Digital Water Flow Meter
Due to its precision, dependability, and capacity to preserve the measured data for analysis and data storage, processors typically resort to digital (rather than analog) instruments when the need for accurate process measurements arises.
There are many different technological possibilities available for digital flow meters, which might make a final decision challenging. We're here to assist.
A FLOW METER: WHAT IS IT?
The flow rate of fluids via pipes and tubes during industrial activities is measured using different types of flow meters used in industry. In these kinds of facilities, flow meters track both product and utility flows (steam, water, glycol, etc.).
Why do we measure fluid flow?
There are several reasons.
When a certain volume of liquid and a precise amount of material must be mixed, like when making dough, measuring flow may be vital in dosing procedures. Plant operators can determine how productive their operation is at a given moment by measuring fluid flow in continuous or batch processing activities (i.e., how much product is being produced).
The permanent structure of the product, such as its rheology, may occasionally be affected by shear forces that are induced by flow velocity when the products pass through pipes. To preserve product quality in these circumstances, the fluid flow rate must be known. A certain flow rate of cleaning agents via the pipes is necessary for complete cleaning. Thus, velocity has to be measured.
ANALOG OR DIGITAL FLOW METER?
Both analog and digital instruments may normally be applied to any form of measurement. Let's take a quick look at each, including how it functions and its benefits and drawbacks.
Flow Meter - Digital - Analog
The measurement of a substance (such as a liquid or gas) is transferred onto a calibrated measurement indication by analog instruments, which are basic mechanical machines (such as an indicator needle on a dial).
An example of an analog measuring system is the common thermometer. The clear tube in the thermometer, which is calibrated to detect how hot (or cold) the item is, rises as mercury warms up in the storage bulb at the thermometer's base.
The method of measuring is entirely physical. More work goes into digital instruments. One of the most popular types of flow meters used in industry is the conventional mag meter, also known as a digital magnetic flow meter.
Depending on the kind of meter, digital flow meters operate by using a variety of distinct physical concepts, such as electromagnetic induction, the Coriolis effect, and ultrasonic wave propagation.
When a substance is being measured, its properties, such as its heat in the case of a thermometer or the flow rate of a liquid in the case of a flow meter, are converted into an equivalent electrical form by digital equipment.
This conversion is carried out by a transducer, a part of the digital instrument. The electrical data from the transducer then passes through many steps to deliver the right data.
- An apparatus for signal processing that boosts the transducer's output
- A multiplexer and signal converter that combine the various analog signals the processing unit delivers
- An analog-to-digital converter transforms analog data into its corresponding digital form.
The actual volume being measured is shown on a screen in its digital form. The temperature of the substance being monitored is one factor that is converted into digital information.
Digital Instrumentation System, Digital Flow Meters
Devices that are simple, affordable, and often operate well even in challenging working environments are analog instruments (temperature, humidity, etc.). Yet, compared to digital equipment, they are inherently less precise in their measurements.
Comparatively speaking, digital instruments are more demanding, complex, and prone to malfunctioning than analog ones (although protective cases for these devices can mitigate environmental issues). Nonetheless, they have more measurement accuracy than analog equipment, and users may save the findings of their measurements in an electronic format for later analysis or the upkeep of operational records.
Digital flow meters are the preferred option for monitoring fluid flows in industrial processing facilities. To reduce any environmental risks during operation, its electronics components and displays may be remotely situated and separated from the fluid flow sensors.
Also, sustaining effective operations and the quality of the goods produced in these kinds of facilities depends on the accuracy of the test results and the capacity to gather and evaluate data offered by digital flow meters.
The Major Digital Flow Meter Types of Flow Meters used in Industry
The main way digital flow meters differ from analog ones is in the way fluid velocity information is collected by their sensor systems. However, for all types of flow meters, the process of converting this data from analog to digital form is generally the same. Digital water flow meters with telemetry are also used frequently.
We'll give a quick overview of the flow meter types that are most frequently utilized in sanitary processing operations in the paragraphs that follow.
1. MAGNETIC FLOW METER
Magnetic flow meters, sometimes referred to as mag meters, measure the voltage that a liquid produces as it flows through a magnetic field to calculate the fluid flow rates.
This type of meter uses a physical concept known as electromagnetic induction. To function effectively, mag meters need an electrically separated pipe surface, such as a rubber-lined steel tube, and a conducting fluid with ions, such as water.
In addition to slurries and liquids with embedded particles, mag meters may be used to detect the fluid velocity in a variety of fluids. When measuring some liquids, the electrodes in this kind of meter, however, may be vulnerable to corrosion, which might lead to incorrect findings.
Certain magnetic flowmeters provide electrodes constructed of high-nickel, corrosion-resistant alloys to tackle this.
2. CORIOLIS FLOW METER
A lateral tube that vibrates and deforms in response to fluid flow pressures is used in the highly technical Coriolis digital flow meter. Sensors track and evaluate how this vibration varies in frequency, phase shift, and amplitude. The variations seen are an indication of the fluid's mass flow and density.
No matter the kind of gas or fluid being measured, flow measurement calculated using a Coriolis-type meter is quite precise. This sort of meter's "U"-bend, which makes it heavier and bigger than other types of instruments and raises questions about its capacity to drain, is a drawback.
3. MECHANICAL FLOW METER
While measuring fluid flow velocity, mechanical flow meters dynamically move the fluid being measured within the meter's body. A chamber (or chambers) that block fluid flow and a rotating or reciprocating mechanism that permits the passage of predetermined volumes of fluid through the chamber make up these devices.
The flow velocity is determined by the rate of rotation or reciprocation of the measurement device inside the chamber, which is commonly a screw, piston, gear, disk, spinning vane, or diaphragm.
Mechanical flow meters are frequently quite precise. While some of these meters can handle certain contaminants in the fluid being measured, this particular style of meter performs best with clear, non-corrosive liquids. In some highly viscous fluids, mechanical flow meters also perform effectively.
4. ULTRASONOGRAPHIC FLOW METER
Ultrasonic flow meters compute flow volume using ultrasonic transducers to monitor a fluid's velocity. This range of flow meters comes in two major varieties.
The difference between the transit times of ultrasonic pulses traveling in and against the direction of fluid flow is measured using transit time flow meters.
Doppler flow meters track the shift in frequency that occurs when fluid flow particles reflect an ultrasonic beam.
The fact that the measuring sensors for these sorts of meters remain outside the fluid flows allows them to be deployed with a range of corrosive substances and slurries (so long as the measured fluid's sound speed is known, that is).
Additionally, because they don't have moving components as mechanical flow meters do, ultrasonic flow meters are frequently inexpensive to operate and maintain.
ATLANTECH is a leading Electromagnetic Flow Meter manufacturer in India and electromagnetic flow meter supplier all across India in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Punjab.