UNDERSTANDING AGA REPORT NO.

10, SPEED OF SOUND IN

NATURAL GAS AND OTHER RELATED HYDROCARBON GASES

Jerry Paul Smith Joel Clancy

JPS Measurement Consultants, Inc Colorado Engineering Experiment Station, Inc (CEESI)
13002 Walnut Lake Rd 2365 240th Street
Houston TX 77065 Garner, IA 50438

Introduction AGA Report No. 10 are an extension of the infor-

The speed of sound in natural gas is the velocity a mation contained in AGA Report No. 8,
sound wave travels in the gas. There are a number of Compressibility Factors of Natural Gas and Other
gas properties that affect the speed of sound and they Related Hydrocarbon Gases and it does contain
include the composition of the gas, the pressure of the excerpts from AGA Report No. 8. This is especially
gas and the temperature of the gas. The American true since the speed of sound is related to the
Gas Association Report No. 10 Speed of Sound in compressibility of the gas.
Natural Gas and Other Related Hydrocarbon Gases
provides an accurate method for calculating the speed Applicable Gas Compositions
of sound in natural gas and other related hydrocarbon The calculations described in AGA Report No. 10 are
fluids. only recommended for gases with characteristics
within the ranges outlined in Table 1. The average
Purpose of AGA Report No. 10 expected uncertainties for gases whose composition
The development of ultrasonic flow meters prompted are within the normal range column will correspond to
the development of AGA Report No. 10. The the uncertainties shown in Figure 1. When the gas
ultrasonic meter determines the speed of sound in the compositions fall within the expanded range, higher
gas as it calculates the flow of gas through the meter. uncertainties can be expected, especially outside of
In order for one to check the accuracy of the speed of Region 1. It is not recommended to use AGA Repot
sound measured by the ultrasonic meter, it was No. 10 outside of the gas composition ranges shown in
necessary to have an accurate method to calculate the Table 1.
speed of sound in natural gas. AGA Report No. 10
was developed to do just that. The speed of sound There is not an accepted database for water, heavy
calculated by the method in AGA Report No. 10 hydrocarbons or hydrogen sulfide in natural gas for
compares very favorably to the speed of sound determining the uncertainties of the calculated gas
determined by the highly accurate research that was properties. Therefore the method in this document is
the basis for the report. The information in AGA only for the gas phase. With that in mind the speed of
Report No 10 is not only useful for calculating the sound calculated by AGA Report No. 10 is limited to
speed of sound in natural gas but also other gas compositions where the mole percent water is
thermodynamic properties of hydrocarbon fluids for below the water vapor dew point, when the mole
other applications such as the compression of natural percent heavy hydrocarbons is below the hydrocarbon
gas and the critical flow coefficient represented by C*. dew point and for pure hydrogen sulfide.

The audience for AGA Report No. 10 is measurement

The application of this method for calculation of the
engineers that are involved with the operation and
speed of sound outside of the ranges shown in Figure
startup of ultrasonic meters, sonic nozzles and others
1 should be verified by experimental tests to insure
that are involved in applying the principles of natural
their accuracy. It is not recommended using this
gas thermodynamics to production, transmission or
calculation method near the critical point. For
distribution systems.
pipeline quality gas that is usually not a constraint
because seldom do pipeline operating conditions come
The methods for calculating the speed of sound in
close to the critical point.
 Table 1 Range of Gas Mixture Characteristics Consistent with AGA Report No. 10
Quantity Normal Range Expanded Range
Relative Density' 0.554 to 0.87 0.07 to 1.52
Gross Heating Value  477 to 1150 Btu/scf 0 to 1800 Btu/set
Gross Heating Value  18.7 to 45.1 MJ/m3 0 to 66 MJ/m3
Mole Percent Methane 45.0 to 100.0 0 to 100.0
Mole Percent Nitrogen 0 to 50.0 0 to 100.0
Mole Percent Carbon Dioxide 0 to 30.0 0 to 100.0
Mole Percent Ethane 0 to 10.0 0 to 100.0
Mole Percent Propane 0 to 4.0 0 to 12.0
Mole Percent Total Butanes 0 to 1.0 0 to 6.0
Mole Percent Total Pentanes 0 to 0.3 0 to 4.0
Mole Percent Hexanes Plus 0 to 0.2 0 to Dew Point
Mole Percent Helium 0 to 0.2 0 to 3.0
Mole Percent Hydrogen 0 to 10.0 0 to 100.0
Mole Percent Carbon Monoxide 0 to 3.0 0 to 3.0
Mole Percent Argon # 0 to 1.0
Mole Percent Oxygen # 0 to 21 .0
Mole Percent Water 0 to 0.05 0 to Dew Point
Mole Percent Hydrogen Sulfide 0 to 0.02 0 to 100.0

* Reference Conditions: relative Density at 60° F, 14.73 psia.

