Measuring Liquids

In certain industrial processes, an estimation of liquid levels and flow rates is sufficient, but in others, far more accurate measurements are required.

In applications where accuracy is essential, a lower level of liquid could lead to machinery or equipment running on empty and eventually burning out. Excessive levels could cause pressure levels to rise until pipes burst in a potentially dangerous explosion. Even less dramatic changes in flow rates could impact on quality controls, the safety of consumables, or significant increases in utility bills.

When exacting data is necessary for process management and quality assurance, there must be a reliable means of continuously or regularly monitoring the liquid passing through the system. Widely used across a variety of industrial sectors, ultrasonic flow meters have provided an affordable solution to address this requirement.

Flow Meters

There are a variety of different solutions. Some, such as turbine flow meters, sit within the liquid flow. This can interfere with the process, though, and requires downtime to install and maintain. In addition, it adds the risk of contamination in the production of consumables or the risk of corrosion or damage in certain liquids.

These issues can be eliminated with the use of ultrasonic flow meters. Rather than being placed within the liquid, these devices are clamped onto the exterior pipework. They transmit and receive a signal through the pipe and liquid to record data on flow rates. This data is displayed on easy to read screens.

Portable Flow Meters

Whilst some ultrasonic flow meters are fixed into position at a key point in the production process, one advantage of this solution is that it is easy to relocate them. Portable flow meters have proven to be a practical solution when it comes to providing data for water and even energy audits. They can be used for boiler and hydraulic system testing, for the measurement of ultra-pure water through to heavy fuel oils and for leak identification.

The lack of contact or interference with the process has led to them being used in sensitive applications, such as pharmaceutical production or with demineralised water. However, there are rugged portable flow meters that have been developed for far more demanding industrial use.

Rugged Flow Meter

There are a few varieties of this type of rugged equipment. Many can be attached to the outside of the pipe being monitored in order to provide totally non-invasive flow measurement that doesn't disturb the existing plant equipment or process operation.

This particular type of apparatus can be waterproof and can even operate when fully submerged. It can measure single or bi-directional flow velocities of between 0.1m/s and 10m/s and provides accurate data in a temperature range of -20 to +135 degrees centigrade. This is a rugged device, which can be used in the most demanding industrial application and is suitable for external use.

The battery life is often up to 150 hours of continuous use, or if set to record intermittent readings, it can last for up to 4 months before needing replacement. The data can be displayed in text or graphic form, either in real-time or stored. This has proven to be the ideal portable flow meter for use with potable water, river water, diesel, fuel oils and petroleum products, to name but a few.

With an interactive 'Quick Start' menu and minimal set-up requirements, the system can be installed and brought into service very quickly. Furthermore, the application parameters for a particular site can be saved for when a site is revisited for monitoring at a later date.

To see this, and other, similar types of equipment, there is more information at http://micronicsflowmeters.com/portable-flow-meters/.



 By David Fleeter


Article Source: Measuring Liquids