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welcome to
FlowTimes - August 2012
Your Update
on Flow, Temperature, and Pressure Measurement from Flow Research
Executive Editor: Dr. Jesse Yoder;
Volume 13, Number 3 - ISSN 1350-7204
1. Letter from the President
Ultrasonic, Coriolis, and multiphase flowmeters grab Intellectual mindshare
Take a step forward with us! |
During the third
week of June, I was fortunate enough to spend nine days in
The purpose of both conferences is
for speakers to present the results of ongoing research.
There were also exhibits, including an exhibit by Flow
Research, but the emphasis of the conferences is more on
intellectual exchange than on product announcements.
Topics included ultrasonic recalibration intervals,
installation effects, flow conditioning, and self-monitoring
devices. There was ample
chance for networking at both conferences, and many of the leaders
in the field of ultrasonic flowmeters attended. One topic that came up but was not resolved is the difference between the terms ‘path’ and ‘chord’ as applied to multipath ultrasonic meters. I discussed this with representatives from both Cameron and KROHNE. According to my best understanding, a “chord” is an ultrasonic signal that travels from one side of a pipe to the other. A “path” is an ultrasonic signal |
| that typically travels
from one side of the pipe to the other and back.
So in many cases an ultrasonic flowmeter has more chords than
paths. This discussion
is important because many people associate a larger number of paths
with higher accuracy, but the terms ‘chord’ and ‘path’
sometimes are used as if they mean the same thing.
For example, Elster’s Q.Sonic Plus ultrasonic meter has six
paths and 16 measurement chords. Ultrasonic is one of the few flow
technologies that has spawned its own conference or workshop.
In addition to CEESI’s USM, the North Sea Flow Workshop is held
every year, alternating between |
|
|
Flowmeter conferences provide more
than the ability to present papers and view exhibits.
A lot of interaction among the participants goes on at these
conferences, and technical problems are discussed by suppliers and
end-users alike. This
facilitates research and promotes the development of new features and
products. This type of
interaction is not typically going on among positive displacement,
turbine, and variable area flowmeter suppliers and users.
The growing interest in and attendance at ultrasonic, Coriolis, and
multiphase conferences helps demonstrate that these technologies are at
the cutting edge of flow. Today,
ultrasonic, multiphase, and Coriolis flowmeters have grabbed much of the
intellectual mindshare of the flowmeter world. --- Dr Jesse Yoder, President |
John Lansing announced at the Colorado conference that he is leaving
SICK and joining CEESI
2. Flow Research conducts three-pronged multi-study analysis of the
ultrasonic flowmeter market
Flow Research is conducting a 3-study analysis of the worldwide
ultrasonic flowmeter market. This
is our 4th edition of this study.
The three component studies are as follows:
Core Study: The World Market for Inline
Ultrasonic Flowmeters
Module A: The World Market for Clamp-on
and Insertion Ultrasonic Flowmeters
Module B: Worldwide Ultrasonic Flowmeter
Market View
Module A is
already shipping and covers both clamp-on and insertion ultrasonic
flowmeters. This module gives
detailed market sizes, analysis, and forecasts for clamp-on and insertion
ultrasonic flowmeters worldwide, including break-outs for eight geographic
regions. It gives market size
for 2011, and forecasts the market through 2016, in both US dollars and in
units.
This study
accomplishes the following objectives:
·
Determine worldwide supplier market size for
clamp-on and insertion ultrasonic flowmeters
·
Determine worldwide market shares for the clamp-on
and insertion ultrasonic flowmeter market in 2011
·
Forecast market growth through 2016
·
Identify the industries and applications where
clamp-on and insertion ultrasonic flowmeters are used, and to identify
market growth sectors
·
Provide strategies to manufacturers for selling to
the clamp-on and insertion ultrasonic flowmeter market
·
Create company profiles of the main suppliers to the
clamp-on and insertion ultrasonic flowmeter market
·
Analyze products for the main companies selling into
the clamp-on and insertion ultrasonic flowmeter market
·
Provide product descriptions and average selling
prices in the market
·
Analyze factors contributing to and limiting growth
Clamp-on and
insertion flowmeters each have a separate chapter in Module A for market
size and forecasts. Listed
below is the some of the wealth of segmentation that appears in this
study:
·
Clamp-on: Single/Dual Path Transit Time, Doppler,
and Hybrid
·
Insertion: Single/Dual Path Transit Time, Multipath
Transit Time, Doppler, and Hybrid
·
Portable and Fixed Clamp-on Ultrasonic Flowmeters
·
Clamp-on and Insertion: Petroleum liquids,
Non-petroleum liquids, Gas, and Steam
·
Clamp-on and Insertion by Industry: Oil & Gas,
Refining, Chemical, Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Pulp & Paper,
Metals & Mining, Power, Water & Wastewater, Other
The study also
looks at Distribution Channels used by suppliers, and at Customer Types
for clamp-on and insertion ultrasonic flowmeters.
