Technology Demonstration Brings New Calibration System a Step Closer to Market

Potential business partners got the chance to see an innovative new calibration system in action at a technology demonstration event which took place over two days at the end of September. The event was supported by the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC) and attracted 35 participants.

“We gave presentations on the new system and its method of operation was explained,” says Flow Measurement Consultant Craig Marshall, who has developed the system as part of the engineering doctorate he is carrying out with Coventry University. “Participants also had a tour of our facilities and got an opportunity to see the system in action and to observe real-time data being processed.”

The new calibration system has been developed to help support the measurement of heavy oil and will improve the accuracy of differential pressure meters. It is specific for meters in single phase flow conditions that are characterised by low Reynolds numbers. It is capable of measuring flow, density, viscosity and Reynolds number in real-time.

“People were very interested in the system,” says Craig. “As a result, I have meetings arranged to progress partnerships for taking the device to market. There is still development work to be done to get to a commercial end product, but I am confident that with the support of industry we will all meet our goals.”

Participants at the demonstration event included representatives from companies and organisations that could be end users of the new system and from a number of meter manufacturers. Various academic groups also came to the event, including researchers from the universities of Coventry, Strathclyde and the West of Scotland.

The event was a development of work that Craig has been undertaking during 2017 to research the commercialisation of the new calibration system. This work received an ICURe (Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research) innovation grant of £35k.