With energy waste and costs on the rise, building owners and facilities managers have adopted submetering practices to gain granular control over utility costs. Traditionally, commercial buildings were viewed by utilities as a single "customer", relying on building managers to track energy output and consumption of each individual tenant. This approach is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but ultimately, unfair to individual tenants.

From a cost perspective, the practice of submetering allows property managers greater accuracy and flexibility, enabling landlords and property managers to meter the usage of each individual tenant - and bill them exactly for the services used. This approach ensures equitable billing, encourages conservation, yields happier, more satisfied clients, and generally lowers costs for everybody involved.

From a conservation standpoint, studies have shown that submetering is one of the most effective ways to reduce energy consumption in multifamily and multitenant buildings. When properly implemented and adopted, submetering can often produce a 20 to 40% decrease in energy consumption on an annual basis. To support these efforts - the energy metering industry has responded with a broad range of submetering products for water, gas, oil, and electric energy measurement, across a broad range of property configurations.

A typical submetering system consists of a single meter to measure usage for the specific utility (oil, gas, water, electricity) for each unit, combined with a wireless telemetry system to send real time data to a centralized computer system for remote reading. A third party billing company is normally used to read the meter data and interpret and format a bill that can be sent to individual tenants. These submetering techniques can be used on new construction or to retrofit older buildings with aging infrastructure.

Typical applications for submetering include residential apartment buildings, condominiums, universities, shopping malls, commercial buildings and other large public facilities. Submetering benefits are clear:

• More fair and equitable billing means greater tenant satisfaction

• More accurate, efficient billings means higher profits and lower operating costs for building owners

• Greater energy conservation, means overall energy costs for all

With global pressure for energy conservation continuing to rise, submetering will play an increasingly critical role. Not only will submetering enable utility companies to accurately monitor energy use and reduce waste, but allow residents and businesses greater visibility into resource consumption, helping reduce energy costs on a global scale.

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There are a variety of economic and environmental factors that are influencing changes in the water management industry. Water scarcity, rising costs, technology, and conservation mandates are all forcing the adoption of better, more effective water management trends and techniques. These new trends are helping flow management professionals and facilities engineers to remain relevant, and competitive in an uncertain global economy.

Some of the more critical factors influencing the water management industry include:

• Aging infrastructure, which is prone to leaks, blockage, and breakage, needs updating to facilitate accurate detection and measurement. Modern flow measurement equipment in conjunction with infrastructure upgrades can help reduce maintenance and overall cost of ownership.

• Trends in Green Architecture are enabling a shift to more efficient, environmentally friendly flow measurement systems. The expansion of both residential and commercial buildings has made a dramatic impact on the environment. By adopting a practice of greener, sustainable architecture and design - the negative impact of building and operating commercial facilities such as hospitals, factories, universities, and government buildings can be greatly reduced.

• Automation technology has helped lower costs and improve efficiencies by eliminating many traditional manual processes involved in flow measurement. The introduction of wireless technology has enabled comprehensive remote measurement and reporting that wasn't possible with traditional mechanical equipment. New sciences for advanced meter reading (AMR) and metering infrastructure (AMI) have helped eliminate manual functions while improving accuracy, and automated the detection of outages, tampering, and equipment malfunctions – while boosting accuracy of reporting and billing.

• Product improvements through the use of ultrasonic technology. New ultrasonic meters have been specifically engineered for water metering applications where traditional, water meters have failed. They employ cutting-edge digital signal processing (DSP) and have virtually eliminated the need for moving parts dramatically reducing maintenance, and wear and tear on the equipment. This critical factor helps maintain system accuracy over extremely long periods of time.

How Ultrasonic Flowmeters Work

Ultrasonic water meters represent a new trend in modern water metering in both commercial and residential installations. A typical ultrasonic water meter consists of a sensor and an electronic console. The sensor has two ultrasonic transducers (A and B) built into its body. Each transducer functions as both ultrasonic transmitter and receiver. The electronic console operates the two transducers by alternately transmitting and receiving a burst of sound energy and measuring the transit time that it takes for sound to travel between the two transducers. The difference in the transit time measured is directly and exactly related to the velocity of the water in the pipe. The flow rate is calculated from the measured velocity and the pipe's inner diameter.

