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  • Every day, all over the world, large quantities of liquids and gases such as oil, natural gas, water and emissions are produced, transported and distributed. At each point where a transaction occurs, a measurement is performed. To bill the amount of liquid or gas, flow meters are used.

    Often, both the quantity and the quality of the liquid or gas (caloric value, or the amount of polluting substances) are measured. A measurement error of just 0.1% can make a difference of millions of euros annually in a large oil or gas pipeline. The parties involved, therefore, attach great value to reliable measurements that are traceable to international measurement standards. Other industries that attach great importance to calibrations include processing industry, chemical industry and power stations.

    Through our extensive knowledge and experience, VSL has built up a very good reputation in the oil and gas industry. VSL supplies various services in the area of flow and liquid volume measurements to clients including suppliers of measurement equipment, oil and gas producers, utility companies and gas transport and distribution companies all over the world.

    In a European context, VSL works on different research projects, for example the Metrology for LNG project LNG (LNG =Liquefied Natural Gas). Also, VSL experts participate in international work groups, including Euramet Technical Committee-Flow for harmonisation within Europe, and BIPM, the Working Group for Fluid Flow (WGFF).

  • To ensure optimum quality of their measurements, laboratories frequently hold in-house quality checks. However, over time deviations in the measurement equipment can occur that cannot be detected by these checks. VSL regularly organises (international) interlaboratory comparisons, through which your laboratory’s measurement results are compared anonymously to those from VSL as primary standards laboratory and those from other participating laboratories.

    VSL organises such interlaboratory comparisons, also called “proficiency testing schemes” (PTs), annually in the flow field for quantities including:

    • Pipettes
    • Liquid flow meters for Hydrocarbon (65 to 2000 m3/h)
    • Liquid flow meter for water (11-227 kg/min)
       

    Need for a different comparison?
    Do you require another type of proficiency testing? Then please let us know. We can assess the demand. Possibly there are other laboratories that would like to participate, then we can organise an ILC. It is also possible to organise a bilateral comparison with VSL.

    Click here for more information about interlaboratory comparisons.


  • Accurate, traceable flow measurements are very important for flow transactions, because of the financial values they represent. Besides the flow measurement itself, the caloric value (or energetic value), temperature, viscosity and pressure are important factors to keep the measurement uncertainty as low as possible. VSL possesses extensive facilities for calibrating volume instruments, pipe provers and flow meters, among other things, against measurement standards. By means of  analysis of an entire metering system, the accuracy and measurement uncertainty of the metering system can be mapped out. VSL offers the lowest possible uncertainty in the field of volume, mass and flow.

    Calibration of flow meters
    Flow meters, such as turbine, electromagnetic, Coriolis and ultrasonic meters can be calibrated both on location and in the laboratory. VSL possesses a number of facilities with which calibrations can be conducted over a large range. During a calibration in the laboratory, a flow meter is compared to a measurement standard and the measurement error and uncertainty are established. As well as meters for liquid and gas flow, VSL can calibrate air speed meters.

    Calibration of volume measures and pipe provers
    Many organisations calibrate their measurement instruments in the field with the aid of volume instruments or pipe provers. VSL calibrates volume instruments and pipe provers and makes the measurement directly traceable to the international unit systems.

    For our calibration capabilities please check our scope.

  • VSL’s expertise is regularly employed in national and international projects. These projects vary from the realisation of traceability to advice and the design of challenging flow measurement systems.

    With our thorough knowledge of measurements and interpretation of measurement data, VSL can provide you with services including:

    • Advice on design of measurement systems. All components within the measurement system that affect the measurement are included in this to realise the best achievable accuracy and measurement uncertainty.
    • (Periodic) on-site validation and certification of complete gas and liquid measurement systems.
    • Calibration of instruments to make them traceable to measurement standards (at VSL, or on location)
    • Independent judgement in claims or disputes. In the case of claims or disputes, an independent and dependable analysis and/or measurement can provide resolution.
    • Remote monitoring and tele-calibration (only for gas flow).
    • Uncertainty analysis and investigations that may be of various natures.
    • Implementation of a quality system.

    Of course, each situation is unique. Would you like to know what we can do for you? Please contact us.

  • Would you like to know more about accurate measurements of liquid and gas flows? VSL offers training courses.

    VSL training courses are presented by flow metrologists. Theory and practice are always combined.

    After the course you will receive proof of participation.

    Flow and volume course
    In the area of flow, VSL offers courses including ‘Gas flow metrology’, ‘Calibration of liquid flow meters’ and ‘Calibration of liquid volumes’.

    During these courses, subjects including the following are covered:

    • Different measurement methods
    • Calibration methods
    • Fluid dynamics such as Reynolds’ number, Bernoulli, the gas laws and more
    • Legal requirements on measurement systems
    • Other factors such as pressure, temperature, density and viscosity
    • Interpretation of OIML, API, AGA and ISO documents
       

    Read more about the course Gas flow metrology

    Read more about the course Calibration of liquid flow meters.

    Click here for the schedule.
    And click here for the schedule of the optional day Introduction to measurement uncertainty.

  • Different manufacturers of measurement instruments, calibration laboratories and service companies calibrate measurement instruments in their own calibration facilities. They do this to check that the newly-produced instruments comply with the requirements, to check stability, or for periodic recalibration. Of course, the purchaser of the measurement instrument must have faith in the facility and so the measurement uncertainty is important.

    Test facility performance
    VSL offers CMC Certification. CMC stands for Calibration and Measurement Capabilities. In this, only the performance of the calibration facility is considered. You receive a certificate containing the calibration facility’s measurement uncertainty and a manual about traceability. With this certificate, you can demonstrate that the measurement uncertainty has been established by an authoritative and independent national metrology institute (NMI).

    Click here for an overview of the companies with a VSL CMC-Certified Certificate for Flow.

    Click here for more information about VSL CMC certification.