Company Profile

Ultrasonic Meter for Gas: High-Accuracy Sound Wave Profiling for Distribution Utilities

Quick Answer: Silver Automation Instruments supplies ultrasonic gas meters for distribution utilities that need sound wave profiling with accuracy of ±0.5% to ±1.0% of reading. Standard models cover DN15 to DN300 pipe sizes and pressures up to 40 bar. Send your gas type, pipe size, pressure, temperature and flow range for a specific quote.

How This Ultrasonic Meter Works in Gas Distribution

This meter uses time of flight measurement with paired ultrasonic transducers. One transducer sends a sound wave through the gas. The other transducer receives it. The meter then compares upstream and downstream transit times. That difference gives gas velocity. A flow computer converts velocity to volumetric flow at line conditions. It can also output mass flow if you enter gas composition and temperature.

There are no moving parts in the measuring tube. That matters for gas distribution. Dust and moisture do not stop the meter. Small pressure spikes also cause no damage. Maintenance teams do not need to pull turbine blades or clean orifice plates every year. For a utility with hundreds of district stations that is a big cost saving.

Why Distribution Utilities Replace Turbine and Orifice Meters

Turbine meters drift as bearings wear. Orifice meters lose accuracy when the plate erodes. Ultrasonic meters keep their calibration longer because there is no mechanical contact. A city gas utility in Vietnam replaced 40 turbine meters with our DN80 and DN100 ultrasonic models in 2023. They wanted low pressure drop and bi-directional flow. The newer meters gave them better turndown at night when demand is low.

Most engineers skip this part. The turndown ratio on our gas ultrasonic meters can reach 1:100. That means one meter covers low evening flows and high morning peaks. A mechanical meter often needs two or three units in parallel for that range.

Installation and Pipe Run Requirements

Plan for straight pipe runs. Use 10D upstream and 5D downstream as a minimum. If you have a control valve or elbow close to the meter add a flow conditioner. Do not install the meter at the highest point of the pipe. Gas moisture collects there. Wet gas attenuates the ultrasonic signal and creates a failed measurement.

The meter body can be installed horizontally or vertically. For vertical runs flow should go upward. The electronics enclosure must not be submerged. If you install in an open pit use a remote display or a drain. Our standard enclosures are IP66. ATEX Zone 1 versions are available for gas stations with explosive atmosphere classification.

Outputs and SCADA Integration

Each meter comes with options for 4-20 mA HART, Modbus RTU over RS485, and pulse output. Utilities use the 4-20 mA HART signal to feed flow computers or RTUs. The Modbus output works well for district metering panels. If you need to log pressure and temperature alongside flow, we can add a built in pressure transmitter and PT100 input.

We have seen this on customer sites many times. A distribution utility asks only for flow rate. Six months later they need totalised volume for billing. Specify the pulse output and Modbus from the start. Adding them later costs more than adding them at order time.

Model Selection and Price Factors

The price of an ultrasonic gas meter depends on pipe size, pressure rating, gas composition and approvals. A DN50 meter for compressed air at 8 bar costs less than a DN150 biogas meter with ATEX Zone 1 and stainless steel transducers. Standard bodies are aluminium or carbon steel. Stainless steel bodies are available for corrosive gas or coastal installations.

We quote based on operating data. Send us the following: gas type, pipe size DN, pressure in bar, temperature in Celsius, minimum and maximum flow