ABSTRACT
One of the most common types of material measurements in American industry is the determination of fluid quantity, or the measurement of fluid flow rate. Untold sums of money are spent daily on fluid custody transfers that are based upon the “read-out” information from fluid metering devices. The following examples are based upon information available in 1978–1979:
Amounts
Petroleum industry. Worldwide production is 22 billion barrels of crude petroleum per year. In the United States the metering of crude is performed at 650,000 measurement sites by 50,000 employees.
Gas. In the United States, 20 trillion ft3 of natural gas are metered each year, through 42 million fluid quantity devices.
Wastewater discharge. The EPA has issued 90,000 discharge permits to municipalities and industries. New treatment plants cost $6 to $10 billion per year.
Costs
Fluids. The petroleum-refining, chemical, and beverage industries account for $1 trillion per year. The interbasin transfer of water from Mississippi to Texas alone amounts to $1.3 billion per year.
Meters. Fluid flow devices cost $843 million per year.
