Thursday, August 14, 2008

portable ultrasonic flowmeter

The Basics Of Portable Ultrasonic Flowmeters

When choosing a portable ultrasonic flowmeter you need to keep a couple things in mind. This article is going to take a look at some features that you need to have on your flow meter so that you can be sure you have what you need.

Best Features Of Your Portable Ultrasonic Flowmeters

The first is that it can be easily set up and can be attached onto the outside of the pipe so and will not disrupt the flow inside the pipe. This gets the most accurate measurement and assures that the meter is not affecting anything. The installation should be minimally intrusive without a lot of work. The portable ultrasonic flowmeter should be able to measure the flow of almost any liquid or gas.

The flow meter should be able to measure pipe sizes from ten to seven thousand millimeters in diameter. It is also important to make sure that the flow meter can measure hazardous materials. In addition you want to make sure that you get one that is capable of being an gas flow meter as well as measuring liquid. A dual purpose unit will be very beneficial in the long run.

One of the most important parts of a portable ultrasonic flowmeter are the inputs. You need to have both analogue and digital inputs that are capable of multiple jobs for measuring temperature, relays and pressure. In addition these models should be able to log the data without any outside help.

A portable non contact portable ultrasonic flowmeter featuring a clamp on design will be able to measure the flow of material through clamp on transducers that attach to the outside of the pipe work. Something to be aware of is the fact that transit time flow meters, also known as “time of flight” meters are mainly used for measurement of clean liquids, although most should be able to tolerate less than five percent solids. The principle behind the flow meter is acoustic waves with a frequency of 20 kilohertz emitted from one transducer to the other side of the pipe back to the opposite transducer require less time when traveling in the opposite direction. The differential transit time of the signals is proportional to the flow rate of the fluid.

As you can see there are many high level concepts for ultrasonic flowmeters, but understanding the basics of how they function can help you to choose the right one. Hopefully now you understand the basic concepts and are able to make the choice on your own.

portable gas flow meter

How To Use A Portable Gas Flow Meter Properly

A portable gas flow meter is a complicated piece of equipment. While they may be difficult to use improperly, to fully take advantage of its features you need to understand the basics of how a portable gas flow meter works.

Basics Of A Portable Gas Flow Meter

First thing you need to know is how the device actually functions. There are two transducers that come with every portable gas flow meter. Simply set the two transducers approximately a foot apart or so on the pipe. For some units this will vary, but on average a foot apart is sufficient. Next you have to run the ping from one transducer to the other. Wait a couple seconds than run this test again. You can also set up the portable gas flow meter to run a continuous test where it will switch back and forth and record the data. This test is good if you want to get a good idea of how the gas pipe is functioning over time.

There are a couple things to keep in mind that will affect the outcome of your test. First off is how contaminated the stream is that you are measuring. A portable gas flow meter works best on a completely clean stream. Any particles in the gas flow will affect your results, so it is important that you have a clean flow of gas.

Next is the diameter of the pipe. Different portable ultrasonic flowmeters are designed for different pipe diameters. Make sure number one that you are using a portable gas flow meter that can measure the pipe you need to, and number two that you have the correct measurement for the width of the pipe. Getting either of these things wrong will throw off your results completely.

The last thing to remember is that the best data you can get will be taken from many many results. Make sure you allocate enough time to take a large sample from each pipe so that you have a large amount of data to compare. A single set of data is nearly useless as there are always fluctuations in the flow speed, temperature and pressure of the gas. By taking many readings you will be able to get accurate results.

That is about it. Now you should have a good idea how to use your portable gas flow meter in a real world environment to get accurate data. This article will apply to about ninety nine percent of the meters out there, so read and understand it to make you life a lot easier.

portable water flow meter

Features Of A Portable Water Flow Meter

If you are looking for a tool to measure water than a portable water flow meter is the tool for you. Ten years ago the concept of a portable water flow meter was completely foreign. Now within minutes you can hook up a unit and measure the flow and capacity of water with no intrusion or chance for damaging or ruining the flow. How is this possible you may ask, well this article is going to explain how it is now possible.

How A Portable Water Flow Meter Works

The way it works is quite simple. A unit has two transducer pads on it that are capable of sending an ultrasonic frequency. The two pads are attached to the pipe than a signal is sent from one pad and read by the other. This process is reversed and the differences between the two readings are measured. Because of the interaction of the flow on the signal the unit can tell how fast the water is moving.

