Situated by the New Meuse River in Rotterdam, EuroLoop will be the world's largest research and test site for the calibration, verification and type testing of industrial flow meters in the oil and gas industries and for the performance of industrial experiments involving process technologies and flow.

The plant comprises two separate, industrial scale closed-loop test circuits - one for liquid meters and one for gas meters - on a brand new, self-contained 200 x 100 metre site that also houses the control room, meeting rooms and an educational centre.

Being entirely self-contained, EuroLoop will operate independently of external factors, maximising the availability of the calibration facilities. EuroLoop is owned by NMi, a world leading independent specialist for testing, certification, calibration and training in the field of metrology.

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Case Study by Rotork: Rotork’s latest electric control valve actuation technology has been selected for the automation of metering pumps in Group 2C hazardous areas in an automation project at an oil refinery in India.

Sixteen CVA (model number CVL500) linear actuators with IECEx international explosionproof certification have been ordered to control metering pump valve positions by means of a 4-20 milliamp signal and provide remote status indication. The actuators are also equipped with hand drive mechanisms to enable manual operation of the valves.

The innovative CVA is engineered to deliver high precision valve positioning and facilitate the tightest possible tolerances on the process variable in order to optimise process quality and output. On loss of mains power, built-in super capacitors enable the CVA to move the valve to a desired position, programmable as open, close, any intermediate position or stay-put.

This Technical Guide provides guideline for the quality, description, principle of operation, selection, installation and flow calibration of thermal dispersion flow meters for the measurement of the mass flow rate, and to a lesser extent, a volumetric flow rate, of the flow of fluid in a closed conduit. Multivariable versions additionally measure fluid temperature. Thermal dispersion mass flow meters are applicable to the flow of single-phase pure gases, and gas mixtures of known composition, and less commonly, to a single phase liquids of known composition.

Download a comprehensive guide on 'Thermal Dispersion Mass Flow Meters'

By Sierra Instruments: When it comes to metering natural gas, you’ve got several flow meter options. However, thermal mass flow meters offer three distinct advantages over more traditional flow meters:

1. No moving parts. As you can probably guess, moving parts can cause problems over time due to wear, lubrication and coating sensitivity. For example, turbine meters offer excellent accuracy, but they can easily be contaminated by dirt or rust, which is common in gas pipe lines. In addition, clearance for moving parts can result in slippage of the flow you’re trying to measure. These issues can be avoided when you choose a thermal flow meter.

2. Can accurately measure flow over large ranges. Thermal meters can measure almost to zero flow. This can be vital in determining leaks or small usages like pilot lights. More traditional meters (like bellows or turbines) need enough flow to start the wheels or blades rotating, while differential pressure devices (like orifice plates) need enough flow to cause a measurable pressure drop. Thermal meters require neither.

3. Long life and high reliability. Sierra’s patented Dry-Sense® immersible thermal sensor has no moving parts, contains no epoxies or other compounds that will degrade over time and draws only a few milliamps of current. As such, Sierra warranties it for a lifetime of performance. Coupled with Sierra’s superior calibration technology and the ability to field-validate the meter, the Sierra Steel-Mass® 640S offers the most reliable solution for natural gas measurement.

Whatever your industry – automotive, utility, petroleum and gas, HVAC, or R&D – a thermal mass flow meter will deliver more accurate readings over a longer period of time than other metering options. And that, in the long run, equates to a more cost-efficient operation with fewer headaches.