** Reference Conditions: Combustion at 60° F, 14.3 psia; density at 60° F, 14.73 psia
***Reference Conditions: Combustion at 25° C, 0.101325 MPa; density at 0° C, 0.101325 MPa
# The normal range is considered to be zero for these compounds
Calculation Method
The method used in AGA Report No 10 to calculate 6. Calculate the real gas constant pressure heat
the speed of sound is the detailed characterization of capacity at the operating conditions
the gas composition. This limits the use of this 7. Calculate the ratio of heat capacities, cp/cv, at the
document to the methods provided the AGA Report operating conditions

     8. Calculate the speed of sound based on the results
of the preceding steps
The equations that are shown are extremely difficult to 9. Calculate the isentropic exponent, k
solve without the use of a computer. They are best
solved using programs that are available from various Formulas for Calculation of the Speed of Sound
sources. They make the job of calculating the speed As one can see from the formulas on the following
of sound a rather simple task once you have the pages these calculations are for people that are expert
accurate input data outlined in the next paragraph. mathematicians. These equations are duplicated
directly from AGA Report No. 10. The are extremely
The reliability of the calculation results is dependent difficult for people without a degree in mathematics to
on the accuracy of the determination of the perform and then it would take a while if they do the
composition, the flowing temperature and the flowing calculations without the use of a computer. It is
pressure data of the natural gas under consideration. certainly something that most people would not want
The flowing pressure has a lesser degree of an effect to attempt without access to a computer. There are a
on the accuracy of the calculations than changes of the number of commercially available programs that can
same amount in either of the other two inputs. In be purchased and used for these calculations. It is
other words an error of 1 psi in the flowing pressure relatively easy to make the calculations using the
measurement has a much less effect on the accuracy computer programs. The inputs required are a
of the speed of sound calculation than an error of 1 complete gas analysis at least through C6+ or higher,
degree in the flowing temperature measurement. the flowing pressure and the flowing temperature.

A description of the calculations that are required for Ultrasonic Meter Operation
determining the speed of sound follows. These are An ultrasonic meter uses transducers to create sound
included to give one the idea of the complexity of the pulses that travel across the flowing gas stream both
equations. There are several partial derivatives solved with the flow and against the flow of gas. The
during the computation. Five of these partial difference in the transit times can be used to calculate
   ZT, BT, 2ZT2 2BT2 and the velocity of the gas in the pipe. The speed of sound
Zȡ The formulas for these calculations are shown in the gas can be calculated by dividing the distance
below. between the transducer faces, known as path length,
by the time required for a pulse to travel that distance.
The general procedure for computing the speed of The path lengths are measured very accurately in the
sound at the flowing or operating conditions is as manufacture of the meter. One of the meter
follows: diagnostics is comparing the speed of sound
1. Input the operating temperature (T), the determined by the meter to the theoretical speed of
operating pressure (P) and the gas composition sound in the gas as calculated by AGA Report No. 10.
2. Calculate the molar mass of the mixture
3. Calculate the compressibility and density of the As mentioned earlier, the three inputs to the equations
fluid at the operating conditions are gas composition, flowing pressure and flowing
4. Calculate the ideal gas constant pressure heat temperature. Below is a table that demonstrates what
capacity at the operating temperature effect a change in the temperature and a change in the
5. Calculate the real gas constant volume heat pressure can have on the calculation of the speed of
capacity at the operating conditions sound. The gas composition used for these
calculations is the Gulf Coast Gas shown in Table 3.
 TEMP → 30°F 31°F 35°F 40°F 60°F 70°F 90°F 100°F 120°F
PRESS ↓
200 PSIG 1351.1 1352.6 1358.5 1365.9 1394.4 1408.3 1435.1 1448.1 1473.4
201 PSIG 1351.0 1352.5 1358.4 1365.8 1394.3 1408.2 1435.0 1448.0 1473.4
202 PSIG 1350.9 1352.4 1358.3 1365.7 1394.3 1408.1 1434.9 1448.0 1473.3
205 PSIG 1350.5 1352.0 1358.0 1365.4 1394.0 1407.9 1434.8 1447.8 1473.2
210 PSIG 1350.0 1351.5 1357.5 1364.9 1393.6 1407.5 1434.4 1447.5 1472.9
500 PSIG 1321.6 1323.4 1330.4 1339.1 1372.4 1388.4 1418.9 1433.6 1461.9
501 PSIG 1321.5 1323.3 1330.3 1339.0 1372.4 1388.3 1418.9 1433.6 1461.9
502 PSIG 1321.4 1323.2 1330.3 1338.9 1372.3 1388.3 1418.8 1433.5 1461.9
505 PSIG 1320.7 1323.0 1330.0 1338.7 1372.1 1388.1 1418.7 1433.4 1461.8
510 PSIG 1320.7 1322.5 1329.6 1338.3 1371.8 1387.8 1418.5 1433.3 1461.7
1000 PSIG 1296.3 1298.4 1306.8 1317.1 1356.2 1374.6 1409.7 1426.4 1458.3
1001 PSIG 1296.3 1298.4 1306.8 1317.0 1356.2 1374.6 1409.7 1426.4 1458.3
1005 PSIG 1296.2 1298.4 1306.7 1317.0 1356.2 1374.7 1409.7 1426.4 1458.4
1010 PSIG 1296.2 1298.3 1306.7 1317.0 1356.2 1374.7 1409.7 1426.5 1458.5

