Novel application of gas chromatography in measurement of gas flow rate

Abstract Real-time volume flow rate of gas component for slowly changing composition mixtures is of chief importance for some special research applications. However, it is always difficult for us to achieve the goal by sophisticated gas flowmeter. In this study, we demonstrate two methods for the problem solution by the flow measurement of acetylene in unsteady gas flow based on online gas chromatography accompanying with a gas mass-flowmeter. For Method 1, high purity methane is applied as an internal standard and the volume flow rate of acetylene is obtained via coherent equations. Method 2 makes fully use of the online gas chromatography automated integration under fixed gas chromatography work conditions. Results have shown that both methods are feasible and effective, and Method 2 is more accurate than Method 1 with relative error less than 0.7%.