Explain Advantages and Cost of Water Flow Meters
A water flow meter is a device you can use to measure the quantity or the amount of water moving through a channel or pipe. There are various water flow meter types available in the market, and your kind of application will determine the flow meter you would like to use.
The maintenance needs and the cost of water flow meters also determine the ones you will use in your application. However, all the water flow meter types usually have a unique working principle, particular benefits of the application, and the general cost of ownership.
The water flow meters usually come in four primary forms. You may be wondering which type can best suit your application. Here are the four types, which you can always choose from depending on your application, budget, and maintenance requirements.
Types of water flow meters
Mechanical flowmeters
Mechanical flow meters are the most popular and the cheapest water flow meters available. It measures the flow rate using a paddle wheel or a rotating piston. If you want to know the flow rate, you will first measure the speed of the flowing water through the pipe, which makes the piston rotate.
The flow rate volume of water is usually proportional to the speed of the rotating blade. Even though they are more popular and cheaper, mechanical meters are unsuitable for measuring dirty liquids with large particles. It is because they can vlog up, leading to high maintenance costs. Also, you cannot use them when there is low water flow.
Ultrasonic flowmeters
They are water flow meter types that you can use for measuring the speed of the fluid moving through the pipe. They usually use an ultrasound to determine the flow rate volume. The meter uses the velocity of the fluid to determine the volumetric flow rate in the pipe or channel.
Ultrasonic flow meters are suitable for measurement, which takes place in large pipes. In a transit time ultrasonic liquid flow meter, there is usually ultrasonic signal transmission in the downstream direction of the fluid flow. Also, there will be the transmission of the other signal against the fluid flow upstream.
You will then make a comparison between the time which the pulse takes to travel to the upstream. With that, you’re likely to obtain the fluid’s velocity flow.
Vortex flowmeter
It is a water flow meter that measures flow rate using the vortices shed. Vortices are usually the nature forces known as swirls which are the fluid moving past the obstruction. For instance, the water flows through a rock in the stream.
The sensor tab bends on every side of the vortex flow meters when each vortex flows past the moving object. It will lead to the frequency generation that is directly proportional to the flow rate volume. Hence it is the primary method you can use to determine the flow rate in your application.
You can always use multivariable vortex flow meters for measuring up to five process variables using one connection process. For example, you can measure the mass flow, density, volume flow rate, temperature, and pressure. Insertion flowmeters can be the best in large pipes.
Magnetic flow meter
When you use a magnetic flow meter for your application, it utilizes a magnetic field to measure flow rate volume. The process is usually based on Faraday’s law of electromagnetics, and it states that the flowing liquid produces a voltage that is always directly proportional to the movement of water.
Magnetic water flow meter types are not perfect for measuring clean liquids due to insufficient ions to produce the voltage. Also, you cannot use them in applications of custody transfer.
Summing up
Water flow meter types are virtual devices when it comes to fluid measurements. You need to choose the best device depending on the type of application where you will use it. Also, your budget and maintenance cost would determine which water flow meter to use.
