Natural Gas Swirl Flow Meter

Two trigger conditions. First, the straight-pipe constraint: the LUXB needs 3× DN upstream and 2× DN downstream of clean pipe; about 70 % less than a Karman vortex meter’s 10D / 5D baseline. In a retrofit M&R station with valves, tees, and reducers clustered tight, the swirl is often the only option that fits without a major spool-piece rework. Second, low-density or hydrogen-blend gas: the inlet swirl generator forces a repeatable precession period that stays linear at low density, where Karman shedding behind a bluff body gets weak and noisy. Both meter classes ship with built-in T, P, and compressibility correction and output Nm³/h directly. With 10D of clean upstream pipe and no low-density requirement, vortex is usually the lower-cost choice.

CNEX Ex d IIC T6 Gb (flameproof, Zone 1, gas group IIC, surface-temperature class T6) ships as standard for hazardous-area orders; confirm the zone on the quote. The flameproof housing contains any internal arc or hot surface so the meter cannot become an ignition source for the surrounding atmosphere; this is the preferred Ex protection for Zone 1 and Zone 2 outdoor M&R stations in most gas-industry codes. IP65 / IP66 / IP67 ingress protection is available. EMC compliance to the EU Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2014/30/EU (Annex II) ships as standard, covering EN IEC 61000-6-1, -6-2, -6-3, -6-4, EN IEC 61000-3-2, and EN 61000-3-3.

Yes; every LUXB ships with built-in temperature, pressure, and compressibility correction. The integrated flow computer converts the precession period into standard-condition volume (Nm³/h) and outputs that number directly on the 4-20 mA loop, RS485 Modbus, HART, or 4G IoT channel. No external multivariable transmitter is needed and no SCADA-side correction is required. Provide the latest gas chromatograph analysis at quote time and the meter is factory-calibrated against that gas composition at the working pressure and temperature on the order. The local LCD shows working-condition flow, standard-condition flow, totalizer, instantaneous pressure, and temperature on the same screen.

Pipe sizes run DN15 to DN400 (½″ to 16″); DN15 to DN200 in the standard flanged dimensional series and DN250 to DN400 in the large-diameter stainless-steel series. Pressure classes step through PN16 / PN25 / PN40 / PN64 / PN100 / PN160 / PN250 (1.6 to 25 MPa), with ANSI 150 / 300 / 600 / 900 / 1500 / 2500 LB equivalents. Medium temperature has three ranges: T1 (-45 to +80 °C, the natural-gas model standard), T2 (-45 to +250 °C), T3 (-45 to +350 °C). Most M&R-station and city-gas distribution applications land in the DN50 to DN200 range at PN16 to PN64 / ANSI 150 to 600; the integral LUXB-S transmitter is the lowest installed-cost configuration in this range.

Yes; the LUXB Series covers natural gas, biogas / digester gas, hydrogen, compressed air, nitrogen / oxygen, LPG vapor, steam, and industrial liquids on the same precession swirl principle. For biomethane (>96 % CH₄, post-upgrade) treat as natural gas with the standard 316L wetted parts. For raw biogas / digester gas streams that may carry H₂S, Hastelloy C wetted parts are the corrosion-resistant option (the same body the biogas model uses). For hydrogen-blend natural gas, the swirl principle handles low-density mixtures where Karman shedding degrades; flag the H₂ fraction at quote time so the engineering team can confirm the material spec. The meter ships factory-calibrated against the gas composition on the order.

Significant on retrofit projects. The LUXB needs 3× DN upstream and 2× DN downstream of clean pipe; the same numbers apply across straight pipe, 90° elbow, concentric reducer, and concentric expander disturbances. An upstream valve adds 2D, taking the upstream requirement to 5× DN. A Karman vortex meter on the same line position would need 10D upstream and 5D downstream as a baseline. For a DN100 station downstream of a 90° elbow, that is a 0.7 m clean-pipe reduction upstream and a 0.3 m reduction downstream; roughly a 1.0 m total spool reduction, which is often the difference between a drop-in retrofit and a full skid expansion. For new builds with uncluttered piping, the straight-run advantage is worth less and vortex remains competitive.

5–7 business days from the factory for every configuration in this model; DN15 through DN400, integral or remote transmitter, with or without compressibility correction. Engineering review on the configurator submission turns around within 4 business hours and locks the LUXB 13-position model code before production starts.