The FLOW CONSULTANT

is the only software endorsed by Richard W. Miller covering all differential producers

and exact equations of state presented in

 The Flow Measurement Engineering Handbook.     

The Flow Consultant now includes Fixed Geometry and V-Cone Flowmeters.  Constants for these Flowmeters: Annubar, Elbow, Foxboro Integral Flow Orifice (IFO), Preso, Multiport Averaging (MPA), Taylor Wedge, Veris Verabar and the ability to enter the flow coefficient.  Users interested in other devices may contact us for consideration.

Fixed Geometry Devices       Compact Orifice, Elbow, IFO, Multiport Averaging, Wedge Meters and V-Cone

Meters covered by The FLOW CONSULTANT ™

Standards and Reference Texts

April 2004 - Regarding  ISO 5167 and ASME -3M

Standards Notice From R.W. Miller  

Tap into a Wealth of Knowledge

The FLOW CONSULTANT ™ continuously monitors input throughout the computational process.  Warnings are issued and default data displayed for entries outside the manufacturer's recommendations or published standards. 

Constants are built in for virtually every model of Orifice Plate, Nozzle or Venturi are included.  Solve for Liquid, Gas and Vapor fluid states.

Exclusive engineering features include continual checks for Cavitation or Flashing Flows, Critical (Choked) Flow-Rate Computations, Restrictive Orifice Computations, Energy and Overall Pressure Loss and unique solutions derived by R.W. Miller for computations outside standard limits.

Meters covered by The FLOW CONSULTANT ™

Fixed Geometry Devices became available in The FLOW CONSULTANT ™  Version 5.1.

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Flexibility

The Flow Consultant is a modular design.  Each segment of our program is compartmentalized for total design flexibility.  Users can change any design element  without any down time to re-compute. 

For example, modify the Beta Ratio or Pipe Size to immediately update the Flow-Rate or vary the Flow-Rate for immediate change to the Beta Ratio.

Print Screens Shots directly from The FLOW CONSULTANT ™  without going into a separate application.

AGA-8

Detail Method, Gravity Method and Heating Value

 

AGA-3

Accepted US standard for the use of orifice meters used to meter natural gas and other fluids.

 

ASME-3M

Accepted standard used by many industries for the metering of many fluid and in particular steam and water flow measurement.

 

ASME-PT6

For Throat Tap nozzles

 

ANSI 2530

The American National Standards Institute's (ANSI) standard that duplicates AGA 3

 

ANSI 2530/AGA3/ Buckingham/Spink

The original AGA/ANSI/ASME standard for the metering of fluid with the flange tap orifice Flowmeter. Once widely used by all US industries in designing flow measurement equipment, this standard has been superseded by the above reference documents. 

 

API Chapter 14

The ANSI standards for the metering of Natural gas.

 

ISO-5167 (2003)*   

The International Standards Organization's (ISO) Standard, now in three parts, for the metering of all fluid using Orifices (all tapings), Nozzles, and Venturi Meters.

 

Miller (1983 to date)

 

NX-19

 

S-GERG Equation of State for Natural Gas is widely used in Europe for custody transfer measurements.  S-GERG requires input of the heat content BTU (Joules), the relative density (Specific Gravity) and the mole fraction of carbon dioxide.

 

Spink (1935 to date)

Important Notice

Regarding  ISO 5167, ASME -3M, and AGA/API/ANSI 2530

From R.W. Miller - April 2004

ASME has recently approved separate standards for Orifice, Nozzle, and Venturi Flowmeters. There is a major change to the

• Orifice Discharge coefficient computational equation for all tappings
• The Gas Expansion factor equation for all tappings

ASME-3M and International standard ISO 5167 now use identical equations.

Other US standards (API/AGA/ANSI) no longer agree with International practice for either calculation.

Only The FLOW CONSULTANT software contains the new equation.

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Fluid Properties

Only The FLOW CONSULTANT ™  software solves for fluid properties modules using the exact solution and not the generalized state equation used in most software. These solutions can be in error by several percent or more.

The Fluid Properties modules contain equation constants for computing the properties for hundreds of  fluids.  Fluid Properties constants The FLOW CONSULTANT ™  are maintained in accordance with all the current reference texts and standards.  

Enter only Pressure and Temperature to compute Base Compressibility, Base Specific Gravity, Base Density, Flowing Compressibility, Flowing Density, Flowing Specific Gravity, Liquid Compressibility, Viscosity or the Isentropic Exponent.   

Enter your own fluid properties through our custom fluid screen.

AGA-8 for Natural Gas Heating Value, Gravity Method and the Detail Method

AIChE Constants for over 250 fluids.  Exact solution correcting for Liquid Compressibility, Temperature and Pressure. 

ASME - equations for Water, Saturated Steam and Superheated Steam

 

Modified Benedict Webb Rubin exact equations for Air, Ammonia, Argon, Butane, CO2 , Ethane, Ethylene,  Heptane, Hexane, Hydrogen, I-Butane, I-Pentane, Methane, Nitrogen, Octane, Oxygen, Pentane, Propane and Propylene. 

