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Positive Displacement/Turbine Working Group

The PD/Turbine Working Group is a group of suppliers and end-users of positive displacement and turbine flowmeters that is being started by Flow Research. The purpose of the group is to promote the use of positive displacement and turbine flowmeters and to encourage the writing and maintaining of standards for PD and turbine meters for custody transfer and billing applications. Please read the memo below for a more detailed explanation of this group.

 

The following is a memo sent out in mid-September to positive displacement and turbine flowmeter suppliers and end-users.

I am writing to let you know about a new proposal from Flow Research that will, I believe, be of great interest and benefit to suppliers of positive displacement and turbine flowmeters.  As turbine and positive displacement flowmeter suppliers see some of their market share erode to new-technology flowmeters, it is important that they be aware of what they can do to maintain their advantage in installed base, and to incorporate new features in their flowmeters that will continue to make them attractive to end-users.

 
To help suppliers of positive displacement and turbine flowmeters hold onto their market share, and to insure that their flowmeters are understood by the end-user community, Flow Research proposes the creation of the PD/Turbine Flowmeter Working Group. Such a group would have a number of purposes:
 
1. To gather information about the use of PD and turbine meters and make it available to members.
 
2. To work with standards organizations to gain approval for the use of PD and turbine meters for custody transfer and billing applications, and to encourage such organizations to keep these standards current and up to date.
 
3. To make information available to end-users about the applications that PD and turbine flowmeters are suited for.
 
4. To publicize success stories about PD and turbine flowmeters
 
5. To serve as a clearinghouse for information about PD and turbine flowmeters for end-users, engineering contractors, and OEMs..
 
I envision that this Group would initially be composed of representatives of the PD and turbine flowmeter suppliers. However, I think that, as the group grows, we should make an effort to add end-users to the Group, since this will facilitate standards creation and will provide a way for suppliers to become better aware of issues of concern to end-users.
 
The PD/Turbine Working Group would be sponsored by Flow Research. If funding is needed, we could perhaps create a system of dues on the part of members. However, the purpose of the group is not to make money but to facilitate the use of PD and turbine meters and to increase awareness of PD and turbine meters. I don't envision that there would be a lot of cost associated with this group, especially in the startup phase. Also, the emphasis would be on communication by email and phone, so that people don't have to take time to go to meetings.
 
When I served as chairman of the Ultrasonic Flowmeter Workshop in Houston in February 2003, it became clear that there is need for such a group for ultrasonic flowmeters. There were a number of end-users at this meeting, and there was a lot of confusion on their part about standards in ultrasonic flowmeters and about the correct use of ultrasonic flowmeters. As a result, Flow Research is proceeding with the formation of an Ultrasonic Working Group. But I believe that parallel issues exist for suppliers of PD and turbine flowmeters. The formation of a PD/Turbine Working Group would be of great benefit to both suppliers and end-users, and will also provide an industry forum for discussion of issues of concern to both groups.
 
The reason for including both both PD and turbine flowmeters together in one group is that there is a significant overlap in the suppliers, and the issues dealt with by both groups of suppliers are similar. However, it is likely that we would subdivide the group into a PD subgroup and a turbine subgroup, and that each of these would be further subdivided into liquid and gas.
 
I would like to hear what you think of this idea, and hope that you will decide to join the group. I will also be happy to discuss this idea with you at your convenience.
For more information about Flow Research, please visit www.flowresearch.com. Please send any comments to jesse@flowresearch.com

 

Jesse Yoder
Flow Research, Inc.
27 Water Street
Wakefield, MA  01880
(781) 245-3200
(781) 224-7552 (fax)
jesse@flowresearch.com
www.flowresearch.com  

 

 

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