Table 2 Speed of Sound in Ft/Sec

From Table 2 above, one can see that the speed of nearly as much as does a corresponding change in the
sound is affected much less by a small pressure temperature. Stated another way, a 1 PSI change in
change than it is by a small temperature change. For pressure does not affect the speed of sound calculation
example, a one pound change in pressure from 200 nearly as much as a 1 degree change in the
PSIG to 201 PSIG only changes the speed of sound by temperature. The speed of sound determined by the
0.1 ft/sec, if at all whereas a temperature change of meter should agree with the speed of sound calculated
one degree Fahrenheit can change the speed of sound by using AGA Report No. 10 within ±0.2%.
at 200 PSIG from 1.5 ft/sec to as much as 2.1 ft/sec at
1000 PSIG. At pressures in the 1000 PSIG range it The composition of the gas used to calculate the speed
can require more than a 10 PSI change in pressure to of sound in Table 2 above is the Gulf Coast Gas
cause the speed of sound to change by 0.1 ft/sec. composition from AGA Report No. 10. This
composition was determined by averaging a large
This shows that if a calculated speed of sound is used number of gas samples collected by various
to verify that the speed of sound determined by your companies that operate facilities both onshore along
meter is correct, you must have very accurate the Gulf of Mexico Coast and offshore in the Gulf of
temperature measurements. The pressure is also very Mexico. The GRI reference compositions of the Gulf
important in calculating the standard volumes but a Coast Gas, the Ekofisk Gas, the Amarillo Gas and Air
change does not affect the speed of sound calculation are shown below in Table 3.
 Components in Gulf Coast Ekofisk Amarillo Air
Mole Percent Gas Gas Gas
Speed of Sound
@14.73 & 60°F 1412.4 1365.6 1377.8 1118.05
Gr 0.581078 0.649521 0.608657 1.00
Heating Value 1036.05 1108.11 1034.85
Methane 96.5222 85.9063 90.6724
Nitrogen 0.2595 1.0068 3.1284 78.03
Carbon Dioxide 0.5956 1.4954 0.4676 0.03
Ethane 1.8186 8.4919 4.5279
Propane 0.4596 2.3015 0.8280
i-Butane 0.0977 0.3486 0.1037
n-Butane 0.1007 0.3506 0.1563
i-Pentane 0.0473 0.0509 0.0321
n-Pentane 0.0324 0.0480 0.0443
n- Hexane 0.0664 0.0000 0.0393

Table 3 Reference Gas Compositions

A comparison of how the composition of a gas affects amount of n-Hexane. The Ekofisk gas also has five
the speed of sound in the gas is shown in Table 4. The times the amount of propane and the other
comparison is made at several pressures and components are also greater except for the hexanes
temperatures. The composition of the Ekofisk gas has and the Methane which is only 85.9063 mole percent
a high Ethane content, nearly 8.5 mole percent as compared to 96.5222 mole percent in the Gulf Coast
compared to the Ethane content of 1.8 mole percent in gas. As one can see from the values in Table 4, there
the Gulf Coast gas. The Ekofisk gas has no hexanes can be a significant difference in the speed of sound
and heavier hydrocarbon components whereas the calculated for the same conditions when the gas
composition of the Gulf Coast gas contains a small composition is changed.

