You may have heard about a flow conditioner pressure drop as one downside of flow conditioning. But that is only one of many advantages that the flow conditioner has. Some of the other advantages include;
Increasing the accuracy of measuring fluid flow
This is the primary purpose of having a flow conditioner in any system. In any gas industry, there is a need to measure accurately so you can know how many barrels of fluid are coming in and going out. In a situation where you can afford straight pipes, there may be no need for a flow conditioning system. But when there are curves in the system, no flow measurement can be accurate. When the fluid changes direction, it loses a bit of force and energy, affecting its velocity. The flow conditioner has pipes within its design to ensure that the flow returns to its normal flow immediately if there is a form of disturbance. That way, the measurement will be based on a flow that has returned to the normal levels, causing increased accuracy.
Protection against some disturbances upstream
Most disturbances that will affect the flow profile of a liquid usually come up the upstream of the pipework. Whenever these disturbances occur, the whole flow system occurs and causes wrong measurements. But when you have an excellent flow conditioner in place, it takes care of such disturbances so that the flow meter will take measurements. These measurements will be the same because the flow meter does not even feel any disturbance while measuring.
It gives you an opportunity to use short meters
If you really want to get accurate results for your flow profile, it is customary to use a short distance to set your meters repeatedly. This will be possible if your pipes are straight. But in situations when there are curves, it is impossible without a flow conditioner. When you install the flow conditioner within a system, you can put your meter repeatedly at short intervals. In turn, this will ensure all your measurements are accurate.
Improving meter diagnosis
When you get a wrong flow measurement, you will want to be sure whether the problem is coming from the meter or from the flow. With a flow conditioner installed, you are certain your flow has little or no problems because of the design. So when you see a completely different measurement at any point, you can quickly check and ascertain the problem.
Improves behavioral properties of dynamic flow
Flow can not occur at the same pace, depending on the thickness, space, and other factors. Other behaviors of a liquid flow include turbulence, pulsation, and others. When there is a flow conditioner in the system, you are sure that the flow returns to normalcy after going through the conditioner. Hence, these properties are improved to their original state. Also, the flow conditioning process provides balance for the flow.
Conclusion
In any industry like the oil and gas that uses fluids, there is a need for a flow conditioner. The main advantage may be to improve the flow measurements in the industry. However, that is only one of many advantages. As discussed in this guide, there are other advantages of the flow conditioner in any fluid industry that are not as popular to others. These industries are the reason you need to read this guide.
