Flow Meter Types & Their Functions

Welcome to the Blue-White guide to flow meters and their functions. Flow meters are devices used to measure the flow of fluids, such as fuel, water, and other liquids. They are essential for many industries and applications, including industrial process control, medical diagnostics, and energy management. This guide will provide an overview of the different types of flow meters available from Blue-White and information on how to use and maintain them properly.

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Flow Meter

A flow meter is a device used to measure the flow rate or quantity of a gas or liquid moving through a pipe. Flow meters measure the volumetric or mass flow rate of a liquid or gas. They are used to measure how much of a substance passes through a pipe over a period of time. Flow meters can measure flow in many applications, including water, oil, fuel, air, and steam.

They have applications in many industries, including water treatment, heating and air conditioning, industrial manufacturing, process control, and waste management.

For Starters, What is Flow?

Flow is a term used to describe the movement of materials or energy from one place to another in a continuous and organized manner. This can refer to the flow of fluids such as water, gas, and oil. Flow is an important concept in engineering and manufacturing in understanding how systems and processes work.

Water supply and district heating pipes are common places to observe closed conduit flow. Even drinking straws are a simple but efficient example of this. The flow rate here is largely determined by the pressure difference between the two ends, the distance between them, and the area of the conduit. Additionally, the hydraulics of the pipeline &#; such as its shape, roughness, and bends &#; also have an impact. All these factors come together to create the rate of flow.

Ranges of Flow Pressure

Flow pressure measures how much force is needed to move a liquid or gas through a system. It is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI) or kilopascals (KPa). The flow pressure range can vary greatly depending on the type of system, the size of the pipes, and the type of liquid or gas being pumped. For example, a residential water system typically operates at a much lower flow pressure than an industrial system. Flow pressure can also be increased or decreased by changing the size of the pipes, the number of fittings, and the type of pump.

Ranges of Temperature

Any flow will also have a temperature, with the typical range in most industries where they are used being from -40°F to +400°F (-40°C to +204°C). And to measure this, flow meters are designed to measure the flow rate in fluids with a wide range of viscosities, temperatures, and pressures. Flow meters can also detect changes in flow rates and can be used to detect leaks or other irregularities in the system.

Another term is thermal flow measurement, which reads how much heat is transferred while a gas passes a surface. The two main measurements taken with regard to temperature are simple readings via a temperature sensor and a heated flow sensor that measures the heat transfer from the flow of any given material inside the system.

Differential Pressure Flow Meters

Differential pressure flow meters employ the Bernoulli Equation, which states that a fluid&#;s pressure decreases while its speed increases. These types of flow meters report the difference between the two measurements. The first measurement causes a shift in kinetic energy when the air is forced through a hole in the flow meter, which is then measured by the second element.

The sub-types of differential pressure flow meters are rotameters / variable area flow meters, orifice plates, venturi flow meters, and pitot tube flow meters. These meters measure the pressure difference between two points, allowing for a precise calculation of the fluid flow rate.

Rotameters / Variable Area

A variable area flow meter is a differential pressure flow meter. Variable area flow meters are simple, versatile, and cost-effective devices that operate at a relatively constant pressure drop and measure liquids, gases, and steam flow. The variable area flow meter is popular for industrial and commercial flow indication because it has a linear scale, a relatively long measurement range, and a low-pressure drop &#; plus, they are simple to install and maintain.

Orifice Flow Meter

The orifice plate flow meter is a differential pressure flow meter used in clean liquid, gas, and stream mass flow measurements. It is available for a wide range of pipe sizes and allows for measuring fluid flows in larger pipes (over 6&#; in diameter).

Venturi Flow Meter

Venturi flow meters allow the fluid to flow through a constricted section of pipe called a throat, where a pressure difference is created. The liquid speeds up and creates a pressure differential as it passes through, which is then used to calculate the volumetric flow rate of the fluid. Venturi meters are often used in applications requiring high precision levels with large volumes of liquid at low-pressure drops. They&#;re also suitable for liquids with a high solids content. Additionally, they are relatively easy to install because they have no moving parts. They can be fitted via flanged, welded, or threaded-end fittings, making them a popular choice for many applications.

Positive Displacement Flow Meter

A Positive Displacement Flow Meter is a device that measures the flow rate of a fluid by measuring the amount of fluid that is displaced by a series of chambers or rotors. This type of flow meter is highly accurate, durable, and efficient and is commonly used in industries such as oil and gas, food and beverage, and chemical processing.

PD or Positive Displacement flowmeters utilize a rotating mechanism within a precision-engineered chamber to capture fluid pockets, like filling a beaker with liquid and pouring it down an aisle, counting each fill.

• Reciprocating Piston Meter:

A reciprocating piston meter is a positive displacement flow meter that measures the volumetric flow rate of liquids and gases. It consists of a chamber with a piston, an inlet and an outlet valve, and a pressure transducer. The piston is driven by an external power source, such as an electric motor, magnetic field, or pneumatic cylinder, and moves back and forth in the chamber. As the piston moves, it displaces a fixed volume of liquid or gas, and the flow rate is calculated based on the speed of the piston and the volume displaced. The inlet and outlet valves open and close to control the flow rate, and the pressure transducer measures the pressure inside the chamber.