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Global warming, pollution, population growth, and other environmental influences have forced us to look at water usage with a critical eye. With heating and cooling of facilities accounting for close to 40% of worldwide energy use - and agricultural water use on the rise, finding ways to reduce the impact on our water shed has fueled trends in smarter, more efficient water management and metering technologies.

Key drivers for smarter water solutions include:

• Changing weather patterns and global warming have brought about longer, more frequent droughts causing water scarcity problems throughout the world

• Aging infrastructure of our irrigation, construction, and utilities and associated technologies demand more cost and maintenance

• Basic drinking water infrastructure and pipes are aging and/or deteriorating

• Stricter water standards and environmental impact regulations, particularly for the waste water treatment industry

Industry analyst such as IDC suggest that in the coming years smart water investments will exceed $3 billion across the globe, due to the unarguable relationship between energy and water. Known all too well by facilities managers and maintenance professionals, this relationship is explained by the energy-water nexus which states"It takes a large amount of energy to extract, treat, store, and transport water, and at the same time, a large amount of water is used in the production of energy, particularly as cooling water for power plants."

So what can be done to meet these requirements and satisfy these emerging requirements for smarter, more efficient water treatment and water management solutions?

Solutions

Successfully meeting market demand for smart water management solutions are being approached in several ways. Trends toward AMI (advanced metering infrastructure) and AMR (automatic meter reading) – rely less on manual processes and reporting and more on the use of integrated technologies for fuller more accurate measurement and reporting. Industry vendors are also responding to these market needs by providing smart water metering technologies, which enable more accurate billing and costing, more efficient water management and conservation, and reduction in carbon footprints. Another method is achieved by combining smarter technologies and products with improved internal business processes, enabling smarter, more efficient water management practices. In addition, newer technologies for detailed and real-time data reading, as well as the use of predictive analytics to improve and promote better water conservation are on the rise.

What role can energy measurement vendors play in this trend? Many flow measurement companies are meeting this demand with the development of more accurate, economical water measurement solutions utilizing cutting-edge ultrasonic technology combined with advanced signal processing technologies for more accurate, energy efficient results.

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Portable Ultrasonic Flow Meters

Portable flow meters pack a lot of power into a small package and are ideal for HVAC, meter verification, flow surveys and other closed-pipe applications. Compact and easy-to use, you can hold and operate these units with one hand. Handheld flow meters utilize a clamp-on fixture design making measurement extremely easy even in the most difficult environments.

Wall-Mount Clamp-on Ultrasonic Flow Meters

Ideal for flow measurement at fixed locations, clamp-on flow meters offer outstanding capabilities for accurate liquid flow measurement from outside of a pipe. Despite their portability, they offer NIST-standard performance up to 1% accuracy. Clamp-on meters are widely used in water resource management, chemical processing, hygienic liquid processing, high-pressure flow, and other applications where non-intrusive measurement is a must.

Wall-Mount Insertion Ultrasonic Flow Meters

Designed for installation at a fixed location for long-term flow measurement without maintenance, insertion flow meters provide strong signal strength and exceptional signal quality. Accuracy as high as 0.5% can be achieved when properly calibrated.

Wall-mount Flow-cell Ultrasonic Flow Meters

High accuracy combined with plug & play performance, these flow meters offer excellent long-term stability and zero maintenance and can be installed directly into the pipeline. A great, reliable, flow meter that can be easily installed and operated.

Solar Powered Ultrasonic Flow Meters

For flow measurement applications in remote area where electrical power is not easily accessible, solar-powered flow meters are the ideal solution to a difficult problem. These flow meters have a self-contained solar panels and batteries, and provide low-power consumption for a long, maintenance-free life. Because they are usually installed in rural, rugged environments for long periods of time between servicing, all components, except transducers, are often housed in weather -proof, secure enclosure.

Ultrasonic Thermal Energy Meters

Used to obtain accurate thermal energy measurement of a liquid-based thermal energy production / transferring system, their non- intrusive design minimizes pipe cutting, moving parts, leaks, contamination, and pressure drop. Thermal energy meters are a perfect instrument for improving HVAC/building energy efficiency, energy production and transfer, and monitoring geothermal or solar-thermal systems.

