It’s easy to choose the wrong flow meter. There are many different meter technologies on the market today, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. These variations in functionality and performance are very important to consider when selecting the most appropriate measurement device for your system. The level of accuracy and performance that operators prefer […]
Flow Meter Calibration Is A Thing Of The Past With The New Industry Standard
Calibrating a flow meter can be a hassle and a headache, but there is a new industry standard in measuring liquid flow that will change your tune. Every so often flow meters need to be calibrated, meaning their performance must be compared to a standard, and the meter’s deviation from that standard must be determined and […]
Types Of Volumetric Flow Meters
Flow meters measure the amount of liquid, gas or vapor passing through a piping system. Most flow meters are designed to measure the velocity, or speed at which the fluid flows through a pipe. They use that information along with the pipe’s inner cross sectional area to calculate volume, or the amount of fluid passing […]
Not All Flow Meters Are Created Equal! Part 2
Now that we have established why the flow meter is the most inaccurate component of the energy measurement system, what does this accuracy/inaccuracy really mean and how does it impact the measurement? Let’s start by defining measurement. What kind of accuracy is required to make a legitimate flow measurement? Let’s break this down into three […]
Not All Flow Meters Are Created Equal!
As energy usage has become a lightning rod for conversation and studies regarding efficiency, the ability to measure and quantify energy consumption has become forefront in the battle to get a handle on what is being used and how efficient or inefficient that use may be. However, before we can truly measure consumption, we really […]
What Your Mother Never Told You About Measuring Steam Flow
Ok, I’m sure your mother never said word one to you about measuring steam flow, but if she had, I’m sure she would have mentioned that setting up your steam system for precise measurement and minimal losses can be a toughy. The issue boils down (see what I did there?) to the measurement technology available […]
Truth in Specsmanship, Part 3
This time I will review the specsmanship of a single turbine insertion style meter. Its manufacturer infers the meter’s performance by once again mixing and matching information in an attempt to project its capabilities beyond what is possible. On the product’s specifications document the manufacturer lists the meter’s accuracy capabilities in three ways shown below: […]
Truth in Specsmanship, Part 2
This installment of “Truth In Specsmanship” will examine the insertion magmeter technology as it relates to turndown. Turndown is the operating range of a given meter, based on the maximum operating velocity, divided by the turndown factor. For example, suppose a meter has a maximum operating range of 30 ft/s and a turndown of 100:1. […]
Truth in Specsmanship, Part 1
Most of today’s flow technologies (paddle wheel, turbines, orifice plates, variable area, pitot tube, vortex, and magnetic) are volumetric, meaning that these devices measure velocity and then calculate volume by using a known cross section area (Velocity (feet/second) x Area (Ft2) = Volumetric flow rate (ft3/s)). In all cases, the higher the velocity the easier […]
Mechanical Flow Meters vs Magnetic Flow Meters
Magnetic flow meters are increasingly taking the place of traditional mechanical flow meter designs. While they both measure the flow of a liquid in a pipe, they do so in different ways. The most common mechanical flow meters are inserted into a pipe and use a turbine, wheel or paddle to measure velocity and then […]