Method and device for evaluating a fuel gas wobbe index

1. A method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index, W, of a fuel gas of a family of gases defined by constituents having a given chemical nature and occurring in variable relative proportions, the method comprising:

measuring a mass flow rate of the fuel gas in a sonic flow through a fluid restriction at an absolute measurement pressure and at an absolute measurement temperature,

calibrating by measuring a mass flow rate of a reference gas in a sonic flow through the fluid restriction at an absolute reference pressure and at an absolute reference temperature, and

evaluating the Wobbe index W as W=A×Y+B, established for the family of gases where Y is the product of three factors, Za, Zb, and Zc, wherein Za is a ratio of the mass flow rate of the fuel gas to the mass flow rate of the reference gas, Zb is a ratio of respective images of the absolute reference pressure and the absolute measurement pressure by a determined polynomial function, and Zc is the square root of a ratio of the absolute measurement temperature and the absolute reference temperature, and A and B are constant for the family of gases.

2. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 1 , including measuring the absolute measurement pressure and the absolute reference pressure.

3. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 2 , including maintaining the absolute measurement and reference pressures within a range, and wherein the determined polynomial function is the identity function, the image of a pressure by the determined polynomial function thus being F(P)=P.

4. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 2 , wherein the determined polynomial function is

F ( P )= P−k·P (l−r)

and k and r are construction parameters of the fluid restriction.

5. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 1 , including measuring the absolute measurement temperature, and the absolute reference temperature.

6. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 1 , including choosing the reference gas from the group of gases consisting of non-fuel gases and gaseous mixtures.

7. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 1 , including a preliminary correlation procedure of establishing the relationship W=A×Y+B for at least two gases of the family of gases.

8. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 1 , wherein, for a gas belonging to the family of natural gases, B is defined by Y=0 and is equal to −18.40.

9. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 8 , including using compressed air as the reference gas, and wherein A is a slope equal to 19.40.

10. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 8 , including using nitrogen as the reference gas and wherein A is a slope equal to 19.72.

11. The method for the evaluation of the Wobbe index according to claim 8 , including using methane as the reference gas and wherein A is a slope equal to 33.28.

12. A device for collecting data for determining the Wobbe index of a fuel gas of a family of gases, comprising:

a tube including an inlet and an outlet;

admission means for selectively guiding, to the inlet of the tube, a flow of a fuel gas under pressure or a flow of a reference gas under pressure, the admission means comprising a first principal inlet for the fuel gas, a second principal inlet for the reference gas, and first and second valves intercalated between the inlet of the tube and the first and second principal inlets, respectively;

a fluid restriction having an inlet connected to the outlet of the tube, and an outlet;

a mass flow rate metering device connected to the outlet of the fluid restriction and delivering an output signal representative of the mass flow rate of the gas traversing the fluid restriction in a sonic flow; and

a logic unit comprising

at least one acquisition input connected to the flow rate metering device,

two control outputs connected to the valves,

means for piloting the admission means to guide, successively, a first flow of the fuel gas and a second flow of the reference gas to the tube,

means for collecting data issued by the mass flow rate metering device during the first and second flows through the tube, and

means for determining the Wobbe index based on the data collected.

13. The device according to claim 12 , comprising an absolute pressure sensor installed on the tube, wherein the logic unit includes, as an acquisition input connected to the absolute pressure sensor,

means for collecting data issued by the absolute pressure sensor during the first and second flows, and

means for determining the Wobbe index based on the data collected from the mass flow rate measuring device and from the absolute pressure sensor.

14. The device according to claim 13 , comprising an absolute temperature sensor installed on the tube, wherein

the logic unit comprises one acquisition input connected to the absolute temperature sensor, and

the means for determining the Wobbe index determines the Wobbe index based upon data collected from the absolute temperature sensor.

15. A device for collecting data for determining the Wobbe index of a fuel gas of a family of gases, comprising:

a tube including an inlet and an outlet:

admission means for selectively guiding, to the inlet of the tube, a flow of a fuel alas under pressure or a flow of a reference gas under pressure, the admission means comprising a first principal inlet for the fuel gas, a second principal inlet for the reference gas, and first and second valves intercalated between the inlet of the tube and the first and second principal inlets, respectively;

a fluid restriction having an inlet connected to the outlet of the tube, and an outlet;

a mass flow rate metering device connected to the outlet of the fluid restriction and delivering an output signal representative of the mass flow rate of the gas traversing the fluid restriction in a sonic flow; and

an absolute pressure sensor installed on the tube;

an absolute temperature sensor installed on the tube; and

a logic unit comprising at least three acquisition inputs connected to the flow rate metering device, the pressure sensor, and the temperature sensor, respectively, and two control outputs connected to the valves, respectively.