Ultrasonic Heat Meters

Today's next-generation BTU meters are designed for residential and commercial applications, and utilize the latest technology in ultrasonic flow measurement. Their advanced designs have no moving parts and provide reliable, wear-free, stability over time. With a long life span typically reaching 15 years or more, heat meters usually include an automatic meter reading (AMR) system, allowing you to easily manage building resources.

Ultrasonic Water Meters

Ultrasonic water meters offer cost effective water measurement over a wide range of commercial and residential applications. A high measurement dynamic and zero moving parts offer wear-free water measurement, precision, stability, and a very long service life.

Magnetic Flow Meters

Magnetic flowmeters are designed for liquid applications where accuracy is a critical requirement. Magnetic flow meters are commonly used to measure the volume of conductive liquids, such as water, sewage (including raw sewage), slug, salt water, acid, alkali, and others.

This post is shared by spiremt.com, which is a leading supplier of digital and ultrasonic flow meters, ultrasonic heat meters, magnetic flow meters and more. For more information visit at www.spiremt.com

Today's advanced ultrasonic flow meters enable the accurate measurement of liquid flow across a wide variety of process control, water resource management, and energy consumption applications. But for accurate measurement in even the most remote areas, the use of wireless or GPRS Telemetry is becoming more common to enable consistent monitoring of water and other liquids where it wasn't possible before.

GPRS or General Packet Radio Services is a wireless communication service that is used for the wireless, continuous transfer of data. This technology has been widely adapted for use by water management professionals for tracking and monitoring water and other liquids in remote terrains where traditional instruments would prove impossible to implement and maintain.

The benefits of wireless telemetry in flow measurement applications are clear; specifically they allow for the accurate, continuous measurement even in the absence of electricity or alternative power supplies. These systems can be run on batteries which can be replaced over extended periods of time, or, can operate by small solar panels when they are installed in open, outdoor locations. The power and flexibility of wireless telemetry provides a foundation for continuous and consistent data signaling and capture, 24/7.

Basic System Components

GPRS-based data management systems offers accurate, affordable solutions for remote metering of flowmeters, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, level sensors, BTU meters, etc., in real-time. Some of these systems provide web-based reporting and data visualization via secure portal or a mobile device. Typical components of a GPRS Telemetry flow metering system can include:

1. Wireless meter

Ultrasonic or magnetic meters with built-in GPRS wireless modem, automatically transmiting flow data to the data center on a regular basis. A SIM card can be inserted into the modem, with proper support of GPRS data service from your mobile service provider.

2. GPRS Wireless Service

Provided by your cell phone company, the GPRS technology transmits data from the meter to the data center server via wireless connection. Each meter requires a wireless connection by inserting a SIM card into the wireless modem of the meter.

3. Data Center Server

The GPRS wireless network sends meter data to the data center server, which provides data security, UPS and backup protection, static IP address, gateway, and firewall protection. The server software automatically collects data from all the remote meters, and saves data to a standard SQL database.

4. Interface Software

This software communicates with the data center server via the Internet, and displays data through a graphical interface, where it can be viewed, saved, manipulated, and out for print.

5. Web Portal (optional)

Secure customer portals can be deployed so that data can be viewed anytime, anywhere from remote computers or secure mobile devices.

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The most commonly used ultrasonic flowmeter is the transit-time, single-path flowmeter due to its proven accuracy, flexibility, and low cost. Depending on the applications, the selection of the right type of flowmeter may vary. You may need to answer the following questions before making the final decision.

1. Is the pipe full? All ultrasonic flowmeters require that the pipes being measured are full of liquid. There are some effective approaches and available work-arounds for working with partially-full pipes, be sure to consult with the manufacturer or a factory trained technician.

2. Does the liquid have particles more than 200ppm and a particle size larger than 75um (the number may be different for different manufacturers)? If yes, you might want to consider using the Doppler principle.

3. Does the liquid temperature (particularly high heat applications) fall into the transducer temperature range?

4. Press range in the pipe (if you selected a wetted transducer)?

5. What is the desired level of measurement accuracy? In general, multi-path provides more accurate measurement than single path transducers, flow cell is better than insertion, and insertion is better than clamp-on. However, if you have on-site calibration facility, the story will change.