For more information about this
study, as well as information and articles focused on ultrasonic
flowmeters, visit our website http://www.flowultrasonic.com.
3. The World Market for Mass Flow Controllers, 2nd Edition is now
shipping!
Our
first edition of this study was published in 2008.
We published this new edition in response to requests from a number
of companies for an update. We
had very good participation in the study, and are very excited about the
research, which we designed for an expanded look at the mass flow
controller market.
Our
first edition included the semiconductor, industrial, and lab/research
markets. In addition to the
original segmentation, we have added some new segmentation in this 2nd
Edition. For example, we have
expanded the geographic regions, added distinctions for liquids and gas,
and added segments related to flowrates.
One reason for doing an
update of this study is that some companies that mainly supply to the
semiconductor industry are looking to expand into the industrial segment,
or to expand their offerings in this segment.
Therefore, we took a more in-depth look at MFC applications in
other industrial segments, such as fuel cells, biotech, and
solar/photovoltaic, as well as taking a new look at the lab/research
markets. Some of these markets
are growing rapidly, and offer significant opportunities for mass flow
controller suppliers. This
edition segments the Semiconductor, Industrial, Lab/Research industries by
eight geographic regions, providing both revenues and unit sales for each.
This
study includes both thermal and non-thermal mass flow controllers.
Non-thermal mass flow controllers are typically DP-flow based, with
a laminar flow element. It
distinguishes between those mass flowmeters that are shipped as
controllers, and those that are shipped as flowmeters without control.
It gives detailed market sizes, analysis, and forecasts for the
mass flow controller market worldwide, with market size for 2011, and
forecasts the market through 2016.
The study accomplishes
several important objectives:
·
Determine the 2011 market size in US dollars and unit
volumes for mass flow controllers worldwide, both thermal and non-thermal
types
·
Determine the 2011 market shares of leading suppliers
of mass flow controllers worldwide
·
Forecast market growth for all types of mass flow
controllers through 2016
·
Identify industries and applications where mass flow
controllers are used, and identify growth areas
·
Provide company profiles of the main suppliers of
mass flow controllers
·
Provide a product analysis for the main companies
selling into the mass flow controller market
·
Provide strategies to manufacturers for selling into
the mass flow controller market
For more information
about this study, as well as information and articles focused on mass flow
controllers, visit our website http://www.flowmfc.com.
4. KROHNE launches the OPTIMASS 6400: new twin bent tube
Coriolis mass flowmeter for liquid and gas applications
The following are excerpts from a
KROHNE press release.
OPTIMASS 6400:
·
New twin bent tube Coriolis mass flowmeter for liquid and gas
applications
·
Advanced Entrained Gas Management (EGM): no loss of measurement with gas
entrainment up to 100%
·
For high temperatures +400°C / 752°F down to cryogenic applications
-200°C / -328°F
·
New signal converter with advanced device and process diagnostics,
compliant to NAMUR NE 107
·
Liquid and gas custody transfer approval
The OPTIMASS 6400 is the world’s first
Coriolis mass flowmeter to feature advanced Entrained Gas Management (EGM).
In the past, gas entrainments in liquid media presented a huge challenge
for mass flowmeters because the relative movement between gas and fluid dampens
the amplitude of the measuring tube. This dampening leads to inconsistent
sensor amplitudes, which interfere with the electronics’ capability to
determine the actual resonant frequency. While other mass flowmeters
simply "freeze" their last stable reading to cover this
"loss of measurement", the OPTIMASS 6400 with EGM is able to
follow and correct for the varying amplitudes. This is achieved for
entrained gas up to 100% of volume and continues to present an actual
measured reading, together with an indication or configurable alarm for
the user.
The
entire press release will also appear in our upcoming Market Barometer.
