Metrology for LNG custody transfer and transport fuel applications

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a strategic and, in case of long distances, more economical alternative for pipeline natural gas. LNG is seen as the only alternative for diesel fuel for heavy duty transport (trucks, ships), with a better CO2 footprint and less noise produced by the engine. To enable the large scale roll-out of LNG as a transport fuel, a well established metrological infrastructure for LNG has to be realized. Within the framework of the EMRP Joint research Project ENG60 “Metrology for LNG” (LNG II), a number of metrological challenges are faced. The goals are to provide traceable mass and volume flow calibrations up to 400m3 LNG/h, to improve and validate sampling techniques for composition measurements, to improve the measurement of the LNG density and to prepare and validate an algorithm for the determination of the methane number. This paper gives an overview of the objectives that have been achieved and it provides an outlook to future activities that will be performed within a.o. the EMPIR 16ENG09 LNG III project