Flow Meters › Natural Gas Flow Meter
Natural Gas Flow Meter
Natural gas is metered for two reasons: custody transfer and billing, where accuracy is paramount, and plant consumption, where a reliable total is enough. Several technologies serve these. A gas turbine meter is the workhorse for industrial custody; an ultrasonic meter measures large transmission and distribution lines with no pressure loss; a Coriolis meter gives the highest accuracy and reads mass directly; and a thermal mass meter reads standard volume for consumption and sub-metering. A rotary positive-displacement meter covers commercial and utility billing. Pick by line size, pressure, accuracy class, and whether the duty is custody or consumption.
Gas Turbine Flow MeterThe industrial workhorse for natural gas custody: a rotor counts volume, with built-in temperature and pressure correction to standard volume.
Ultrasonic Gas Flow MeterTransit-time ultrasonic for large transmission and distribution lines; no moving parts, no pressure loss, wide turndown.
Coriolis Mass Flow MeterThe highest-accuracy choice; reads gas mass directly, independent of pressure and composition, for fiscal custody.
Thermal Mass Flow MeterReads standard volume directly with no temperature or pressure compensation; the simple, low-cost choice for consumption and sub-metering.
Choosing a natural gas flow meter
All of these meter natural gas, but they fit different duties. Match the technology to the line size, the pressure, the accuracy class, and whether you are doing custody transfer or consumption metering.
| Technology | When to choose it for natural gas |
|---|---|
| Gas turbine | Industrial custody and billing at moderate to high flow; clean, dry gas; accurate and proven |
| Ultrasonic | Large transmission and distribution mains; no pressure loss, bidirectional, wide turndown |
| Coriolis | Fiscal custody where the tightest accuracy and direct mass are needed; independent of gas composition |
| Thermal mass | Consumption, sub-metering, and combustion air; direct standard volume with no compensation |
| Rotary (PD) | Commercial and utility billing at lower flow; accurate volume with temperature and pressure correction |
FAQ
How is natural gas flow measured?
Natural gas is metered by gas turbine, ultrasonic, Coriolis, thermal mass, or rotary meters. Volumetric meters such as turbine, ultrasonic, and rotary correct to standard volume with temperature and pressure; Coriolis and thermal mass read mass or standard volume directly.
What is the most accurate natural gas flow meter?
For fiscal custody the Coriolis meter is the most accurate and reads mass directly, while large-bore ultrasonic meters are the standard on transmission lines. Gas turbine meters are accurate and proven for industrial custody at moderate flow.
Custody transfer or consumption metering?
For custody transfer and billing, use a turbine, ultrasonic, Coriolis, or rotary meter with the right accuracy class and compensation. For plant consumption and sub-metering, a thermal mass meter reads standard volume directly at lower cost.
Request a quote
Tell us the medium, the line size, the flow range, and the temperature and pressure, and we size the vortex meter and set the outputs.