• Oval-Gear Meter:

An oval-gear meter is a positive displacement flow meter that measures fluid or gas flow through two oval-shaped gears with close-fitting teeth. The gears are connected to each other and are placed in a chamber that has a known volume. As the fluid or gas passes through the chamber, the gears rotate, and the volume of the chamber is displaced. The displacement of the volume is measured, and the flow rate of the fluid or gas is calculated.

• Nutating-Disk Meter:

A nutating-disk flow meter works by passing fluid through a disk that is mounted on a shaft, which is connected to a motor. The disk is free to rotate around the shaft as the fluid passes through, causing the disk to rotate, or nutate, at a rate proportional to the flow rate. The rate of rotation and nutation is then measured and converted into a flow rate.

• Rotary-Vane Meter:

A rotary-vane flow meter uses a rotary vane, a type of impeller, to create a pressure differential across the meter, which is then used to calculate the flow rate. The inner part of the rotary vane meter consists of several vanes, each connected to a central shaft. As the fluid passes through the meter, the vanes rotate, causing a series of gears to turn. The gears are connected to a mechanical counter that records the total flow rate. The rotary vane meter is highly accurate and reliable, often used in the automotive industry to measure fuel and oil flow rates. The rotary vane meter is also used in medical applications, such as anesthetic delivery systems. The design of the rotary vane meter allows it to be used in a wide range of temperatures and pressure ranges.

Mass Flow Meter

Mass flow meters measure the mass of a material that passes through the system in a given period of time. They measure the mass per unit of time, typically expressed in kilograms per second (kg/s). Mass flow meters measure the speed and density of the material as it passes through the device. This data is then used to calculate the mass flow rate. Mass flow meters are typically used to measure the flow of liquids, gases, and solids in industrial processes, such as the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Coriolis flow meters are the most popular mass flow meters used in industries today.

Blue-White Flow Meters For Any System

Flow meters are an incredibly important and versatile tool for measuring the flow of liquids, gases, and solids in a variety of industries. There is an ideal meter for any application, from ultrasonic flow meters to variable area flow meters.

Blue-White has you covered when it comes to fluid control processes. We manufacture industrial-grade flow meters that are accurate and robust, so you can depend on them to keep your processes running smoothly, safely, and cost-effectively. From rotameters / variable area flow meters to paddlewheel flow meters to ultrasonic flow meters, all our products are Made in the USA and ready to ship! Get peace of mind by knowing your flow meters are reliable and of the highest quality. Trust Blue-White for all your flow meter needs.

In this article, you will get some basic idea of how a flow meter works.

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There are many types of flow meters available for use in industrial automation. Depending on the product to be measured, whether it be liquid or gas, some basic principles apply to how the meters work.

Let&#;s take a Magnetic Flow Meter or mag meter. The measured liquid must be water based or conductive. This makes the mag meter a great choice for waste water or process water that is considered fouled or dirty.

Mag meters are volumetric meters that have no moving parts. This is ideal for those areas where you wouldn&#;t want to be exposed to the measured liquid while working on the meter.

The way a mag meter works is based on a formula called Faraday&#;s formula. Firstly, again, the liquid must be conductive. A voltage is measured that is dependent on the average velocity of liquid times the strength of the magnetic field times the length of the conductor (this is the distance between the electrodes).

This is all that wonderful science stuff, you know like E = m × c 2. It&#;s Einstein&#;s theory of relativity. We&#;ve all heard of or seen the equation. Many of us don&#;t know what it means however, the people that do know how to use the equation have used it to for both benefit and detriment, eg: the atom bomb.

We don&#;t need to know Faraday&#;s formula to use a mag meter. We don&#;t necessarily even need to know what that formula is, we just know that whomever invented the mag meter used the formula to produce a signal voltage that can be measured by your automation process.

While mag meters work based on Faraday&#;s formula, other flow meters work in different ways. For instance, a mechanical flow meter has some moving, internal parts which may not fit with specific applications such as dirty water that carries large particles that may cause damage or obstruct the internal parts.

The mechanical flow meter has a rotational device inside such as a paddle wheel or a propeller. Liquid flowing through a pipe causes the rotation of the internal paddle, which creates a flow rate that is proportional to the rotational speed of the internal paddle.

The mechanical flow meter is easier for laymen to understand. Peddling a bicycle slowly moves you slowly, while pedaling quickly will move you much faster. Direct correlation between how fast the pedals rotate (therefore wheels) and how fast you go down the road. No formula needed, just pedal faster, move faster.

Same principle as the internal paddle, the faster it is rotating, the more flow going through the pipe which in turn, sends a graduated signal to your PLC.

That&#;s the simplified version but there are other factors that the manufacturer takes care of for you. Piping size, water temperature, etc, all go into a formula that will correlate the rotational speed with a unit measurement such as gallons per minute.

Yet still, there are other types of flow meters. There&#;s vortex, which measures vortices, essentially, a sensor tab will bend and flex from side to side as the vortex passes. The bend and flex action will then produce an output frequency that is proportional to volumetric flow.

There are also ultrasonic flow meters.

The principle behind these meters is that an ultrasonic signal is transmitted downstream or in the direction of the flow while another signal is transmitted upstream. The delta or differential time is used to calculate the velocity of the liquid. That velocity is then used to calculate the volumetric flow through the pipe.

As you can see, there are many types of flow meters for various applications. You don&#;t really need to know the formulas and science behind the scenes but hopefully we have given you some idea of how a flow meter works.

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