EFFECTS OF

APRIL 2000
REVISION OF
API 14.3 PART 2
ORIFICE METER
TUBES

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

INTERNAL SURFACE FINISH

UPSTREAM LENGTH

STRAIGHTENING VANES

FLOW CONDITIONERS

8 PLATE THICKNESS

THERMOWELL LOCATION

STAGGERED TAPS

P LEAD LINES

INCREASED DIFFERENTIAL

GRANDFATHER CLAUSE

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

INTERNAL FINISH

WAS 250 MICROINCH THROUGHOUT

NOW SIZE AND BETA DEPENDENT

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

INTERNAL SURFACE FINISH
METER TUBES TO 12 SIZE

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

INTERNAL SURFACE FINISH
METER TUBES 16 & LARGER

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

PITS
THOUGH UNDESIRABLE, ARE NOW ALLOWED,
IF THEY DONT
EXCEED I.D. TOLERANCE
EXCEED FINISH REQUIREMENT

UPSTREAM LENGTH SELECTION

UPSTREAM LENGTH SELECTION

4 CATEGORIES

BARE TUBE ( no vane or conditioner)

SHORT TUBE WITH VANE
LONG TUBE WITH VANE
TUBE WITH CONDITIONER

CATEGORY

( no vane or conditioner )

UNIVERSAL CATCH ALL METER TUBE

NOW IS 145D

CATEGORY Bare
Bare Meter
Meter Tubes
Tubes continued,
continued,
Shorter
Shorter Lengths
Lengths Possible
Possible For
For Specific
Specific Installations
Installations

Single 90 Elbow @ .75 ---44D

(2) 90s Out of Plane

(close coupled)

@ .5 --95D

Concentric Reducer @ .75 --13D

Tee

(used as an elbow-not header)

@ .75 --44D

CATEGORY
NO VANE OR
CONDITIONER

See
detail

CATEGORY

SHORT VERSION WITH VANE

UNIVERSAL METER TUBE WITH VANE

MAX .46 BETA

CATEGORY
SHORT UPSTREAM
LENGTH WITH TUBE
BUNDLE

COMPARISON OF
OLD AND NEW
REQUIREMENTS

CATEGORY
Short upstream
with tube bundle

CAREGORY

LONG VERSION WITH VANE

UNIVERSAL METER TUBE WITH VANE

MAX .67 BETA

CATEGORY
LONG UPSTREAM
WITH TUBE BUNDLE

CATEGORY

LONG UPSTREAM
LENGTH WITH TUBE
BUNDLE

COMPARISON OF OLD
AND NEW
REQUIREMENTS

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

THE METER TUBE LENGTH INFORMATION

CONTAINED IN THIS REVISION WAS BASED ON
THE RESULTS OF ACTUAL FLOW TESTING AT
12 LABS (DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL),
USING BOTH LIQUID AND GAS.

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

TUBE BUNDLE STRAIGHTENING VANES

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

19 CONCENTRIC SAME SIZE TUBES
TUBE BUNDLE STRAIGHTENING VANES

CONCENTRIC PATTERN
NEW, TIGHTER TOLERANCES

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

HEX PATTERN
TUBE BUNDLE STRAIGHTENING VANES

HEX PATTERN
NOT ALLOWED

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

END BANDS
TUBE BUNDLE STRAIGHTENING VANES

END BANDS
NOT ALLOWED

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

TUBE BUNDLE
7 TUBE
STRAIGHTENING
BUNDLE
VANES

7 TUBE BUNDLE FOR 2 SIZE

NOT ALLOWED

FLOW CONDITIONING

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

FLOW CONDITIONERS

REMOVE SWIRL AND CREATE A NEAR

FULLY DEVELOPED FLOW PROFILE

THE DANIEL PROFILERTM

CONDITIONER PLATE

Profiler Installation

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

METER TUBE WITH PROFILER

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

Meter tube upstream lengths

and beta ratio limits for use
with all flow conditioners
other than the standard tube
bundle will be established by
the manufacturer based on
required testing
(ref. Par. 2.5.5.4 AGA-3/API 14.3 April
2000)

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

THE USE OF FLOW

CONDITIONERS MAY ALLOW
SHORTER UPSTREAM PIPE
LENGTHS

BUT
A SERIES OF TESTS MUST BE RUN
BEFORE OFFERING THE DEVICE
TO THE MARKET

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

FlowTests
Conditioner Qualification Test
Disturbance

Good Flow Conditions

Two 900 Elbows in Perpendicular Planes
Gate Valve 50% Closed
High Swirl

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

Flow Conditioner Qualification Test
Good Flow Conditions - test evaluating impact of flow
conditioner on fully developed velocity profile.

Install the conditioner in the specified location preceding a

meter tube where the installation has been shown to already
have a swirl free, fully developed profile. This proves the
device has no negative effect on flow.