A portable water flow meter has literly revolutionized how water and other hgazordous materials traveling down a pipe are measured. In years past you would have to cut open the pipe to measure the flow. This process would interrupt the flow of fluid and would also cause a potential hazardous cleanup as the actual pipe was ruptured in order to take a measurement. The advantage of the ultrasonic unit is that it can completely and cleanly get you the accurate measurement you need,

The advantages and feature of a portable water flow meter are also true for a portable gas flow meter. While measuring water can be difficult, measuring gas is far more so and the portable meters have completely revolutionized how this is done.

There are some negatives to using the portable units however. The first is that they can not be used in flows that are mixed or highly contaminated with foreign objects. This is because they will interfere with the sound signals being sent back and forth and will cause a false reading.

As you can see there are some serious advantages to using a portable water flow meter over the old techniques. If you need to measure either gas or water than using a portable ultrasonic meter is the way to go. These units are capable of taking extremely accurate readings without doing any damage to the surrounding pipes or any part of the environment for that matter.

portable ultrasonic flow meter

Using Your Portable Ultrasonic Flow Meter

There are many uses for a portable ultrasonic flow meter. They can be used in a variety of environments and are very handy for measuring flow of both gases and liquids. Before portable ultrasonic flow meters became commonplace you would have to literally cut open the pipe and insert some form of measuring device. That is no longer the case. With a portable ultrasonic flow meter you can now quickly and easily get a good reading of the flow of the material inside.

How Does a Portable Ultrasonic Flow Meter Work?

The concept is pretty simple really. On a portable ultrasonic flow meter there are two transducers. The transducers are clipped on to the pipe at a distance. Push one button and an ultrasonic signal is sent from one transducer to the other. Push another button and the signal is sent the opposite way. The portable ultrasonic flow meter then measure the difference in the two signals and using some high level math comes up with a calculation for the relative flow speed.

This is a huge advantage because the device can be set up in minutes and still gets an accurate reading. In years past it was very difficult to get flow readings without taking hours to cut open the pipe, insert the measurement tool, take a reading, then reseal the pipe. By using a portable ultrasonic flow meter a reading can be taken anywhere on the pipe and the unit does not have to be placed internally. This allows for a much cleaner work environment and a much better and quicker data acquisition process.

As you can see the concept for how a portable ultrasonic flow meter is fairly simple yet the results of its use are outstanding. This device has increased the accuracy for flow measurements while at the same time decreasing the danger of taking these measurements. In addition to portable ultrasonic flow meters, there are permanent ones as well. This units offer continuous measurement of flow speed with interrupting the flow at all and can safely report this information back to a central location.

Portable water flow meters allow for easy measurement and troubleshooting of problems in water pipelines. These units can be used if a technician thinks there is a problem somewhere to quickly and easily identify what action needs to happen. As you can see portable ultrasonic flow meter have truly revolutionized the flow meter field and without them we would still have dangerous and sometimes inaccurate procedures in place.

portable flow meter

The Advantages of Using a Portable Flow Meter

The technology for flow measuring has changed radically in the last ten years. Before then it was necessary to actually open a pipe and put in a tool in order to measure the flow. Now you can attach a couple of transducers and get an accurate measurement of the gas or liquid flowing inside. A portable flow meter will allow you to measure different areas in a pipe as well as only have one unit to measure multiple locations. The technology that makes this possible is called transit time.

What is Transit Time?

Transit time enables flow meters to measure relatively clean fluids with low aeration accurately. These meters operate by comparing the time for a signal to travel with the flow against the time for a signal to travel against the flow. By measuring the downstream time versus the upstream time you can get a proportional measurement of the flow.

A portable flow meter is a unit that has two clamps on it that attach to the pipe and send the signal. The portable flow meter will convert the information to the flow rate and total flow. By placing the transducers on the outside of the pipe, a portable flow meter is able to measure the flow without having to go into the pipe. This is a large advantage over the more invasive methods of having to cut into the pipe.

Magmeters, vortex meters, and turbine flow meters have serious down time for installation and can pollute a system. A portable flow meter does the exact same job with no risk of these things happening. There is no drop in pressure, no moving parts, and no risk of leaks. Once in place, a portable flow meter is completely maintenance free.

