Improved Accuracy of Natural Gas Measurement for Industrial Users Helps Optimise Custody Transfer

Honeywell (USA) Process Solutions (HPS) today introduced a new metering device that more accurately measures natural gas delivered to industrial customers, helping them meet government and industrial standards.

The EC 350 PTZ Gas Volume Corrector allows for precise measurement in a design that is easy to maintain and reliable over extended operations. The EC 350 is the first member of a new HPS family of purpose-built, high-performance electronic volume correctors (EVCs) that meet these critical requirements.

“With the EC 350 family of PTZ gas volume correctors, gas distribution firms are assured of more precise gas measurements in standard meter applications, which enables them to effectively monitor and document gas custody transfer and usage,” said Pierre Dufour, product Marketing manager, HPS. “Users of legacy EVCs can easily migrate to this new unit and benefit from its advanced technology without having to retrain operators or risk a loss in performance.”

The EC 350 uses pressure, temperature and compressibility factors to more accurately measure gas volumes. Users can program this universal bracket-, wall- and rotary-mount device in the field, and employ its multi-line keypad interface for simplified operation. The new EVC offers improved accuracy, expanded memory and battery, advanced diagnostics, and integrated cellular communications.

Key to the EC 350’s updated design is a highly accurate, plug-and-play digital pressure transducer and an enclosure optimized for serviceability and outdoor operation. With long-term stability and extended battery life, this solution minimizes the need for site visits by technicians and simplifies field repairs. It also allows for very precise measurements and long-term reliability with minimal maintenance requirements.

Honeywell’s new EVC platform leverages 40 years of experience and reuses some design characteristics from the successful Mini-Max and Mini-AT product lines. These include the same field-proven mounting and pulse-sensing mechanisms; a similar door lock and latch; and the current alkaline battery pack, rotary interface, messenger modem, and MasterLink software.

As a complete solution provider, Honeywell offers the EC 350 volume corrector pre-configured with activated cellular radio, ready to be employed with its Total Data Services PowerSpring Meter Data Management software or other data collection software to ease IT integration in advanced metering or smart metering infrastructure.

EVCs are the central component of gas measurement systems worldwide. A PTZ gas volume corrector converts gas volume from operating conditions to reference pressure and temperature conditions. It is a crucial element in the gas value chain — from the meter to billing data — and essentially functions as the “cash register” between the utility and the customer.