6. Do you want the capability of moving the flowmeter instrument from one location to the next? If so, consider a portable/clamp-on solution.

7. What output signals do you need? Analog? Digital? RS232? Data logger?

8. What are your safety requirements and considerations? Not all flowmeters can meet the specific safety requirements of all applications, be sure to consult with the manufacturer or a factory trained technician.

9. What is your pipe size range? Pipe material? Lining? Age?

10. What is your flow rate range?

11. Do you have enough straight pipe length? In order to guarantee the desired accuracy, it is normally recommended to have straight pipe equal to 15 times your pipe diameter at the measuring site. If there is a pump or valve on the upstream, the straight length should be increased.

12. What is your budget?

For More Information

Every flowmeter manufacturer utilizes these standard technologies and principles. As a result, there are a variety of brands on the market, and almost all flowmeter vendors provide some level of application expertise or professional services group that can answer your questions. Regardless, a thoughtful combination of quality, accuracy and cost should be the guiding criteria when selecting a manufacturer or manufacturer's rep.

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Today's advanced ultrasonic flow meters enable the accurate measurement of liquid flow across a wide variety of process control, water resource management, and energy consumption applications. To select the right ultrasonic flowmeter for your specific liquid application, you must first understand the four basic ways in which ultrasonic flowmeters are classified.

1. Measurement principle: Transit-time vs. Doppler

Transit-time flowmeters are based on the time difference between upstream and downstream sound propagation intervals, and provide one of the most reliable and time tested measurement principles available to date. This approach provides very good accuracy (±1-2%), and works well for clean flow applications or flow with minor particles. Applications include pure water, sea water, wash water, sewage, process liquids, oils, chemicals, and any homogeneous liquids which are capable of ultrasonic wave propagation.

Doppler flowmeters are based on the Doppler Effect. They work well with suspension flows where particle concentration is above 100ppm and particle size is larger than 100um, but less than 15% in concentration. Doppler is easier to make and less accurate (±5%), thus, it is cheaper than a transit-time flowmeter.

2. Device Portability: Handheld vs. Wall-mount

Handheld (or portable) flowmeters are effective for flow survey, HVAC, and other applications where mobility is a critical requirement. Some handheld flowmeters can be deployed as long-term measurement solutions when and if the environment is accommodating.

Wall-mount (or fixed installation) flowmeters are more suitable for applications such as process control and long-term continuous flow monitoring. The instrument enclosure is often weather-resistant or explosion-proof. These types of meters are usually cheaper than handheld devices because they are normally ordered in large quantities.

3. Transducer installation: Clamp-on vs. Wetted

Clamp-on flowmeters are non-intrusive, easy to install and easy to maintain. The transducers are mounted outside of a pipe, and don’t require the cutting or drilling of the actual pipe. Clamp-on transducers are nonintrusive and therefore cause no pollution or pressure drop in the liquid being measured.

There are two varieties of wetted flowmeters, insertion and flow cell (inline type). Insertion flowmeters require the pipes to be drilled to install the transducers. However, a number of manufacturers provide hot-tapping tools which allows for the transducer installation without depressurizing the pipe or shutting down the flow.

Flow cell, also called spool piece are installed in line with the pipe, through the use of special pipe fittings. The transducers are pre-installed on the flow cell, thus, installation errors are kept to a minimum. In general, wetted transducers provide better accuracy and long-term stability over clamp-on varieties, but usually cost more.

4. Transducer scheme: Single-path vs. Multi-Path

Single-path flowmeters utilize one pair of transducers to form one ultrasonic path to intercept the flow in a pipe. It is suitable for small and medium size pipes. For larger pipe sizes, shorter straight pipe runs and greater accuracy, multi-path transducer installation is a good option. Multi-path flowmeters are traditionally more expensive than a single-path flowmeters, and are often implemented in applications such as custody transfer where accuracy is of paramount important.

This post is shared by spiremt.com, which is a leading supplier of digital and ultrasonic flow meters, ultrasonic heat meters,magnetic flow meters and more. For more information visit at www.spiremt.com