Flow Meters
Flow meters are instruments that can measure the amount of fluid, gas or steam that passes through a pipe or channel. They have different methods of measuring flow rates, such as linear, nonlinear, mass or volumetric. They use the speed of the fluid or the change in kinetic energy to find out the flow rate. The speed depends on how much pressure difference there is between the two ends of the pipe or channel. The area of the pipe’s cross-section is fixed and known, so the average speed shows the flow rate.
There are many types of flow meters that can be used for different purposes. Some of the most common ones are: Turbine flow meter, Differential pressure flow meters, Variable area flow meters, Positive displacement flow meters, Magnetic flow meters, Ultrasonic flow meters, Vortex flow meters, Coriolis flow meters, Thermal mass flow meter.
Turbine flow meter is a device that converts the speed of a fluid or gas into a flow rate is called a turbine flow meter. It can measure the flow of liquids and gases for different purposes, such as custody transfer, aerospace, and cryogenic. Reinhard Woltman invented it in the 18th century. A turbine flow meter works by spinning a rotor faster as the flow rate increases, and counting the pulses generated by an electrical pickup. The flow rate is then calculated from the pulse frequency. A turbine flow meter usually measures volumetric flow rate, which is how much fluid or gas passes through an area in a time period.
Turbine flow meters have many benefits. They can handle a wide range of flow rates and applications. They are easy to use, install and maintain. They are also durable and versatile.
Differential pressure flow meters: These meters find out the difference in pressure between two points in a pipe to calculate the flow rate.
Variable area flow meters: These meters use a narrow tube with a float inside to measure the flow rate.
Positive displacement flow meters: These meters measure the volume of fluid that goes through them by trapping it in a chamber and then moving it through the meter.
Magnetic flow meters: These meters use a magnetic field to measure the speed of a conductive fluid.
Ultrasonic flow meters: These meters use sound waves to measure the speed of a fluid.
Vortex flow meters: These meters use the idea of vortex shedding to measure the speed of a fluid.
Coriolis flow meters: These meters use the Coriolis effect to measure mass flow rate directly
Thermal mass flow meter is a device that measures flow by using heat transfer. It works by applying a heat source to the fluid or the measuring tube and measuring how much heat is exchanged with the fluid. The main gases that can be measured are compressed air, nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and others. Thermal mass flow meters are useful for processes that depend on the mass ratios of the reactants, such as chemical reactions. They can measure the mass flow of compressible vapors and gases without being affected by changes in pressure or temperature.
