Metrology for LNG

Measurement guidelines and Standards

The aim of this workpackage is to disseminate the project’s results to all relevant and international stakeholders. This will be accomplished by pro-actively interfacing with all relevant ISO and CEN technical committees in task 5.1, the international metrology community in task 5.2, the legal metrology bodies in task 5.3 and industry stakeholders in task 5.4. The challenge to be met is the acceptance at a global level of best measurement practices and correct uncertainty figures. The international working groups will be approached to assist the JRP partners in ensuring that the project output is presented in the right manner to be useful for them. In addition feedback will be organized from the working groups by providing lectures on invitation. Relationships with the relevant committees are established through unfunded and funded partners that are member of the committees.

Description of Work

Task 5.1: Provide information/recommendations to ISO/CEN standardization (TUV NEL, Elengy, ENAGAS)

The aim of this task is to provide information to ISO and CEN standardization workgroups that deal with LNG metering. Based on knowledge and experimental results the group will provide papers and recommendations to several ISO and CEN TC groups. Because the measurement of LNG and LNG custody transfer are handled under several different TC groups, it is essential to coordinate the information and provide the TC groups with unified information and knowledge to give confidence to the measurement of LNG.
Communication, information and feed-back is essential and this LNG project will be presented, to the below mentioned TC groups at their first meeting after the start of this project. Remarks and requests for further information from these TC-groups will be fed back to the workpackages and the participants of this LNG project. For the duration of this project ongoing information about results and outcomes will be presented to these ISO-TC groups. Published results of this project in accordance with all standards will be presented to working groups during updated standards.
This workpackage will at least provide information and input for recommendations to the following TC groups:

• ISO TC28/SC5 “Petroleum products and lubricants – Measurement of refrigerated hydrocarbon and non-petroleum based liquefied gaseous fuels” responsible for the following relevant standards:
  • ISO10976 “Refrigerated light hydrocarbon fluids – Measurement of cargoes on board marine LNG carriers”. Project results will be presented that are relevant to this standard and include sampling procedures and calculations of density, calorific value and overall uncertainty of energy transferred. A proposal will be made to incorporate dynamic flow measurements in this standard or a separate standard according to the preference of the working groups [D5.1.1]
  ISO 8943-2007 “Refrigerated light hydrocarbon fluids – Sampling of liquefied natural gas – Continuous and intermittent methods” (e.g. Integration of uncertainties for continuous and intermittent methods in the updated standard); “Refrigerated hydrocarbon liquids – Static measurement – Calculation procedure” (e.g. Integration in the updated standard, comparison between different methods of LNG density calculation and new equation of state as GERG) [D5.1.2].
  ISO TC67/WG10 “Petroleum and natural gas industries – Installation and equipment for liquefied natural gas” with under development ISO/DIS “Ship to shore interface and port operations” [D5.1.2].
  ISO TC193 “Natural Gas- ISO 6976 Calculation of calorific value, density, relative density, and Wobbe index from composition”; (e.g. proposal for the updated standard, take in account new value of gross heating value of methane given by direct measurement (reference calorimeter)) [D5.1.2].
  
• CEN TC282 EN 12838 2000 “Installation and equipment for LNG- Suitability of LNG Sampling System” (e.g. Integration in the updated standard the results about sampling) [D5.1.2].
  This task will be active from month 12 until month 34.

Activity summary:

• Recommendations and information to ISO TC28/SC5, ISO10976 (TUV NEL, Elengy, ENAGAS)
  
• Recommendations and information to other groups, ISO TC67 ISO TC193, CEN TC282 (Elengy, ENAGAS)

Task 5.2: Provide information/guidelines to EURAMET-TC flow (VSL, TUV NEL, FORCE)

The aim of this task is to provide information and guidelines to EURAMET-TC flow. Calibration of flow meters for cryogenic fluids in particular LNG is an almost new area for the EURAMET-TC flow. The reason is the limited amount of meters and lack of know-how. When meters for LNG become more common, it will be necessary for EURAMET TC flow to perform comparisons of meters for cryogenic fluids to claim their calibration and measurement capabilities (CMC) for LNG meters at the CMC-tables at BIPM.
Therefore, this workpackage will provide EURAMET TC flow with a presentation a draft guideline about a proper calibration concept for small LNG flow meters [D5.2.1]. A draft guideline will be issued concerning the calibration concept of extrapolating water calibrations to LNG calibrations [D5.2.2].

This task will be active from month 12 until month 32.

Activity summary:

• Draft guideline for calibration concept for small LNG flow meters (VSL, TUV NEL, FORCE)
  
• Draft guideline for extrapolation water calibrations to LNG (TUV NEL, VSL, FORCE)

Task 5.3: Provide information/recommendations to the Legal Metrology, MID / OIML (FORCE, JV, VSL, Elengy)

The aim of this work package is to provide information to legal metrology workgroups that have LNG custody transfer (equipment) as part of their scope. Custody transfer (legal trade) with dynamic meters in Europe falls under the European regulation according to The Measuring Instruments Directive 2004/22/EC (MID) Annex 005 „Measuring Systems for the Continuous and Dynamic Measurement of Quantities of Liquids other than Water“. Level gauges OIML R80 are considered to be a part of MID Annex 005 because the static custody transfer (legal trade) is considered being a part of this Directive in the future. A document presenting the calculation of uncertainty of tank gauging system is a very important input for WELMEC WG10 [D5.3.1].
As a result of the outcome and conclusions of the on-site field-testing a concluding document will be presented to the WELMEC (and ISO organizations) [D5.3.2]. This document will describe all acquired experience with regard to calibration and metering on-site and will provide the foundation for these organizations to publish new and refined guidelines and standards documents.

Presentation and information about this LNG project will be provided to WELMEC WG10 and OIML TC8/SC3 “Dynamic volume and mass measurement (liquids other than water)”. Remarks and requests for further information from these working groups will be used as feedback for the JRP consortium. A summary of tests with corresponding results performed during the field testing relevant to meter performance and quality will be provided. This summary will aid WELMEC in the work of developing guides for testing and test format purposes [D5.3.3].

This task will be active from month 6 until month 34.

Activity summary:

• Guideline and presentation for calculation of uncertainty of tank gauging to WELMEC WG10 (Elengy, FORCE)
  
• Guideline and presentation for calibration and metering on-site (JV, FORCE, Elengy)
  
• Presentation and information to WELMEC WG10 about LNG and regulation in Europe (FORCE, Elengy, JV, VSL)

Task 5.4: Provide information to G.I.I.G.N.L and LNG industry (Elengy, VSL, TUV NEL, ENAGAS)

The aim of this task is to provide information to GIIGNL and thereby to LNG industry. The new information produced in this project and the papers and recommendations produced in this workpackage are planned to be integrated into the future revised G.I.I.G.N.L custody transfer handbook 4th edition. Confidence into accomplishing this is created by the fact that one of the authors is also unfunded partner in this project and another author has indicated willingness to become collaborator to this project. A paper will be written and will give improvement for the determination of LNG density, LNG composition, LNG gross calorific value, LNG volume and the comparison between the different used methods [D5.4].

This task will be active from month 13 until month 34.

Activity summary:

• Recommendation and information to the future revision of GIIGNL (Elengy, VSL, ENAGAS TUV NEL)

Summary of Deliverables for WP5