Endress+Hauser Flow-X Gas and Liquid Flow Computer

The Endress+Hauser Flow-X is a high-performance flow computer designed for demanding custody transfer, fiscal and allocation metering applications. It provides gas and liquid volume, mass and energy conversion, together with event logging, parameter logging and reporting functions. The Flow-X platform can be configured for different metering applications and installation requirements, making it suitable for both onshore and offshore measurement systems.

Flow-X is designed to work as the central computing and control component of a flow metering system. It receives measurement signals from flowmeters, pressure and temperature transmitters, gas chromatographs and other field devices, then performs the required calculations and volume conversions for accurate measurement and reporting.

Flow Computer for Custody Transfer Metering

The Flow-X is particularly suited to custody transfer measurement, where accurate calculation, data integrity and compliance with international metering standards are essential. It supports metering configurations compliant with standards and regulations including MID, OIML and AGA, making it suitable for commercial measurement of natural gas, LNG, liquid hydrocarbons and other process fluids.

Depending on the configuration, a Flow-X module can support up to four gas or four liquid meter runs. Multiple modules can also be combined to create larger metering systems, with the overall station supporting up to eight meter runs.

Gas and Liquid Volume, Mass and Energy Calculation

Flow-X performs advanced flow calculations required for modern metering systems. Its measuring and calculation functions include:

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  Gas volume conversion
  
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  Liquid volume conversion
  
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  Mass calculation
  
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  Energy calculation
  
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  Flow measurement calculations
  
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  Event logging
  
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  Parameter logging
  
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  Measurement reports
  

These functions allow Flow-X to serve as a central flow computer for gas metering and liquid metering systems, reducing the need for separate calculation and data-management equipment.

Wide Flowmeter and Instrument Compatibility

The Flow-X supports a broad range of flow measurement technologies and manufacturers. Preconfigured MODBUS mapping is available for instruments including Endress+Hauser FLOWSIC600, FLOWSIC600-XT and FLOWSIC900, as well as Endress+Hauser Promass 300/500, ABB CoriolisMaster, Honeywell Q.Sonic, Emerson Micro Motion and Krohne ALTOSONIC V12. Other instruments can also be integrated using individual mapping.

The flow computer can also communicate with common gas chromatographs, allowing gas composition data to be incorporated into flow and energy calculations. Supported gas chromatographs include Endress+Hauser ENERSIC600, ABB NGC8200 series, Siemens Maxum and other commonly used systems.

Flexible Flow-X Configurations

The Flow-X family is available in different configurations for different metering system requirements:

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  Flow-X/P — multi-run flow computer with local touchscreen operation
  
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  Flow-X/S — cost-efficient solution for flow computing applications
  
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  Flow-X/C — compact configuration for metering applications
  
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  Flow-X/M — modular flow computer configuration
  

The modular design allows users to select the appropriate hardware configuration according to the number of meter runs, I/O requirements and installation environment.

Advanced Inputs, Outputs and Communication

Flow-X provides extensive I/O capabilities for integrating flowmeters and measurement transmitters. Depending on the configuration, it provides high-accuracy analog inputs, HART inputs, pulse inputs, digital status inputs, RS485/RS232 interfaces and Ethernet communication.

The system also provides analog outputs, digital outputs, pulse outputs and frequency outputs for process control and metering applications. Ethernet connectivity enables remote access through TCP/IP, supporting convenient configuration, monitoring and data management.

Data Integrity and Diagnostic Functions

For custody transfer applications, measurement data security and system reliability are critical. Flow-X incorporates a real-time clock, hardware and software watchdog timers, memory protection and a mechanical tamper switch to help protect application settings and important metering parameters.

The Flow-X can also be configured with redundant connections and redundant flow computer operation, supporting high availability in critical metering installations.

Flow-Xpress Configuration Software

The Flow-Xpress software is used for configuration and parameterization of Flow-X flow computers. It provides a convenient interface for setting up metering applications, configuring parameters and managing flow computer installations.

Typical Applications

Endress+Hauser Flow-X can be used in a wide range of industrial flow computing and metering applications, including:

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  Custody transfer gas measurement
  
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  Custody transfer liquid measurement
  
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  Fiscal metering
  
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  Allocation metering
  
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  Natural gas metering
  
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  LNG measurement
  
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  Flare gas measurement
  
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  Hydrogen measurement
  
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  CO₂ measurement
  
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  Process fluid measurement
  
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  Loading and unloading systems
  
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  Onshore and offshore metering stations
  

This broad application range makes Flow-X a suitable flow computer for oil and gas metering, LNG metering, natural gas measurement and industrial custody transfer systems.

Key Features

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  Gas and liquid flow computer
  
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  Designed for custody transfer and fiscal metering
  
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  Gas volume, liquid volume, mass and energy calculation
  
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  Up to 4 meter runs per module
  
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  Up to 8 meter runs per station
  
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  Supports ultrasonic, Coriolis and other flowmeter technologies
  
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  Supports gas chromatographs
  
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  MID, OIML and AGA compliant configurations
  
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  Extensive analog, digital, pulse and serial I/O
  
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  Ethernet and TCP/IP connectivity
  
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  Remote access capability
  
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  Intelligent data logging and reporting
  
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  Tamper protection and system monitoring
  
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  Flow-Xpress configuration software
  
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  Suitable for onshore and offshore applications