Abstract: A system for operating a flow meter in a pipeline includes at least one flow conditioner or mixer installed in a pipeline; at least one volumetric flow meter installed downstream from the at least one flow conditioner or mixer for measuring velocity of a fluid in the pipeline; a pair pressure transmitters for measuring fluid pressure at a first side and a second side of the at least one flow conditioner or mixer; and a flow computer, connected to the pair of pressure transmitters and to the at least one flow meter. The flow computer includes 1) at least one database having experimental Reynolds number data for the at least one flow meter for a plurality of fluids, and 2) a processor having programmable logic for calculating viscosity of a fluid in the pipeline and operating the flow meter when the fluid in the pipeline changes.

Abstract: A method for measuring fluid flow within a fluid flow pipe includes partitioning a fluid flow within a pipeline with a nozzle bank, wherein a predetermined number of stepped nozzles is open; measuring the fluid flow in at least one partitioned fluid stream with at least one mass flow device; and calculating a total fluid flow within the pipeline. The nozzle bank includes a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle having a single step at about 1 throat diameter from an inlet plane of the nozzle, wherein the single step is an increase corresponding to about 10% of the throat diameter and has a length of about throat diameter/2.

Abstract: A method for measuring fluid flow within a fluid flow pipe includes partitioning a fluid flow within a pipeline with a nozzle bank, wherein a predetermined number of stepped nozzles is open; measuring the fluid flow in at least one partitioned fluid stream with at least one mass flow device; and calculating a total fluid flow within the pipeline. The nozzle bank includes a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle having a single step at about 1 throat diameter from an inlet plane of the nozzle, wherein the single step is an increase corresponding to about 10% of the throat diameter and has a length of about throat diameter/2.

Abstract: A perforated plate flow conditioner includes a central hole; and at least one outer array of alternating large outer holes and small outer holes, wherein the difference between the diameters of the holes in the array is between 0.25% and 25% of the large hole diameter. In an alternate embodiment, the conditioner further includes an inner array of alternating large inner holes and small inner holes, and wherein no two adjacent holes have the same diameter. In another alternate embodiment, the conditioner has no central hole, and has an array of alternatingly-sized holes.

Abstract: A perforated plate flow conditioner includes a single acoustic feedback interference device having an upstream end attached to a downstream side of the perforated plate. The upstream end covers substantially all of the downstream side of the perforated plate between two adjacent holes. The volume of a downstream end of the interference device is less than the volume of the upstream end. In another embodiment of the invention, the upstream end of a single acoustic feedback interference device covers substantially all of the spaces between a central hole and all of the surrounding adjacent holes In another embodiment of the invention, all of the spaces between adjacent holes are substantially covered by upstream ends of acoustic feedback interference devices.