A new meter measures pure hydrogen, hydrogen blends and natural gas

Technology firm Sensirion claims its SGM64xx model is the first gas metering module on the market able to measure any gas mixtures, including pure hydrogen, blends of hydrogen, biomethane and natural gas types H, L, and E.

This means, no meter replacement nor any firmware update will be required for meters that feature the SGM64xx product line when natural gas is gradually or fully substituted with hydrogen.

Since replacing even a small fraction of meters currently in use is significantly more expensive than installing multi-gas-capable meters today, the meter will make the energy transition cost-effective for utilities, according to a statement.

The announcement comes at a time utilities are investing heavily in carbon neutrality, sustainability and technologies and business models that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Energy companies are also investing to prepare current gas infrastructure for the arrival of renewable gases.

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In one example, starting in 2025, all new gas boilers installed in the UK will have to be compatible with pure hydrogen. Similar requirements for gas meters are expected to follow shortly after. With SGM64xx, meters will be ready for whatever the future holds.

The SGM64xx is based on the SGM63xx platform, and extends its measurement capabilities to pure hydrogen. This is achieved via an augmented calibration procedure, which does not introduce any changes to the product’s mechanical, electrical, and software interfaces. Furthermore, the hydrogen flow ranges supported by SGM64xx are three times higher than those of natural gas, which guarantees a compact meter size no matter the hydrogen content, according to Sensirion.

The gas meter modules provide measurement and robustness at ultra-low power consumption levels. Therefore, they are suitable for residential and industrial applications covering flow ranges from G1.6 to G25.

Thermal-mass technology has been proven over the years by more than six million meters in the field and billions of hours of reliable metering.

Two third-party studies confirm the long-term reliability of this technology for applications in extreme environments, according to a statement. These studies investigated gas meters that were in the field for more than a decade. All meters operated well within the accuracy limits set for field operation, and most of them met the requirements placed on brand-new gas meters. The gas meter modules are certified according to the EN 14236 and OIML R 137 standards, with EN 17526 certification on its way, reiterated Sensirion.