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

Flow Conditioner Qualification Test
Two 900 Elbows in Perpendicular Planes - testing of flow
conditioner performance in handling combination of a modest
swirl and a non-symmetrical velocity profile.

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

Flow Conditioner Qualification Test

Gate Valve 50% Closed - test evaluating flow conditioner

performance in strongly non-symmetrical velocity profile

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

Flow Conditioner Qualification Test
High Swirl - test assessing flow conditioner performance
in flows with high swirl angle (over 250).

Swirl must be reduced to 2 Max

CHANGES TO
API 14.3 - APRIL 2000
Additional
Tests
Flow Conditioner Qualification Test

Orifice ratio: Check swirl test at =0.40 and

=0.67
Reynolds Number Sensitivity: Test at two
ranges 10,000 < Re <500,000 and Re > 1MM
with approximately a 7:1 ratio.
Scaling: Test at two sizes selected from
D < 4 and D > 8

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

ANY FLOW CONDITIONER

CHOSEN SHOULD HAVE TEST
DATA SHOWING COMPLIANCE
WITH THE TESTING PROGRAM
OUTLINED IN AGA/14.3

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

UPSTREAM THERMOWELL LOCATION

WAS 12 TO 36 UPSTREAM OF VANE

NOW IS 36 MINIMUM UPSTREAM OF VANE

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

STAGGERED
STAGGERED PRESSURE
PRESSURE TAPS
TAPS

STAGGERED PRESSURE TAPS

NOT ALLOWED

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

PLATE THICKNESS CHANGE
8 SIZE WAS 1/8 THICK
NOW IS 1/4 THICK

Reason: differential was limited to 150 in an orifice fitting

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

IMPACT OF 8 PLATE CHANGE TO 1/4 THICK

Some 1/8 and 1/4

seal/plate assemblies may be
interchangeable in the same
fitting, allowing installation of
the wrong plate in the right
fitting

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

IMPACT OF 8 PLATE CHANGE TO 1/4 THICK

Plate carriers and/or seal rings for

some manufacturers fittings may
be different for 1/8 and 1/4 thick
plates

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

IMPACT OF 8 PLATE CHANGE TO 1/4 THICK

Existing installations using

1/8 thick plates will require
careful organization if 1/4
units are added

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

PLATE THICKNESS CHANGE
24 SIZE WAS 3/8 THICK
NOW IS 1/2 THICK

Reason: differential was limited to 150

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

DP TAP CONNECTION LINE LENGTHS

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

DP TAP CONNECTION LINE LENGTHS

EQUAL LENGTH LINES

SHORT AS POSSIBLE

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

DIFFERENTIAL TAP LINE LENGTH
DP TAP CONNECTION LINE LENGTHS

IF RESONANCE OR PULSATION IS SUSPECTED,

CALCULATE PROPER LENGTH USING THESE 5 EQUATIONS BASED ON

PULSATION FREQUENCY (f) AND SPEED OF SOUND IN FLUID (a)

length L

factor

x a / (2 B f )

0.25
2.5
5.5
8.5
11.5
THE RESULTING LENGTH NEAREST THAT PREFERRED SHOULD BE USED

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

INCREASED
INCREASED DIFFERENTIAL
DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE
PRESSURE

INCREASED DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURES

TABLES SHOWING MAXIMUM DP FOR

RECOMMENDED PLATE THICKNESSES

304SS AND 316SS

TEMPERATURES TO 150F (65C)

INSTALLED IN BOTH FITTINGS AND FLANGES

FLANGES ALLOW MUCH HIGHER DIFFERENTIALS

INCREASED
CHANGESDIFFERENTIAL
TO API 14.3PRESSURE
- APRIL 2000
INCREASED
DIFFERENTIAL
PRESSURE
CONTINUED
CONTINUED

INCREASED DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURES

SOME SIZES ALLOW UP TO 1000 DP

VALUES BASED ON PLATE DEFLECTION ONLY

ANY OPERATIONAL EFFECTS ON ORIFICE FITTINGS NOT

CONSIDERED

ADDITIONAL TABLES FOR OTHER THAN STANDARD PLATE

THICKNESSES IN APPENDIX

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

INCREASED DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURES

POSSIBLE
EFFECT OF
DIFFERENTIAL
PRESSURES
EXCEEDING
VALUES
SHOWN

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

GRANDFATHER CLAUSE

From API 14.3 Part 2, Par 2.1, April 2000

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

It is strongly recommended that a copy

of the new standard be obtained and
read thoroughly as there are many
details not covered in this presentation

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

THE END

TAP HOLE LOCATION TOLERANCE FROM 14.3

HOW TO MEET 14.3 WITH A 1/4 THICK PLATE IN A FITTING

DRILLED FOR A 1/8 THICK PLATE

4 & LARGER
LIMIT BETA
TO .6

CHANGES TO API 14.3 - APRIL 2000

If distance S between 2 fittings is 22D or more,

only the fitting nearest the orifice is considered
2.6.3.1