Installation of embedded electroacoustic transducers, pre-commissioning of metering units

To implement metering units on big-diameter pipelines using ultrasonic flow meters, the experts of PJSC “Energouchet” have developed the original technology (methods, tool package and appliances) for installation of embedded electroacoustic transducers into pipeline walls.

PUVDD is a technological tool used for high-precision marking input/output points of acoustic channels on the surface of the pipeline and for drilling work. This allows to perform the work on both round pipelines and those with expressed ellipticity.

The work can be conducted either with liquid discharge (pipeline emptying), i.e. without interrupting the flow.

Requirements to the pipeline:
– material: steel or cast iron;
– nominal diameter: 300 to 4,000 mm;
– substance transmitted: nonaggressive fluids (water, heat carriers, oil etc.).

When working on empty pipeline, the following types of works are performed:

• mounting PUVDD installation device on the pipeline;
• marking apertures centres for EAT installation;
• drilling apertures in pipeline’s walls at certain angles to longitudinal axis of the pipe;
• apertures alignment control with using laser technologies;
• welding  EAT holder-sockets;
• measuring the geometrical dimensions of the acoustic channels;
• EAT installation.

When working on a filled pipeline, the following work types are envisaged:

• mounting the PUVDD installation device on the pipeline;
• marking apertures for EAT installation;
• welding EAT holder-sockets;
• milling apertures in pipeline walls at certain angles to the pipe’s longitudinal axis;
• mill removal and installation of fitting plugs into the apertures;
• measuring the dimensions of the acoustic channels;
• EAT installation;
• EAT removal and installation of the fitting plugs (if required).

The pipeline remains hermetic during milling, EAT installation and removal. The advantage of our technology is the possibility of laying acoustic channels at small angles (45°) as to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, which enables to perform more precise measurement on small liquid and gas flow rates. Besides, several (up to 5) acoustic channels may be arranged in the same pipeline enabling to reduce measurement accuracy.

The above method can be applied in order to perform liquid flow metering in big-diameter pipelines with the use of multi-channel ultrasonic flow meters having 0.25 to 0.5 % relative measurement  accuracy.