Framo Multiphase Flow Meter Design: Subsea Submersible Bulk Hydrocarbon Stream Sizing Skids

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Framo Multiphase Flow Meter Design: Subsea Submersible Bulk Hydrocarbon Stream Sizing Skids

Quick Answer: This article covers Framo multiphase flow meter design: subsea submersible bulk hydrocarbon stream sizing skids. These skids need early sizing around actual bulk hydrocarbon stream data. Engineers should fix pressure, temperature, gas volume fraction, water cut, viscosity, and pipe size before selecting meters and skid layout. Silver Automation Instruments supplies supporting flow instrumentation such as Coriolis mass flow meters, pressure transmitters, and paperless recorders for these skid packages.

What a Subsea Submersible Bulk Hydrocarbon Skid Must Handle

Framo subsea pumps and multiphase meters often sit on the seabed. The skid carries produced oil, gas, water, and sand. This stream can change hour by hour. A well may start at 5 percent water cut and move to 40 percent water cut in one year. The gas volume fraction can shift from 10 percent to 80 percent during slug flow. The skid must keep measuring even when the flow regime is unstable.

Here is the thing. Most engineers skip this part. They size for one steady state case. Then the meter underreads during slug flow or high gas fraction. We have seen this on customer sites in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. A small sizing error at the front end becomes a large uncertainty in allocation metering.

Sizing Inputs That Change Meter Selection

For a bulk hydrocarbon stream, the main inputs are pressure, temperature, flow rate, gas volume fraction, water cut, density, and viscosity. Typical subsea wellhead conditions range from 30 bar to 345 bar. Temperature can sit between 4 degrees Celsius and 120 degrees Celsius. Pipe sizes often fall between DN40 and DN200. Flow rates may run from 2,000 kg/h to 120,000 kg/h on the liquid leg.

Viscosity matters more than many people think. Light condensate may be 0.5 cP. Heavy crudes can reach 50 cP or higher. High viscosity changes the Reynolds number and the meter turndown. A meter sized for 10,000 bbl/d of light oil may not hold accuracy on 20,000 bbl/d of heavy crude. Always send the full fluid composition when you request a quote.

Framo Subsea Submersible Design Checks

Silver Automation Instruments does not manufacture Framo pumps or Framo multiphase meters. We support the skid builders, EPC companies, and offshore operators who integrate these packages. The typical skid includes a pump, a multiphase flow meter, a control valve, pressure transmitters, and a flow computer. The arrangement can be vertical or horizontal depending on subsea access.

In practice, the skid design should allocate space for straight pipe runs. Coriolis meters and ultrasonic meters need stable velocity profiles. If the meter sits too close to a bend or a valve, the reading shifts. Keep 5D to 10D upstream straight run for a Coriolis meter. Keep more for an ultrasonic meter. This straight run requirement often decides the skid footprint.

Meter Options for Bulk Hydrocarbon Streams

Silver Automation Instruments stocks flow meters from DN15 to DN200 for hydrocarbon service. A DN50 Coriolis meter often handles 0 to 40,000 kg/h on light c

For water injection lines, electromagnetic flow meters are a better fit. A DN100 electromagnetic flow meter works well on brine and produced water at 0.5 to 10 m/s. Conductivity above 20 microsiemens per centimeter gives stable readings. Temperature sensors are PT100 with 4-20 mA HART. For gas lift or flare lines, vortex flow meters are common. Vortex meters handle 3 to 70 m/s gas velocity depending on pressure. Pair all meters with a pressure transmitter and a temperature sensor. The flow computer then calculates corrected volume or mass flow.

Skid Sizing Sequence

First collect at least 12 months of well test data. Do not size on a single point. Then define the minimum, normal, and maximum flow rate for each phase. This gives the turndown range. Then check the line size and straight run. Then select the meter type by phase and pipe size. Finally send the complete data set to a flow meter supplier. The data set should include pressure in bar, temperature in degrees Celsius, pipe size in DN, gas volume fraction in percent, water cut in percent, viscosity in cP, and flow range in kg/h or barrels per day.

For a quote, contact Silver Automation Instruments at Tel +86-25-68650347 or WhatsApp +86-25-52155837. WeChat is +86 15365082610. The website is flow-meter.com.au.

FAQ: Five Key Questions

Question: Can one multiphase flow meter replace a separator on a subsea skid?
Answer: Yes in many brownfield and subsea tieback projects. A multiphase meter saves space and weight. But the meter must be sized for the full gas volume fraction and water cut range. If the stream is unstable, a compact separator may still be needed upstream.

Question: What pipe size suits a bulk hydrocarbon stream of 50,000 kg/h?
Answer: Liquid hydrocarbon at 50,000 kg/h usually fits DN80 or DN100 depending on density and viscosity. Gas at the same mass flow may need DN150 or larger if pressure is low. Always calculate velocity before fixing the line size.

Question: Does Silver Automation Instruments supply the full skid or only the meters?
Answer: We supply the flow instruments and pressure transmitters. We do not build the full Framo subsea skid. Skid fabricators and EPC companies buy our meters and integrate them into the package.

Question: What output signals do these meters give for subsea control systems?
Answer: Most Silver Automation Instruments meters output 4-20 mA HART. Some models also support Modbus RTU or RS485. For subsea use, confirm the certification and the cable length with your control system vendor.

Question: How do I get a quote for a hydrocarbon flow meter?
Answer: Send us your pressure in bar, temperature in degrees Celsius, pipe size in DN, fluid composition, gas volume fraction in percent, and flow range in kg/h. You can reach Silver Automation Instruments at Tel +86-25-68650347 or WhatsApp +86-25-52155837. WeChat is +86 15365082610.

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