November 2016, Vol. 243, No. 11
TechNotes
Why Smart Gas Metering Solutions is the Need of the Hour
For natural gas companies, there is growing pressure to deliver more energy, increase profitability and minimize financial losses. Greater expenditures are needed to ensure system integrity and replace aging infrastructure. Operators must also reduce operating costs and tightly control capital budgets. This requires optimization of the distribution infrastructure used to deliver natural gas to households and commercial and industrial (C&I) consumers.
- Higher operating costs impacts business performance and profits
- Increased risks to assets poses threat to operational reliability and uptime
- Limited data availability makes too difficult to determine asset health
- Technology obsolescence limits efficiency and productivity improvements
Adopt Future-Ready Technology
Regulators and consumers alike are pressuring gas industry companies to improve the way they monitor and report gas consumption so they can better address environmental and efficiency concerns. Firms are beginning to realize the operational savings they can achieve from smart metering technologies and related processes.
Honeywell’s smart metering solution that’s future-ready for emerging technologies like the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and provides a host of valuable productivity benefits. With new technologies, gas transmission and distribution customers get the full value from the to operate safely, make better decisions and act quickly by more efficiently delivering crucial asset data from operations to enterprise.
The IIoT-ready portfolio range from advanced electronic volume correctors and collaboration software to robust meter data management systems that turn operational data into valuable knowledge and provides a host of valuable productivity benefits:
- State-of-the-art PTZ gas volume corrector
- Highly accurate rotary gas meter
- Advanced 4G low-power wireless modem
- Innovative configuration and calibration software
- Powerful meter data management software
Local gas distribution companies utilize PTZ gas volume correctors to convert gas volume from operating conditions to reference pressure and temperature conditions. They are a key element in the gas value chain – from the meter to billing data. Honeywell’s EC 350 PTZ Gas Volume Correctors are intended to simplify and optimize custody transfer and industrial measurement. This new electronic corrector platform offers best-in-class accuracy, expanded memory, advanced diagnostics and integrated cellular communications
Gas distribution demand gas meters with exceptional performance and reliability. Rotary gas meters are characterized by extended measuring ranges and compact dimensions. They ensure high accuracy, even if the gas flow is low or irregular. The Honeywell Elster® Rotary Gas Meter is based on proven technology, with advanced features to meet tomorrow’s requirements
For gas operators deploying gas volume correctors in MDM/AMI applications, the use of an integrated vs. external cellular radio device simplifies installation, configuration and set-up, while improving operational efficiency and reliability. By optimizing low-power consumption and fast booting and connection to the network, this design also contributes to long battery life.
Designed for battery-powered applications and outdoor operations, the Cloud Link 4G Modem is an easy to configure and troubleshoot wireless cellular modem. Integrated with the EC 350 volume corrector and MiWireless product line, it is fully field-programmable and simple to use through its short-range wireless communication or serial interfaces, and associated set of programming software.
Companies involved with gas transmission and distribution are responding to market conditions with a renewed focus on improving efficiencies and cutting costs. In particular, they need standardized terminology making it easy to configure and calibrate instruments, import data, and generate reports and graphs- eliminating time-consuming manual effort.
Honeywell’s new MasterLink provides a single software package to configure, calibrate and access data from gas volume correctors. Its intuitive dashboard enables users to quickly determine the overall health status of the instrument and make the most of digital innovation and mobile technology.
Gas industry firms need to effectively store, transport and deliver gas globally to meet rising demand. Gas metering data must be collected more frequently and in smaller increments. The trend toward smart metering demonstrates the importance of Meter Data Management (MDM) in realizing the full potential of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).
Investing in smart grid and AMI solutions is one thing, but capitalizing on the wealth of valuable data they provide is something else. Success hinges on advanced MDM technology, which can deliver meter data throughout the enterprise and turn it into valuable knowledge. Honeywell’s PowerSpring® data collection and software suite allows for easy, browser-based user interaction with remote monitoring and data management assets.
This integrated portfolio provides seamless connectivity and 24/7 access to critical data and diagnostics across the gas transmission and distribution chain. IIoT connectivity gets more data to more people, more quickly. Strict cybersecurity and IT data security guidelines keep connections controlled, secure and safe. Combined with advanced software and support for mobile devices, it delivers more insight into the operation, increased productivity from workers, and simpler maintenance and servicing – onsite and remotely
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