The Value & Versatility of Handheld Ultrasonic Flow Meters

Posted on Monday, 28 January 2013 by

Todays handheld ultrasonic flow meters are engineered to deliver fast, non-intrusive flow and BTU measurement across a broad array of pipe sizes and applications for water, waste water, heating, cooling, and other liquid flow applications.

These new meters are completely portable and rely on clamp-on sensors to effectively perform non- intrusive measurements on flow, temperature and heat energy/BTU consumption on pipes ranging from 0.5” to 120” in diameter. Many of these new products range in size from 12 lbs. to as little as 1lb, but provide large data logging storage, rich analog input/output options and comprehensive on-site diagnostic features. “Smart” capabilities via Bluetooth interface together with companion software can provides onsite connectivity to a smart phone or PC for fast data downloading, and detailed data visualization and analysis.

Many of these new portable flow meters like the one mentioned above use transit-time measurement, where the system utilizes a pair of sensors that function as the ultrasonic transmitter and receiver. The sensors are installed on the pipe wall, either clamped on the outside of the pipe or inserted into the pipe at a predetermined distance from one another. The flow meter operates by alternately transmitting and receiving a coded burst of sound energy between the two sensors and measuring the transit time it takes for sound to travel between the two sensors. The difference in the transit time is directly related to the velocity of the liquid in the pipe. The flow rate is then calculated based on the transit-time difference, the geometry of the pipe and the fluid dynamics formula.

The sensors are commonly mounted with the Z-method or V-method. With the Z-method, the two sensors are installed on opposite sides of a pipe. This method offers a shorter sound path, thus, better signal strength, and is often used for large size pipes where signal strength is critical. With the V-method, the two sensors are installed on the same side of a pipe. The sound path is doubled, thus, the measurement accuracy is better. This method is often used for small and medium size pipes.

Portable flow meters are designed to be so compact that you are able to use one hand to hold and operate the meter. The user interface is usually back-lit and easy to read in dark environments. The unique clamp-on fixture design makes the installation easy without needing specialized tools.

Portable ultrasonic flow meter devices are good choices for flow survey, meter verification, pump checking, HVAC balancing, facility management and other demanding flow monitoring applications where measuring the liquid flow from outside of a pipe is preferred . Examples of other suitable applications include:

  • Water, including hot water, chilled water, city water, sea water and more.
  • Sewage and drainage water with small particle quantity
  • Oil, including crude oil, lubricating oil, diesel oil, fuel oil, etc.
  • Chemicals, including alcohol, acids and more.
  • Solvents
  • Beverage and food processors
  • HVAC hot and cool water, water/glycol solutions
  • Water and waste treatment
  • Power plants (nuclear, thermal & hydropower) heat energy boiler feed water
  • Metallurgy and mining applications (e.g., acid recovery)
  • Marine operation and maintenance
  • Pulp and paper
  • Pipeline leak detection, inspection, tracking and collection
  • Energy measurement and balancing
  • Water distribution network monitoring
  • Energy consumption supervision and water conservation management

This post is shared by spiremt.com, which is a leading supplier of digital flow meters , and water meters. Here you may get the portable ultrasonic flow meter at very affordable price.

The Basics of Liquid Ultrasonic Flow Meters

Posted on Tuesday, 8 January 2013 by

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:

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.

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. 

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.

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 ultrasonic heat meters, and water meters. Here you may get the portable ultrasonic flow meter at very affordable price.


Economic and Environmental Impact of BTU Measurement

Posted on Tuesday, 11 December 2012 by

With the growth of LEED initiatives and greener architectural approaches, thermal energy consumption and conservation have become critical areas of focus for facilities managers and building owners. Not only do today’s BTU technologies focus  on reducing costs – but leverage new investments in clean energy systems using  solar hot water, geothermal, wind energy, and other sources.

