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Title: Installation And Operation Of Densitometers
Author: Don Sextro
Source: 2008 International School of Hydrocarbon Measurement
Year Published: 2008
Abstract: A densitometer is an on-line and continuous device used to measure the density of a flowing stream. In the oil and gas industry, a densitometer is normally used to measure the density of liquid hydrocarbon finished products like propane and gasoline and liquid mixtures like Y-grade natural gas liquids (NGL), but can also be used to measure the density of crude oil. The typical installation is in a single-phase liquid stream, but densitometers can be used to measure single-phase gas or vapor. This paper addresses only continuous, on-line liquid density measurement. There are a number of applications in the oil and gas industry where measured density is important. First, and probably the most widely used, is to determine the quantity of material passing through a meter. The quantity may be determined either through mass or volumetric measurement techniques, each using the measured density but applying it to the final quantity in a different way. A second use is to detect a pipeline interface, the plug of liquid between two dissimilar products shipped in the same pipeline. Continuous, on-line density measurement provides a pipeline operator with the ability to see the density change from one batch to the next and make the appropriate valve changes to properly route liquids to the correct destination. Another common use is in pipeline leak detection where operators look for relatively small leaks by comparing pressures and flow rates at points along a pipeline. Measured density can provide a more accurate prediction of frictional pressure loss in the pipeline since, in addition to flow rate, pressure loss is a function of the Reynolds number which is in turn a function of the fluid density. Lastly, measured density can also provide meaningful data for quality monitoring of finished products and other fluids.

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