The other huge advantage of using a portable flow meter is that it can be moved from site to site and be used to measure different parts of the pipe. Traditional flow meters do not offer this advantage. In addition, a portable ultrasonic flow meter is at least if not more accurate than the alternative methods. The reason for this is simple; it does not change the active system in any way while it is in operation.

Hopefully this has helped to give you an idea of what a portable flow meter can do for you. The only way to really see how useful these tools are is to get one for yourself and try it out. Luckily for the most part the tools are not that expensive and can measure a wide variety of pipes.

portable flowmeter

The Advantages of Using a Portable Flowmeter

Flow measuring technology has come a long way in the last ten years. Before then it was necessary to actually open a pipe and put in a tool in order to measure the flow. Now you can attach a couple of pads and get an accurate measurement of the material flowing inside. A portable flowmeter will allow you to measure different areas in a pipe as well as only have one unit to measure multiple locations. The technology that makes this possible is call transit time.

Transit Time Explained

Transit time enable portable flow meters to measure relatively clean fluids with low to moderate aeration accurately. These meters operate by comparing the time for an ultrasonic signal to travel with the flow against the time for an ultrasonic signal to travel against the flow. By measuring the downstream time versus the upstream time you can get a proportional measurement of the flow. A portable flowmeter is a unit that has two clamps on it that attach to the pipe and send the signal.

The portable flowmeter will convert the information to the flow rate and total flow. By mounting the transducers on the outside of the pipe, a portable flowmeter is able to measure the data without having to go into the pipe. This is a huge advantage over the more invasive methods of having to actually cutting into the pipe.

Magmeters, vortex meters, and turbine flow meters have immense down time for installation and can contaminate a system. A portable flowmeter does the same job with no risk of these things happening. There is no pressure drop, no moving parts, and no risk of leaks. Once in place, a portable flowmeter is completely maintenance free.

The other huge advantage of using a portable flowmeter is that it can be moved from site to site and be used to measure different parts of the pipe. Traditional flow meters do not offer this advantage. In addition, a portable flowmeter is at least if not more accurate than the alternative methods. The reason for this is simple; it does not change the active system in any way while it is in operation.

Hopefully this has helped to give you an idea of what a portable flowmeter can do for you. The only way to really see how useful these tools are is to get one for yourself and try it out. Luckily for the most part the tools are not that expensive and can measure a wide variety of pipes.

gas turbine flow meter (portable flowmeter)

Gas Turbine Flow Meters Should Be Of The Best Quality

When you are running a gas turbine engine, you want it to run efficiently and you want it to run a long time. A gas turbine engine must provide the right amount of fuel into it's combustible chambers so that it can work as it's supposed to. So how does it know how much fuel to use? It uses a gas turbine flow meter to calculate exactly how much fuel should go into the chambers to be ignited. This will power your gas turbine engine the correct time, every time. However, if you skimp on cost, or buy a portable flowmeter that is of lower quality, then you may end up costing yourself more money in the long run. Cheaper gas turbine flow meters are more likely to wear away quickly, they can break down more easily and they won't give you the performance you're looking for in your gas turbine engine.

For Work Or For Play


It doesn't matter what you're using your gas turbine engine for, whether it's for your job or for recreational purposes; you want it to work the right way. If the gas turbine flow meter is off by even a little bit, this can interfere with the amount of fuel that is transferred into the combustion chambers. Too much fuel may not ignite or it may ignite too much, which could damage your engine either way. To little fuel may wreck the engine as well. That's why you never want to skimp on the quality of your gas turbine flow meter just to save a little money. You have to realize that you may end up paying much more in the long run if you sacrifice quality for lower cost.

Where To Find Good Meters

It's likely that if you're using you gas turbine engine for your job, or you own a company that uses them, you know other people in the industry who can steer you in the right direction as far as where to buy a good quality gas turbine flow meter. Do your own research and study up on consumer reports, the latest industry reports, and anything else you can find so that you can get the best quality gas turbine flow meter for your money. If you aren't using it for your job, such as if you're using it for recreational purposes, it will still be in your best interests to research as much as possible so that you can get the best possible product to save you time and money.