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GLCC Technology

Systems Measurement Services, LP is the industry leader in GLCC technology with over 1000 units installed worldwide.

The Gas Liquid Cylindrical Cyclone, GLCC, was invented by Chevron engineers in the early 1990s. Chevron assigned the patent to the University of Tulsa with the agreement that U of T would form a Joint Industry Project (JIP) to research, develop, and enhance the GLCC technology. SMS joined the JIP in 1998 and has been an active member and technical supporter ever since. SMS uses the U of T proprietary GLCC sizing program as a design tool in the manufacturing and fabrication of our systems.

The GLCC design includes a vertical cylinder with an inclined, tangential inlet for the multiphase flow. The proprietary nozzle design and cyclonic action of the flow, combine gravitational, centrifugal and buoyancy forces to separate the liquids from the gas. The resulting vortex causes the liquids move outward and down in the cylinder, while the gas travels inward and upward through a proprietary mist elimination system. This results in bubble-free liquid and extremely dry gas…excellent for accurate measurement.

Benefits of GLCC Technology:

• Compact separator with a small footprint means minimal environmental disturbance and easy portability.
• Lack or few moving parts means low maintenance and high reliability
• Real-time flow rates of oil, water, and gas allows operators to diagnose well problems quickly, and allows production engineers to optimize production.
• Coriolis metering from Micro Motion and instrumentation from Emerson Process Management ensures world class technology, and accurate, repeatable well tests, resulting in better allocation factors.
• Electronic measurement provides seamless integration into SCADA systems, providing data telemetry and remote diagnostics
• Small footprint and low environmental impact means easy field implementation