Yokogawa Vortex flow meter reading zero to erratic readings

Hi Guys,

I have a vortex flow meter installed on a oil flow pipeline. The flow meter sometimes read the flow rate but incorrectly and sometimes does not read at all even though there is actual flow in the pipe.

The application is oil flowing through the pipe.

What I have done so far is as follow

1. Inspected buff body for any harden oil.
2. Changed position of flow meter from vertical to horizontal.
3.Replaced flowmeter.

None of these seemed to have worked.
There is also another vortex flowmeter upstream which reads the flow correctly.

Also when we flush the line with water, the flowmeter does not read at all, where as the other flowmeters will read a flowrate of the same type
Is there any setting or config that I can look at with this istrument ?
 
Did the flowmeter ever work properly?

Was the meter "sized" by the vendor/rep for the flow rate or just purchased with the same line size as the piping?

What are the numbers?
What is its configured flow range?
at what flow rate does the meter read?
at what flow rates does the meter not read and what is the actual flow as indicated by the 2nd meter?
What line size?
what meter body size?
What is the flow rate of the flushing water?
Is there sufficient backpressure/line pressure to prevent flashing at the vapor pressure of the oil/hydrocarbon?

What is the technology of the other meter that reads properly?
 
Did the flowmeter ever work properly?

Was the meter "sized" by the vendor/rep for the flow rate or just purchased with the same line size as the piping?

What are the numbers?
What is its configured flow range?
at what flow rate does the meter read?
at what flow rates does the meter not read and what is the actual flow as indicated by the 2nd meter?
What line size?
what meter body size?
What is the flow rate of the flushing water?
Is there sufficient backpressure/line pressure to prevent flashing at the vapor pressure of the oil/hydrocarbon?

What is the technology of the other meter that reads properly?

I wil get back to you with the data required
 
Did the flowmeter ever work properly?

Was the meter "sized" by the vendor/rep for the flow rate or just purchased with the same line size as the piping?

What are the numbers?
What is its configured flow range?
at what flow rate does the meter read?
at what flow rates does the meter not read and what is the actual flow as indicated by the 2nd meter?
What line size?
what meter body size?
What is the flow rate of the flushing water?
Is there sufficient backpressure/line pressure to prevent flashing at the vapor pressure of the oil/hydrocarbon?

What is the technology of the other meter that reads properly?
The first flow meter pipe diameter is a
Did the flowmeter ever work properly?

Was the meter "sized" by the vendor/rep for the flow rate or just purchased with the same line size as the piping?

What are the numbers?
What is its configured flow range?
at what flow rate does the meter read?
at what flow rates does the meter not read and what is the actual flow as indicated by the 2nd meter?
What line size?
what meter body size?
What is the flow rate of the flushing water?
Is there sufficient backpressure/line pressure to prevent flashing at the vapor pressure of the oil/hydrocarbon?

What is the technology of the other meter that reads properly?
I have compared flowmeters paramters
lets call operation flow meter ( meter 1) and non operational meter ( meter 2)
pipe size of meter 1 is a dn100 and meter 2 is dn80
process flow: oil
setpoint for flow: meter 1- 80 m3/hr , meter 2- 40 m3/hr

I have also compared parameter values of both, some of them I am not sure what they mean ,maybe I can get an explanation here

K-factor: meter 1- 1,4344 meter 2- 3,323
Output status: meter 1- OFF, meter 2- ON
Signal level: meter 1- 1, meter 2- 0
Noise balance mode: meter 1 - Auto , meter 2- tuning to zero
Noise ratio: meter 1- 0,75 , meter 2- 0
Velocity: meter 1- 0,11 , meter 2- 5,61
Span velocity: meter 1- 7,24 , meter 2- 0
Vortex freq: meter 1- 0,5909, meter 2- 73,3
Span Freq: meter 1- 71,19 , meter 2- 1

There are some parameters which look abit off from the operational one,
From you experience which parameter looks concerning?
 
The first flow meter pipe diameter is a


I have compared flowmeters paramters
lets call operation flow meter ( meter 1) and non operational meter ( meter 2)
pipe size of meter 1 is a dn100 and meter 2 is dn80
process flow: oil
setpoint for flow: meter 1- 80 m3/hr , meter 2- 40 m3/hr

I have also compared parameter values of both, some of them I am not sure what they mean ,maybe I can get an explanation here

K-factor: meter 1- 1,4344 meter 2- 3,323
Output status: meter 1- OFF, meter 2- ON
Signal level: meter 1- 1, meter 2- 0
Noise balance mode: meter 1 - Auto , meter 2- tuning to zero
Noise ratio: meter 1- 0,75 , meter 2- 0
Velocity: meter 1- 0,11 , meter 2- 5,61
Span velocity: meter 1- 7,24 , meter 2- 0
Vortex freq: meter 1- 0,5909, meter 2- 73,3
Span Freq: meter 1- 71,19 , meter 2- 1

There are some parameters which look abit off from the operational one,
From you experience which parameter looks concerning?
Good day All ,

Yashar,

Could i suggest you to have a look on this video from Emmerson it get some interesting datas :
https://www.emerson.com/fr-fr/automation/measurement-instrumentation/flow-measurement/about-vortex

According to these Vortex transmitter parameters it seems that :

Both transmitters have differents vortex frequency and K factor , also span freq , velocity also different??
Do you know why ?
Is that any kind of setting / range parameters have been setted properly according to the site conditions ??

According to the flow calculation Formula flow rate= vortex frequency/k factor ( see video link) the flow rate would be definitily calculated and displayed different for these instruments.

We know that is a yokogawa device but formula for floxw calculations remain the same.
I would have a better look on the OEM manuals and site commissioning as builts and see if all these setting parameters are correct for both transmitters.

Hope this can be an help

James
 
Good day All ,

Yashar,

Could i suggest you to have a look on this video from Emmerson it get some interesting datas :
https://www.emerson.com/fr-fr/automation/measurement-instrumentation/flow-measurement/about-vortex

According to these Vortex transmitter parameters it seems that :

Both transmitters have differents vortex frequency and K factor , also span freq , velocity also different??
Do you know why ?
Is that any kind of setting / range parameters have been setted properly according to the site conditions ??

According to the flow calculation Formula flow rate= vortex frequency/k factor ( see video link) the flow rate would be definitily calculated and displayed different for these instruments.

We know that is a yokogawa device but formula for floxw calculations remain the same.
I would have a better look on the OEM manuals and site commissioning as builts and see if all these setting parameters are correct for both transmitters.

Hope this can be an help

James
Also i would advise you to perform a self diagnostic test of the instrument.

Is there lCD indicator on this sensor? If yes does it give same value as in DCS or other plcs???

Regards,
James
 
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