Bidirectional natural gas measurement with FASTLOK sensor for uninterrupted operation

The customer operates about 4000 kilometers of pipelines in Eastern Europe and is responsible for the transmission of international gas flows and supplies. At a compressor station of the end customer, various natural gas pipelines are brought together. This measurement is used to monitor and control the quantity of gas in a connecting pipeline between different sections of the network. Since the flow direction of the gas can change depending on the operation, the measurement is carried out bidirectionally.

The central task of this measurement is the replacement of the existing Annubar measurement technology and the possibility of removing the measurement from the line during operation. For safety reasons, it is essential to prevent the gas from escaping even during the changeover. The SDF sensor is therefore equipped with a special stuffing box packing. At a maximum line pressure of 80 bar, forces of several thousand Newtons act on the FASTLOK fitting. For this purpose, a specially developed double-spindle gear is used in order to remove the probe comfortably and safely even at high pressure.

The fully symmetrical design allows bi-directional operation of the measurement without restrictions, with separate temperature measurements and differential pressure transmitters for each measuring direction.

Conclusion: In this project, S.K.I. has shown the necessary flexibility to replace the existing measurement technology and to adapt the measurement 1:1 to the local conditions. It was technically demonstrated that the FASTLOK technology functions safely and reliably even at high pressure.