Market Barometer,
part of our Worldflow Monitoring Service, is a quarterly
publication that focuses on the flowmeter industry, reporting on important
technology introductions, mergers and acquisitions, and application
trends. For more information,
visit http://www.worldflow.com.
5. Some thoughts on Ultrasonic Flowmeters – terminology, uses, and
calibration
This is an excerpt from the
Ultrasonic Flowmeters section of an article, Gas and oil measurement
still dominate the complex world energy picture, by Jesse Yoder, PhD,
Flow Research, in our most recent Energy Monitor.
Multipath
ultrasonic flowmeters rely on three or more ultrasonic pulses that cross a
pipe and then bounce back to the other side. This
is typically done at an angle. Each
path is associated with a pair of transducers. One
transducer sends the pulse and the other transducer receives it.
Multipath meters are more accurate than single and dual path meters
because they measure the flow at multiple locations. Mutipath
flowmeters typically have four, five, or six paths, although some have
been developed with eight or more paths.
The
terminology of multipath ultrasonic meters has become somewhat confusing
because some suppliers have introduced the term ‘chord’ to describe
their multipath meters. The
term ‘chord’ refers to an ultrasonic pulse that travels from one side
of a pipe to the other. In
this sense, a chord is half a path. The
new Elster Q-Sonic Plus has 16 chords and six paths. There
is nothing wrong with the “chord” terminology, as long as it is
understood that a chord does not equal a path.
Many
companies are changing from DP and turbine meters to ultrasonic meters
because of their marked advantages. Ultrasonic
meters are nonintrusive, cause virtually no pressure drop, do not have
moving parts, are highly reliable, and are very accurate. Leading
suppliers of ultrasonic flowmeters for custody transfer of natural gas are
Emerson Daniel, Elster, and SICK. KROHNE
has also entered this field. These
meters are widely used for pipeline measurement of natural gas. Like
turbine meters, they can accommodate the large sizes of gas pipelines, but
they can more easily handle particles and impurities in the flowstream
than turbine meters. The
market for custody transfer of natural gas has become the fastest growing
niche in flowmeters, with the possible exception of the market for
multiphase meters.
One
issue that has remained unresolved is how often ultrasonic flowmeters need
to be recalibrated. Some
companies look for a period of years, such as five years or seven years,
as a guide. So far none of the
standards bodies, such as AGA, the American Petroleum Institute (API), or
the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have adopted such
a standard. While the number
of years would be a convenient guide, there are also diagnostic tests that
can be run that may provide a better guide to the need for recalibration
of an ultrasonic flowmeter than a standard that is stated in terms of a
number of years.
The entire article can be found in
the Issues and Perspectives section of our most recent Energy
Monitor, Q1 2012.
Energy Monitor,
part of our Worldflow Monitoring Service, is a quarterly
publication that focuses on the oil & gas, refining &
petrochemical, and power and renewable industries in relation to flow and
temperature measurement, and other instrumentation. Each
issue surveys the energy scene to discover significant new events, trends,
and opportunities. For more
information, visit http://www.worldflow.com.
6. More new articles by Dr. Jesse Yoder
In
the July 2012 issue of Flow Control, The Magazine of Fluid Handling
Systems:
Understanding Ultrasonics – Custody transfer drives the market, but
inline and clamp-ons gain popularity.
This article takes a look at market growth, advances and
improvements, applications, advantages and considerations, and competition
for the various types of ultrasonic flowmeters.
In
the July 2012 issue of the Flowmeter Solutions supplement to Processing:
Recent Flowmeter Advances Reflect Energy Market Priorities – Bigger
Coriolis meters, diagnostic-minded ultrasonics and more reliable thermal
flowmeters among advances. This
article looks at factors driving advances in both new and traditional
technology meters, explains various advances and innovations, and analyzes
how the market is changing as a result.
It is paired with Different flows, different flowmeters,
which gives elementary descriptions of the most basic flowmeter types.
To
easily find more articles by Jesse Yoder, visit http://www.flowarticles.com.
7. Studies
we are currently working on
The World Market for Ultrasonic
Flowmeters, 4th Edition (three
components) – http://www.flowultrasonic.com
·
Core Study: The World Market for Inline Ultrasonic
Flowmeters
·
Module A: The World Market for Clamp-on and
Insertion Ultrasonic Flowmeters.
We are already shipping Module A!
