Flowmeter for demanding hydrogen applications

With an available gas flow accuracy rating of 0.5% and pressures up to 1,060 bar, the Micro Motion HPC015 is suitable for high-pressure hydrogen dispensing

Emerson has introduced a new Micro Motion Coriolis flow meter designed for high-pressure hydrogen dispensing and chemical injection applications where measurement accuracy and safety are essential. 

The Micro Motion Coriolis HPC015 flow meter is capable of a flow accuracy margin of 0.5% for gas and 0.1% for liquid mass flow measurement, a significant improvement over existing meters. 

The meter performs under wide pressure and temperature fluctuations, ensuring security and reliability, while onboard diagnostic tools eliminate the need for pre-inspections or interim maintenance checks, saving time and money.

The demand for hydrogen, an abundant and renewable energy source, is growing due to its use in fuel cells for low-emission vehicles, fertilisers, glass and metal production, as well as the energy sector. 

Hydrogen is stored at very high pressure – usually at around 963bar (13,960psi) – which creates challenges to find equipment to aid in producing, storing and dispensing the gas safely and effectively.

“The HPC015 is an extremely accurate, safe and reliable solution to measure flow at high pressures,” said Tim Drost, senior Coriolis product marketing manager at Emerson. “It was designed specifically to meet the challenges our customers face in the hydrogen fuel and chemical injection spaces.”

One of the main application uses for the HPC015 in accurately measuring the flow of hydrogen gas is to effectively manage costs in large-scale custody transfer applications, such as public transportation systems, where hydrogen fuels are used to power hybrid bus engines.

A second, significant market for the HPC015 is in other high-pressure applications such as injecting methanol, corrosion inhibitors and other chemicals downhole at high pressure; an application that poses particular challenges.

The HPC015 is designed to accurately and reliably dose chemicals at pressures up to 1,060 bar (15,374 psi) to ensure pipeline integrity and avoid events like plugging, which can halt production.

In addition to safety concerns, offshore platforms cannot afford to stand idle while waiting for a service call to troubleshoot an instrumentation problem, which in many instances requires an onsite visit by a technician. 

Space is at a premium on offshore platforms, which makes the small footprint of the HPC015 suited, and when combined with the Smart Meter Verification capability of the HPC015, a facility can run meter diagnostics and meet regulatory standards without needing to remove the meter from the process line.

The HPC015 is offered in three pressure tiers – 482 bar (6,991 psi), 963 bar (13,960 psi), and 1,060 bar (15,374 psi), which offers added flexibility to setting the correct pressure range for each application.

Caption: Micro Motion High-Pressure Coriolis flowmeters are specifically designed to meet the challenges of ultra high-pressure environments, providing a highly accurate and reliable solution that can withstand the most extreme pressure thresholds