High accuracy p-rho-t measurements up to 200 MPa between 200 K and 500 K using a compact single sinker magnetic suspension densimeter for pure and natural gas like mixtures

Highly accurate density data is required for engineering calculations to make property estimations in natural gas custody transfer through pipelines. It is also essential to have accurate pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) data for developing equations of state (EOS). A highly accurate, high pressure and temperature, compact single sinker magnetic suspension densimeter has been used for density measurements. First, the densimeter is calibrated against pure component densities for which very reliable data are available. After validating its performance, the densities of four light natural gas mixtures that do not contain components heavier than hexane and two heavy gas mixtures containing hexane and heavier components having fractions more than 0.2 mole percent were measured. The light mixtures were measured in the temperature range of 250 to 450 K and in the pressure range of 10 to 150 MPa (1450 to 21,750 psi); the heavy mixtures were measured in the range of 270 to 340 K and in the pressure range of 3 to 35 MPa (500 to 5,000 psi). Out of those, the data for only four light natural gas mixtures have been presented in the dissertation due to confidentiality agreements that are still in force. A force transmission error and uncertainty analysis was carried out. The total uncertainty was calculated to be 0.11%. Data calculated in this work is compared with the current industry standard EOS for natural gas systems (AGA8-DC92 EOS) and GERG EOS, which is the most recently developed EOS for natural gas systems. The data measured as a part of this research should be used as reference quality data, either to modify the parameters of AGA8-DC92 EOS and GERG EOS or to develop a more reliable equation of state with wider ranges of pressure and temperature.