Assessing Diaphragm Gas Meter Deviations Using Aspen HYSYS Simulation: The Role of Installation and Ambient Factors

Diaphragm gas meters are widely employed for residential and commercial volumetric gas measurement due to their reliability and simplicity. However, these meters are known to be susceptible to measurement inaccuracies arising from a variety of environmental and installation-related factors. This study systematically investigates the influence of ambient temperature fluctuations, airflow conditions, the length of the upstream pipeline, and the composition of natural gas (NG) on meter accuracy, using detailed computational simulations conducted in Aspen HYSYS. The simulation results indicate that even minor variations in ambient temperature, on the order of a single degree Celsius, can lead to measurement errors of up to ۰.۲۶%, highlighting the high sensitivity of these devices to thermal conditions. Furthermore, the analysis shows that increasing the pipeline length between the pressure regulator and the diaphragm meter results in higher pressure drops, which in turn exacerbates overall metering errors. Conversely, variations in the composition of NG were found to have a negligible effect on measurement performance, suggesting that chemical composition plays a minor role compared to physical installation and environmental factors. Overall, the findings underscore the critical importance of carefully considering both installation practices and ambient operational conditions to ensure reliable and precise gas metering in household and commercial distribution systems. These insights can inform guidelines for optimal meter placement, pipeline design, and operational monitoring strategies in gas distribution networks.

کلیدواژه ها:

natural gas consumption ، diaphragm gas metering device ، Aspen HYSYS ، simulation