 

NX-19 and S-GERG for Natural Gas

Fluid Property Reference

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Special Factor Corrections

Mercury Meters

Two-Phase Flow/Multi-Component Flow

Wet Gas

Drain and Vent Hole

Saturated Liquids

 

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Units

US and SI units can be interchanged and modified at any time without the time consuming task of  recalculating.  The Flow Consultant operates on SI units so converting existing data is automatic.

Storage of user defined templates allows for infinite unit combinations with just one click of the mouse.

All units are verified to industry standards for the current design conditions. 

If you don't find your units in our software, contact us and we will add it.

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AGA-8

Our simplified interface for entering mole fraction percentages solves the often cumbersome detail method solution.

AGA-8 and Gas Mixtures entry screens

Fluids covered by AGA-8 and Gas Mixtures.

Also included: Heating Value, Gravity, N2 and CO2

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Gas Mixtures

Developed by R.W. Miller, the Gas Mixtures interface expands the AGA-8 interface with additional fluids not included in the AGA-8 standard.

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Pipe Sizes

Select from standard pipe sizes or manually enter pipe size.

The thermal expansion factor is calculated by selecting from these pipe materials and primary element materials:

Carbon Steel
Chrome-Moly Steel
Stainless Steel (300, 304, 316, 400)
Hastelloy B
Hastelloy C
Inconel X, annealed
Haynes Stellite
Yellow Brass
Beryllium Copper
Cupronickel
K-Monel

Monel 400
Pyrex Glass
Titanium
Tantalum
PVC

in Version 6.0.  Enter the Thermal Expansion Coefficient for pipe material and primary element material if your materials are not in the pick list.

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An independant review of our competitive software shows the following:

Ø     Only the FLOW CONSULTANT computes the differential across the plate rather than assume the differential is the overall pressure loss.

Ø     Only the FLOW CONSULTANT uses the exact Roark equations for calculating stress and deflection.

Ø     Only the FLOW CONSULTANT uses the yield stress based on the flowing temperature.

Ø     Only the FLOW CONSULTANT checks for plate flatness to the standards specifications

Printing

Users can suppress or print any warnings or error messages generated during the computational process. 

Our detailed specification sheet can be completely customized by using the Data Exporter.

Version 6.0 includes a customizable ISA style datasheet.

Print Screens Shots directly from The FLOW CONSULTANT ™  without going into a separate application.

A Print Preview window is now available in version 6.1

Data Storage

The Flow Consultant is backed by Microsoft Access TM.  Our software provides a utility to create and maintain multiple databases for easy to use, directory based storage.  Create a new data warehouse by simply picking a name and destination.

Create custom external data objects with The Data Exporter.  The Data Exporter creates user defined Microsoft Access TM tables export to spreadsheets, corporate databases or any other means of analysis.

Using the Data Exporter, share data with Microsoft Excel TM  spreadsheets.

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in Version 6.0

New in Version 6.0. 

Data is exported to an Excel worksheet in the ISA format.

This puts the full capabilities of Excel graphical and mathematical capabilities at your fingertips. Included on the standard printout is a data and graphical showing dp vs flow-rate.

Or Modify the ISA format data sheet to create a custom company specific worksheet.

Click Here To View a Sample Data Sheet

in Version 6.0

The estimated uncertainty based on the measured and unmeasured variables used in the flow rate computation are combined in accordance with the selected standards procedures to give the overall uncertainty (Accuracy).

The estimated uncertainty of the discharge coefficient and gas expansion factor is computed using the appropriate standards. The user inputs the uncertainties of the other measured or unmeasured variables.

Click Here to View Accuracy Screen

in Version 6.0

Unique to The FLOW CONSULTANT ™ is the exportable (and printable) tabulation shown below. The Standard graph is exported to Microsoft Excel™ via the Export Excel Function.

First you select the number of points to compute then the screen displays:

1. Scaled flow rate as a function of the differential
2. The exact flow rate corrected for the discharge coefficient and gas expansion factor for flow rate
3. The directional Bias error between actual and scaled flow rate at the measured differential.

Click Here to View Flow Vs Differential Pressure

in Version 6.0

Wide Range Metering Accuracy can now easily be determined by

Step 1 select Flow Vs Dp to determine the +/- Bias, errors that occur by not including changes in discharge coefficient and gas expansion factor with Flow-Rate

Step 2 select Accuracy to determine the+/- error at the lowest acceptable flow rate.

 Combine the bias and precision error by summation and repeat for additional transmitters.

Technical Upgrades are free of charge for one year after purchase.

Support Contracts

System Requirements

Windows 95/98/NT 4.0/02K/XP/Vista

Window 7 will be tested on Oct 22!

Recommended P5 Processor or Higher

License Agreement

How to Order

The FLOW CONSULTANT ™

Upgrades

Renewals and License Upgrades

View Screens and Sample Calculation Online

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Concerned about an Equation or Standard?

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