(details in newsletter’s section 2)
·
Module B: Worldwide Market View
The World Market for Coriolis Flowmeters,
4th Edition http://www.flowcoriolis.com
Volume X: The World Market for
Flowmeters, 4th Edition http://www.floweverything.com
– see
details below in Section 8.
The World Market for Oil and Oil Flow
Measurement http://www.oilflows.com
For more information on all the studies we have, visit our website http://www.flowstudies.com. It
lists our studies by category, and also provides direct links to the
latest editions.
8. Upcoming New Editions of Volume X: The World Market for Flowmeters
and Module A: Strategies, Industries, & Applications
The World Market for Flowmeters, 4th
Edition:
This study
covers the entire flowmeter market. In order to make this market more
understandable, we have divided it into three flowmeter groups. From
there, we’ve looked at each of the flowmeter technologies individually
– 15 in all:
·
New-technology:
Coriolis, magnetic, ultrasonic, vortex, thermal
·
Traditional
technology: differential pressure (DP), primary elements, positive
displacement (PD), turbine, open channel, variable area, target
·
Emerging
technology: multiphase, optical, sonar
We listened to what our clients told us is the most important market
segmentation for each technology. Accordingly,
this study includes:
·
Market size of
the worldwide market for the individual flowmeter technologies in 2011
·
Market size
forecasts for different flowmeter types through 2016
·
Market shares
for different flowmeter type in 2011
·
Both worldwide
and regional market size and forecasts
·
A technology
description and analysis for each flowmeter type, including major
competitive strengths and
weaknesses
·
A product line
analysis for the major manufacturers of each technology type
·
Company profiles
with product information for easy comparison
·
and more!
More details about segmentation breakouts can be found in the
Proposal on the website listed below.
Module A: Strategies, Industries, &
Applications:
The in-depth research in Module A complements and builds on the results of
Volume X: The World Market for Flowmeters, 4th Edition. It
can be ordered as a standalone report or as an add-on to the main study.
Module A provides essential information on market outlook and
focused insights into industry trends by flowmeter type, explaining
product improvements, and advantages and disadvantages inherent to each
flowmeter type. It also
provides shipments by application and industry in dollars and percentages,
worldwide and by geographic region, for all new technology and traditional
technology flowmeters.
Module
A provides strategies for success for those entering or already in the
flowmeter market. Key topics
addressed include:
·
Tactical and
strategic recommendations for suppliers in each market segment
·
Discussion of
market forces at work
·
Best areas for
future growth
·
Strategic action
perspectives
·
Real world
success stories
More details about segmentation breakouts can be found in the
Proposal on the website listed below.
For more information about Volume X and Module A, visit our
website http://www.floweverything.com.
It’s not too late to become a Founding
Sponsor for Volume X: The Worldwide Market for
Flowmeters, 4th Edition – or our other upcoming studies – and enjoy a
significant discount, plus other benefits and opportunities.
To find out more about the Founding Sponsor program, see the study
Proposals, or contact Jesse Yoder at +1 781-245-3200 or jesse@flowresearch.com.
9. Check out the FlowUpdate website
A joint venture between Flow Research,
Inc. and Flow Control
Magazine brings you a new website featuring news, articles, analysis,
and information links related to flow and fluid handling systems.
The website, which is already up and running, can be found at http://www.flowupdate.com.
Categories include:
·
Flow
Update – analysis from Flow Research of flow-related topics
·
Flowmeter
News
·
Temperature,
Pressure, and Level News
·
Company
Spotlight – highlights a company and its place in the world of flow
·
World
Focus – spotlights a country and highlights its place in the world of
flow
·
More
Flow Research News
·
News
& Notes from Flow Control Magazine
·
Plus
links to other information from Flow Research, Inc. and Flow Control Magazine and their websites
Check it out!
What do you think of FlowTimes? We
welcome your comments! Please
send any comments or suggestions to jesse@flowresearch.com.
FlowTimes is published
by Flow Research, Inc.
Executive Editor:
Dr. Jesse Yoder – jesse@flowresearch.com
Editor:
Belinda Burum – belinda@flowresearch.com
Associate Editors:
Norm Weeks – norm@flowresearch.com
Leslie Buchanan – leslie@flowresearch.com
Vicki
Tuck
–
vicki@flowresearch.com
Flow Research, Inc.
+1 (781) 245-3200
+1 (781) 224-7552 (fax)
info@flowresearch.com
www.flowresearch.com