Technique to identify anomaly amongst base prover volumes using estimated uncertainty
A system for identifying an anomaly in flow meter proving equipment includes four detectors D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , and D 4 . A data acquisition and monitoring system is configured to signals from D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , and D 4 to measure flow volumes between D 1 and D 3 as a measured volume Va, between D 2 and D 4 as a measured volume Vb, between D 2 and D 3 as a measured volume Vc, and between D 1 and D 4 as a measured volume Vd. The data acquisition and monitoring system calculates Va+Vb−Vc−Vd plus a max uncertainty as an upper range value and Va+Vb−Vc−Vd minus the max uncertainty as a lower range value. The data acquisition and monitoring system identifies an anomaly in response to the upper range value being less than zero or the lower range value being greater than zero and initiates recalibration of the prover in response to the identifying of the anomaly.
1. A system for identifying an anomaly in flow meter proving equipment, the system comprising:
four detectors D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , and D 4 , wherein the detectors are arranged on a prover such that:
a calibrated volume of the prover between D 1 and D 3 is base prover volume A (BPVA),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D 2 and D 4 is base prover volume B (BPVB),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D 2 and D 3 is base prover volume C (BPVC),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D 1 and D 4 is base prover volume D (BPVD), and
BPVA+BPVB−BPVC−BPVD=0;
a data acquisition and monitoring system in communication with D 1 , D 2 , D 3 , and D 4 ;
wherein the data acquisition and monitoring system is configured to perform steps of:
receiving signals from detectors D 1 , D 2 , D 3 and D 4 on a prover; using the received signals to:
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 1 and D 3 as a measured volume Va;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 2 and D 4 as a measured volume Vb;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 2 and D 3 as a measured volume Vc;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 1 and D 4 as a measured volume Vd;
determining an upper range value by calculating Va+Vb−Vc−Vd plus a max uncertainty;
identifying an anomaly in response to the upper range value being less than zero; and
initiating recalibration of the prover in response to the identifying of the anomaly, wherein:
an uncertainty Ua comprises a maximum expected difference between Va and BPVA;
an uncertainty Ub comprises a maximum expected difference between Vb and BPVB;
an uncertainty Uc comprises a maximum expected difference between Vc and BPVC;
an uncertainty Ud comprises a maximum expected difference between Vd and BPVD; and
the max uncertainty comprises Ua+Ub+Uc+Ud.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the data acquisition and monitoring system is further configured to perform steps of:
determining a lower range value by calculating Va+Vb−Vc−Vd minus the max uncertainty; and
identifying an anomaly in response to the lower range value being greater than zero.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of Ua, Ub, Uc, and Ud comprises between 0.01% and 0.05% of the respective measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measuring of the measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd comprises:
performing three or more measurements for each flow volume in a forward prover flow direction; and
determining an average of the three or more measurements as the respective measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measuring of the measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd comprises:
performing three or more measurements for each flow volume in a reverse prover flow direction; and
determining an average of the three or more measurements as the respective measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd.
6. A method for identifying an anomaly in flow meter proving equipment, the method comprising:
arranging detectors D 1 , D 2 , D 3 and D 4 on a prover such that:
a calibrated volume of the prover between D 1 and D 3 is base prover volume A (BPVA),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D 2 and D 4 is base prover volume B (BPVB),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D 2 and D 3 is base prover volume C (BPVC),
a calibrated volume of the prover between D 1 and D 4 is base prover volume D (BPVD), and
BPVA+BPVB−BPVC−BPVD=0;
receiving signals from the detectors D 1 , D 2 , D 3 and D 4 on the prover;
using the received signals to:
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 1 and D 3 as a measured volume Va;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 2 and D 4 as a measured volume Vb;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 2 and D 3 as a measured volume Vc;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 1 and D 4 as a measured volume Vd;
determining an upper range value by calculating Va+Vb−Vc−Vd plus a max uncertainty as an upper range value;
identifying an anomaly in response to the upper range value being less than zero; and
initiating recalibration of the prover in response to the identifying of the anomaly, wherein:
an uncertainty Ua comprises a maximum expected difference between Va and BPVA;
an uncertainty Ub comprises a maximum expected difference between Vb and BPVB;
an uncertainty Uc comprises a maximum expected difference between Vc and BPVC:
an uncertainty Ud comprises a maximum expected difference between Vd and BPVD; and
the max uncertainty comprises Ua+Ub+Uc+Ud.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising steps of:
determining a lower range value by calculating Va+Vb−Vc−Vd minus the max uncertainty; and
identifying an anomaly in response to the lower range value being greater than zero.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein each of Ua, Ub, Uc, and Ud comprises between 0.01% and 0.05% of the respective measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the measuring of the measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd comprises:
performing three or more measurements for each flow volume in a forward prover flow direction; and
determining an average of the three or more measurements as the respective measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the measuring of the measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd comprises:
performing three or more measurements for each flow volume in a reverse prover flow direction; and
determining an average of the three or more measurements as the respective measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd.
11. A non-volatile computer readable medium storing instruction that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps of:
receiving signals from detectors D 1 , D 2 , D 3 and D 4 on a prover;
using the received signals to:
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 1 and D 3 as a measured volume Va;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 2 and D 4 as a measured volume Vb;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 2 and D 3 as a measured volume Vc;
measure a flow volume between the detectors D 1 and D 4 as a measured volume Vd;
determining an upper range value by calculating Va+Vb−Vc−Vd plus a max uncertainty;
identifying an anomaly in response to the upper range value being less than zero; and
initiating recalibration of the prover in response to the identifying of the anomaly, wherein:
an uncertainty Ua comprises a maximum expected difference between Va and a calibrated volume of the prover between detectors D 1 and D 3 ;
an uncertainty Ub comprises a maximum expected difference between Vb and a calibrated volume of the prover between D 2 and D 4 ;
an uncertainty Uc comprises a maximum expected difference between Vc and a calibrated volume of the prover between D 2 and D 3 ;
an uncertainty Ud comprises a maximum expected difference between Vd and a calibrated volume of the prover between D 1 and D 4 ; and
the max uncertainty comprises Ua+Ub+Uc+Ud.
12. The non-volatile computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the processor further performs steps of:
determining a lower range value by calculating Va+Vb−Vc−Vd minus the max uncertainty as a lower range value; and
identifying an anomaly in response to the lower range value being greater than zero.
13. The non-volatile computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein each of Ua, Ub, Uc, and Ud comprises between 0.01% and 0.05% of the respective measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd.
14. The non-volatile computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the measuring of the measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd comprises:
performing three or more measurements for each flow volume in a forward prover flow direction; and
determining an average of the three or more measurements as the respective measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd.
15. The non-volatile computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the measuring of the measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd comprises:
performing three or more measurements for each flow volume in a reverse prover flow direction; and
determining an average of the three or more measurements as the respective measured volumes Va, Vb, Vc, and Vd.