30° Gulf 60° Gulf 120° Gulf

7HPSĺ Coast 30° Ekof Coast 60° Ekof Coast 120° Ekof
3UHVVĻ
200 PSIG 1351.1 1260.3 1394.4 1301.8 1473.4 1377.1
201 PSIG 1351.0 1260.2 1394.3 1301.7 1473.4 1377.1
205 PSIG 1350.5 1259.6 1394.0 1301.2 1473.2 1376.8
210 PSIG 1350.0 1258.9 1393.6 1300.6 1472.9 1376.4
500 PSIG 1321.6 1220.0 1372.4 1270.6 1461.9 1358.7
501 PSIG 1321.5 1219.9 1372.4 1270.5 1461.9 1358.7
505 PSIG 1320.7 1219.4 1372.1 1270.2 1461.8 1358.5
510 PSIG 1320.7 1218.8 1371.8 1269.7 1461.7 1358.2
1000 PSIG 1296.3 1180.0 1356.2 1241.7 1458.3 1345.5
1001 PSIG 1296.3 1179.9 1356.2 1241.7 1458.3 1345.5
1005 PSIG 1296.2 1179.8 1356.2 1241.7 1458.4 1345.5
1010 PSIG 1296.2 1179.8 1356.2 1241.6 1458.5 1345.5
Table 4 Comparison of Speed of Sound in Gulf Coast Gas
and Ekofisk Gas at Same Conditions
Figure 2 below shows the speed of sound for the Gulf speed of sound varies with the changes in temperature
Coast gas mixture plotted for four different and pressures. This covers a large span of the normal
temperatures and for pressures from near 0 PSIA to operating pressures and temperatures except for most
1500 PSIA. In this figure you can clearly see how the gas storage operations.

Figure 2 ± Speed of Sound in 0.58 Gr "Gulf Coast" Gas below 1500 psia

Figure 3 below shows the speed of sound in four different compositional mixtures at various pressures.
different gasses including air from near 0 PSIA to Air, being composed of primarily of nitrogen, carbon
1500 PSIA at 60°F. This demonstrates in graphical dioxide and oxygen is included as a reference.
form how the speed of sound varies for gasses with

Figure 3 ± Speed of Sound in Various Gases at 60° F

As stated previously, one of the diagnostics available (along with the other available diagnostics), the
in the ultrasonic meter is the speed of sound calculated   ! 
by the meter. One meter manufacturer also has the health and functionality. Advanced users trend this
ability to connect to pressure and temperature data over time to observe any potential drifts
transmitters, as well as a gas chromatograph and bring occurring in the ultrasonic meter. A drift in the
those inputs into the meter electronics. The meter !  "  calculation can point to a
software then uses the AGA 10 calculation method, number of potential problems including deposit
along with pressure, temperature and gas composition buildup on the wall of the meter or face of the
to compute a theoretical or calculated speed of sound. transducers, liquid inside the meter, or possibly a
The AGA 10 calculated speed of sound is then transducer that may be beginning to fail. Figure 4
      !  " . $&& " !"&  that does a
This comparison is one of many diagnostics available    "  !  " 
in the ultrasonic meter. By using this diagnostic compared to the AGA 10 calculated speed of sound.

Figure 4 ± Ultrasonic Meter Software Plotting Meter Speed of Sound vs. AGA 10 Calculated Speed of Sound
Summary

AGA 10 was conceived following the development the AGA Report No. 10 document, users can
and wide use of ultrasonic meters for custody transfer accurately calculate speed of sound and, in turn,
measurement. AGA Report No. 10 provides the compare the calculated speed of sound to that of
equations and calculation methods necessary to devices such as ultrasonic meters for diagnostic
compute the speed of sound in natural gas and other purposes.
hydrocarbon gases. By using the equations laid out in
 References
1. AGA Report No. 8, Compressibility Factors of
Natural Gas and Other Related Hydrocarbon
Gases, 2nd Printing, July 1994
2. AGA Report No. 9, Measurement of Gas by
Multipath Ultrasonic Meters, Second Edition,
April 2007
3. AGA Report No. 10, Speed of Sound in Natural
Gas and Other Related Hydrocarbon Gases,
January, 2003