Oil process industries should prepare themselves for a change in the way their data is measured, as new flow measurement technology is set to come into use.
The technology team at Huddersfield University have been busy developing a new type of meter which it is believed will prove a huge benefit for the process industries.
Existing flow meters only measure the mean flow velocity, using a single voltage measurement across a pipe's diameter. This new meter, however, is able to measure multiple velocities of different substances in a pipeline.
Electrodes spaced around the circumference of the pipe will be able to differentiate the velocities and work out exact flow rates, claims the head of the team at Huddersfield University, Prof Gary Lucas.
It is thought this new technology will provide invaluable data, which could lead to substantial gains on efficiency – the biggest beneficiaries of which will be the oil and gas industries.
Those at Huddersfield are using this new technology to work towards developing in-line multi-phase flow meters, meaning oil platforms can eventually get rid of the large static separators they're currently using.