Hydrocarbon recovery system relies on high accuracy mass flowmeters liquids at tanker terminals, plants releases large flows of hydrocarbon gas vapour that must be captured to protect developed a vapour recovery system specifically for this gas is then used to fuel turbine engines to generate electricity. Qlear's VPS Plus systems have been installed independent storage companies, including Vopak, companies, such as Total Fina Donald Coster, Business Unit Manager of Qlear, says that highly accurate thermal operating the system at peak Hydrocarbon storage tanks are fixed roof tanks with an relief valve. During loading operations, this valve relieves high internal pressure conditions that can cause the tank to rupture. When the tank is unloaded, the relief valve prevents the internal pressure from becoming too that causes the tank to After 3 years of successful operation, Qlear continues to use the FCI Model ST98 mass flowmeter in its vapour recovery systems. The instruments have typical accuracy 1% of reading, +0.5% of full scale, and repeatability of 0.5% of reading. The two meters shown here are monitoring gas inflow to a turbine to generate electricity. One flowmeter monitors input from the hydrocarbon recovery system and the other (yellow pipe) from the standby fuel. implode. This valve must accepting any back pressure. unloading operations, atmosphere. To prevent this, Qlear's system is connected to the pressure relief valves to capture hydrocarbon vapour. used to fuel a turbine engine, which drives an electrical generator. standby fuel, such as propane or LPG, is kept ready for automatic injection into hydrocarbon energy content Efficient turbine operation requires that the vapour gas inlet flow be continuously both from the recovery process and the back-up fuel. Mr. Coster explained that Qlear initially used rotary problems from contaminants in the vapour. There was also a high pressure drop over the rotary meter, which caused unstable engine flowmeters caused control problems because the volume of the vapour inlet may vary truck at 100 tons per hour up After an extensive test program, thermal dispersion mass flowmeters were chosen flowmeters. Mr. Coster says with a turndown ratio of 100:1 helped simplify engine control. There are no orifices, traps, pivots, or bearings to foul or fail. The pressure drop was calculated to be less than moving part design resulted The typical sensing element protected resistance temperature detectors (platinum RTDs). When temperature differential medium. Denser media cause about FCI's thermal flowmeters, visit Control Engineering Europe