Elster Launches Q.Sonic Plus Ultrasonic Gas Meter in North America

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AGA Operations Conference -- Elster (NYSE: ELT) today introduced the Q.Sonic Plus, its newest ultrasonic gas flow meter, to the North American market. The commercial meter features a patented six-path (16 measurement chords) configuration technology, making it the first ultrasonic meter in the United States to provide this level of advanced and precise gas flow measurement.

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With self-monitoring software, the Q.Sonic Plus also provides automatic updates on all diagnostics, providing continued accuracy even after long periods of operation. The Q.Sonic Plus is designed primarily for gas transmission lines, including shale gas, and has the capability to operate with both upstream and downstream applications.

The gas meter also delivers several highly-engineered capabilities and features, many of which are the first to reach the U.S. market, including:

Self-Monitoring Metering

The new Q.Sonic Plus meter performs automatic 'health checks' on all diagnostics and provides status updates, basic alerts and warnings on the meter's performance. Q.Sonic Plus simplifies monitoring by distilling a large amount of data into simple concise "Go" or "No Go" status, instructions or actions. The advanced six-path configuration with 16 chords allows the Q.Sonic Plus to view the entire gas flow as no other ultrasonic meter has in the past, thus visualizing and accounting for flow profile, swirl, asymmetry and turbulence, providing long-term accuracy and early dirty meter detection.  

Enhanced Accuracy

The Q.Sonic Plus' patented path configuration technology provides comprehensive measurement of gas flows as well as an in-depth understanding of process operating conditions. A fully symmetrical layout of four swirl paths with double reflection and two single reflection paths enables the ultrasonic gas meter to measure both swirl and asymmetry with supreme precision as acted upon by dirt and grime build-up and change in flow profile.

"Ultrasonic gas meters provide some of the industry's highest levels of accuracy for gas flow measurement," said Roy Sutterfield, president, Elster Gas North America. "With the Q.Sonic Plus, Elster is introducing the industry's most comprehensive self-diagnosing ultrasonic meter and once again raising the bar for gas metering technology. By measuring nearly every molecule of gas that flows through it, and empowering users with the self-monitoring intelligence required to identify potential problems, the Q.Sonic Plus is changing the standard of gas flow measurement accuracy and reliability."

Additional features of the Q.Sonic Plus include:

• Fiscal Metering: Designed to perform fiscal metering for natural gas transmission, distribution, storage and production, the Q.Sonic Plus features an enhanced all-metal-encapsulated, intrinsically safe transducer technology, with retractable transducers under pressure.
• Noise Reduction: The Elster meter also offers new signal cross correlation techniques with wet gas filter capabilities as well as coded multiple burst (CMB) transmission to combat valve noise and other acoustic influences encountered in today's modern applications.
• New Touch Screen: The Q.Sonic Plus includes a built-in touch screen display for local meter status indication as well as the ability to instantly visualize operational diagnostics locally. The built-in active pressure and temperature measurement for meter body correction provides highly accurate geometry correction and improved Reynolds correction.

Elster is demonstrating the capabilities of the Q.Sonic Plus ultrasonic gas flow meter at booth #600 at the American Gas Association's Operations Conference & Biennial Exhibition, being held May 24 – 27, 2011 in Nashville, TN.

About Elster

Elster (NYSE: ELT) is one of the world's largest electricity, gas and water measurement and control providers. Its offerings include distribution monitoring and control, advanced smart metering, demand response, networking and software solutions, and numerous related communications and services – key components for enabling consumer choice, operational efficiency and conservation. Its products and solutions are widely used by utilities in the traditional and emerging Smart Grid markets.  

Elster has one of the most extensive installed revenue measurement bases in the world, with more than 200 million metering devices deployed over the course of the last 10 years. It sells its products and services in more than 130 countries across electricity, gas, water and multi-utility applications for residential, commercial and industrial, and transmission and distribution applications.

For more information about Elster, please visit www.elster.com.

SOURCE Elster