Flow Meters
Devices vital for various industrial and commercial applications, flow meters serve to measure the flow of different kinds of media. For exceptionally accurate flow measurements across a wide variety of gases, liquids, and airs, many industries tend to prefer a differential-pressure flow meter. Though these devices can be quite complex, the basic construction of a differential-pressure flow meter is relatively simple. Pressurized fluid flows through a pipe that is constricted in some way (in this case, an orifice plate), creating a pressure differential between the upstream and downstream sides of the constriction. With a basic equation from fluid dynamics, this pressure differential can then be used to calculate the flow rate through the pipe.
Flow meters that measure mass are particularly well-suited for applications demanding accurate control of gas and liquid flows. Such applications are common in many industries, including chemical processing and process control operations. Mass flow meters are reliable—they provide continuous flow measurement without the need for moving parts, which means there's less to go wrong.
FAQs
How does a flow meter measure flow using kinetic energy and pipe sizes?
A flow meter measures flow using kinetic energy by detecting the velocity of the moving fluid within a specific pipe size, converting the kinetic energy into a measurable flow rate based on the fluid's velocity and cross-sectional area of the pipe.
Mag Flow Meter Basics
Flow meters measure the flow of a substance through a pipe. Based on the size of the pipe, the flow meter measures the volume of the substance and how fast it is moving through the pipe.
Mag flow meters measure voltage levels of a liquid that is flowing through a pipe. The Mag flow meter is installed in line with the pipe and the diameter of the pipe should be the exact same size as the pipe carrying the liquid. Within the flow meter piping, there are two field coils located on opposite sides of each other. These field coils will generate an electromagnetic field over the entire cross section of the measuring pipe of the flow meter. Two electrodes that measure voltage are installed in the flow meter on opposite sides of the field coils. These electrodes measure any voltage present in the fluid flowing through the mag flow meter. When fluid starts to flow through the meter, the electromagnetic field will apply a force to the charged particles in the fluid. The positively and negatively charged particles begin to collect on opposite sides of the flow meter piping, forming an electrical voltage. The voltage will be directly proportional to the flow moving through the piping. The higher the voltage, the higher the flow velocity in the pipe. With this information, as well as the cross-sectional size of the pipe, the total volume of fluid that is flowing through the pipe can be calculated.