Gas meters monitor the flow of fuel, such as propane or natural gas, and are used by utility companies to determine usage and charge users. There are different types of gas meters, each with a separate mechanism to measure usage. Gas volume is difficult to measure accurately due to changes in heat and pressure. The most common type of gas meter for residential homes is a diaphragm gas meter, while industrial companies prefer orifice gas meters. Advanced gas meters, such as ultrasonic gas meters, require computer programming to work properly.
A gas meter is a device that monitors the amount of fuel, such as propane or natural gas, flowing through a specific pipe. Utility companies that provide gas services use meters to determine usage and charge users accordingly. Some industrial facilities use gas meters as a means of monitoring the flow, usage, and performance evaluation of a piping system. There are many different types of gas meters, each of which use a separate mechanism to measure usage.
Gas is very different from other measurable liquids. Highly susceptible to changes in heat and pressure, gas volume can be difficult to measure accurately. Gauges must be customized to accommodate factors such as heat and pressure in order to provide accurate readings.
Most residential homes are supplied with gas by utility companies using a form of metering called a diaphragm gas meter. These meters have special moving parts — diaphragms — that expand or contract as gas flows through them. Each time they expand or contract, it pushes the dial or usage measurement bar slightly higher. These meters are quick and easy to read and are usually checked once a month or every two months by gas company employees.
Rotary meters are somewhat similar to membrane gas meters, but have a different measuring mechanism. Instead of using expanding or contracting parts, they allow gas to flow through a chamber with spinning rotors. As the press rotates, data is transmitted to a counter. The measurement given by a rotating gas meter is actually based on the amount of revolutions completed by the rotors.
While not always accurate, an orifice gas meter is preferred by many industrial companies because it is simple to replace and has only one key part. The device consists of a straight tube in which the gas is directed around a carefully designed flow disturbance, almost like a rock in a stream. The gas pressure on the disturbance is used to create the usage reading.
Some advanced types of gas meters actually require computer programming to work properly. Ultrasonic gas meters do not measure how much gas is used, but instead obtain usage information by measuring sound waves in pipes. The speed of sound changes with volume, so accurate readings of flow and quantity, as well as pressure readings, can be taken using this type of measurement. Ultrasonic gas meters are often connected to computers rather than having manual readings, as the necessary calculations are quite elaborate.
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