Hybrid Vortex Meters Provide Biogas Solution

With an aim to reduce their carbon footprint a water supply and sewerage utility company serving the south west of England have been investing in advanced digestion methods that increase the production of biogas. In order to monitor their biogas generation, Bell Flow Systems supplied several hybrid vortex meters.

The utility company have been using the biogas produced by the bacteria breaking down the organic material in the sludge in their anaerobic digesters to feed into their combined heat and power engines. This application called for a measurement solution to record this biogas production across several sewerage sites. Optimised for biogas applications, Badger Meter’s RWBG vortex meters were selected.

The RWBG is a wafer-style inline vortex flow meter optimised for low pressure biogas applications, typically CH4 + CO2 mixtures and offers highly accurate measurements (±1%). Vortex flow meters utilise ultrasonic technology to measure tiny vortices that form when gas in the pipe move across a bluff bar. The number of vortices formed is directly proportional to flow rate. Badger Meter’s vortex flow meters offer the smallest bluff bar in the industry, which allows for high levels of sensitivity, superior performance at low flow rates, high turndown ratios and low pressure drop.

The RWBG vortex meter has no moving parts and is virtually maintenance-free once installed. It is loop-powered with standard HART® communications for ease of field programming and system integration. Through the use of an internal RTD and an optional external pressure sensor, the vortex flow meter software will compensate for changes in pressure and temperature to achieve accurate mass flow measurement and gas flow standardisation.

The information obtained from the numerous RWBG vortex meters installed across the sites enables the utility company to measure the success of their digestion methods and ultimately monitor their biogas generation. Bell Flow Systems are the UK representative for Badger Meter and have full access to their innovative flow measurement products.