhibit by Flow Research, but the
emphasis of the conferences is more on intellectual exchange than on
product announcements. Topics
included ultrasonic recalibration intervals, installation effects,
flow conditioning, and self-monitoring devices.
There was ample chance for networking at both conferences, and
many of the leaders in the field of ultrasonic flowmeters attended.
One topic that came up but was not resolved is the difference
between the terms ‘path’ and ‘chord’ as applied to multipath
ultrasonic meters. I
discussed this with representatives from both Cameron and KROHNE. |
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According to my best understanding, a
“chord” is an ultrasonic signal that travels from one side of a pipe to
the other. A “path” is an ultrasonic signal
that typically travels from one side of the pipe to the other and back.
So in many cases an ultrasonic flowmeter has more chords than paths.
This discussion is important because many people associate a larger
number of paths with higher accuracy, but the terms ‘chord’ and
‘path’ sometimes are used as if they mean the same thing.
For example, Elster’s Q.Sonic Plus ultrasonic meter has six paths
and 16 measurement chords.
Ultrasonic
is one of the few flow technologies that has spawned its own
conference or workshop. In
addition to CEESI’s USM, the North Sea Flow Workshop is held every
year, alternating between
Norway
and
Scotland
. I attended the North Sea
Flow Workshop in October 2011, held in
Tønsberg
,
Norway
. The focus of this
conference is on ultrasonic, multiphase, and Coriolis flowmeters.
This conference presents another opportunity for researchers to
present their findings, and to discuss cutting edge topics related to
these flowmeter types. Both
the CEESI conference and the North Sea Flow Workshop provide excellent
opportunities to see the latest products and to discuss key topics in
flow.
Flowmeter conferences provide more
than the ability to present papers and view exhibits. |
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John
Lansing announced at the show that he is leaving SIC joining CEESI
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A lot of interaction among the
participants goes on at these conferences, and technical problems are
discussed by suppliers and end-users alike. This facilitates research and
promotes the development of new features and products.
This type of interaction is not typically going on among positive
displacement, turbine, and variable area flowmeter suppliers and users.
The growing interest in and attendance at ultrasonic, Coriolis, and
multiphase conferences helps demonstrate that these technologies are at the
cutting edge of flow. Today,
ultrasonic, multiphase, and Coriolis flowmeters have grabbed much of the
intellectual mindshare of the flowmeter world.
--- Dr Jesse Yoder, President
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