An outburst in population has led to the growing expansion of both residential and commercial buildings. If not constructed in a thoughtful manner, commercial development can have a dramatic impact on the environment.  We may not realize it, but the manufacturing of building materials combined with the construction and operations of these buildings contribute a great deal to the quality of human and environmental health. Sustainable architecture not only influences the environment, but can have a huge impact on the global economy as well. By adopting a practice of green, 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.  In a world where buildings account for close to 40% of worldwide energy use, reducing the impact can have positive effects on communities, and entire countries.

The main question that arises as a result is, what role can energy measurement play in this trend?

It is obvious that accurate thermal energy metering is essential for successfully achieving these goals. Companies should take the initiative and develop accurate as well as economical BTU measurement solutions.

The ultimate solution is to use a 280T BTU meter which dwells on utilizing cutting-edge ultrasonic technology combined with patented signal processing technologies for accurate and extremely economical results. Combined with a pair of carefully calibrated PT1000 temperature sensors, the 280T performs fast, accurate BTU consumption calculations according to EN1343 / OIML R75 standards.

With no moving parts to jam or corrode, the 280T meter maintains its accuracy, staying maintenance free even in the most challenging heating and cooling applications. This  kind of heavy-duty industrial environments would even bring traditional mechanical BTU's  to a halt.

The 280T gets its power from a compact battery having an extended life provision. The meter is basically a plug and play type and requires no configuration. It also features various optional interfaces such as RF wireless, pulse, M-Bus, Modbus, BACnet, and more. It can be easily integrated into any BMS or AMR system.

Using a well-integrated system will not only help you achieve your purpose to build a greener environment, but will also lend you simpler solutions. The technology not only  provides system solutions for AMR/AMI automatic metering, but also takes care of the billing prospects as well.
This post is shared by spiremt.com, which is a leading supplier of ultrasonic flow meters, ultrasonic heat meters, electrical energy meters and more. For more information visit at www.spiremt.com

How To Choose The Best Ultrasonic Flow Meter For Your Business?

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A device used to measure the rate of flow or the quantity of a liquid or gas flowing through a channel is termed as a flow meter. There are many types of flow meters available in the market which include mechanical flow meters, like rotary pistons and gear meters. Then there are pressure-based meters such as venture and cone meters. Lastly there are optical flow meters and a commonly used form is Ultrasonic Flow Meter. Monitoring the flow of utilities such as water, or mining to measure the flow of lubricants, water and sludge or slurries find the use of such meters. There are a few factors that define the choice of a good flow meter that comes handy and is portable as well. They are:

Firstly, the factor considered should be the type of usage the meter has to perform. On this basis the meter suiting for the purpose should be picked. Alongwith this the considerations on how the flow rate will be measured is also kept in mind. There are two types of Ultrasonic Flow Meters available. They are:
Transit-time type
Doppler flow meter

The first kind measures the flow rate by determining the difference in transit time of ultrasonic pulses that are transmitted into and against the flow of the substance being measured. High accuracy is associated with this meter and s best used to measure flow rate of substances with little impurities such as water,sea water,sewage and oils.
The second type measures the flow rate by determining the Doppler Shift within the material. This is not that accurate as compared to the first one. They are basically used for measuring substances having high impurities.

The next criteria is to see whether the meter will be mounted to the wall or a Handheld Ultra sonic Flow Meter. The handheld ones are better for applications that require measurements to be made for a short period of time in different places. Examples are surveys of flows or heat monitoring, ventilation and air conditioning utilities in buildings. For a long term measuring or monitoring purpose a mounted one is the best.

Lastly, the installation factor determines the choice. These are also of two types and can be installed in two ways. Firstly, they can be simply clamped on the line to be measured. They are non-intrusive and are much easier to maintain and install. Secondly, wetted flow meters require drilling into the pipe or installation within the pipe. They are more accurate than the first one, but have problems in terms of repair and maintenance.

The above criteria's should be considered before choosing the perfect Ultrasonic Flow Meter for your business to thrive and prosper. Each and every meter is different and measures accordingly.

Want to discharge your old analog meter with a new energy meter. Looking for assistance? Visit SpireMT.com for solutions related to all the queries on Ultrasonic flow meters or digital flow meters 

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