Water flow meter types

Turbine water flow meter

The most popular and cheapest way to measure water flow, a turbine flow
meter measures the speed of the water running through a pipe with a rotating
turbine or piston in it, usually in a propeller, shunt, or paddle wheel
design. The volumetric flow rate of the water is proportional to the speed of
the rotating blades. Sadly, these meters can clog in dirty or chunky water,
such as process water, which increases maintenance costs, so we
recommend electromagnetic process flow meters. They also don’t work well
with low flow.
Vortex water flow meter

Vortices are the “swirls” that form as a fluid moves past an object, like river
water around a rock or air currents across a wing. In a vortex flow meter, a
sensor tab flexes from side to side as each vortex flows past, producing a
frequency directly proportional to the volumetric flow rate. Multivariable vortex
meters measure up to five process variables with one connection: volumetric
flow rate, mass flow, density, pressure, and temperature. Insertion vortex
meters work well on very large pipes since you can insert them by hot tapping
with a retractor.

Ultrasonic water flow meter

Ultrasonic water flow meters use ultrasound to measure flow. A transit-time

ultrasonic meter sends one signal downstream and another upstream. Then
the meter compares the travel time for both signals to find the flow velocity.
Finally, it uses this calculation to find the volumetric flow rate. You can also
measure energy and temperature using the differences between the hot and
cold legs.
Clamp-on ultrasonic meters measure water from outside the pipe by sending
signals through the pipe walls. This feature makes them ideal for measuring
flow in large pipes and a wide range of other processes.

Electromagnetic water flow meter

Last but not least, electromagnetic water flow meters use a magnetic field and
Faraday’s law of induction to measure flow. Liquid flowing through a magnetic
field creates a charge. So when the fluid flows faster, it creates more voltage,
proportional to the movement of the water. The flow meter then processes the
voltage into the flow rate.
Electromagnetic water flow meters don’t have great accuracy, so you can’t
use them for custody transfer. They also don’t work on pure water because it
has no ions to measure, so they can only be called water flow meters with a
qualification.

Depending on the brand, you can also have a confusing range of liners to
choose from. You need to know the chemical compatibility, flow velocity, and
potential abrasion in your application. So this information will factor into your
choice of the best liner for your application.

Water makes for a simple flow application because you don’t need a special
liner material. For pure water, you can go with a simple liner like hard rubber
or polyurethane, but if you anticipate corrosive chemicals or process water,
you will need something else. If you are unsure what to choose, give us a call
and our experts will be happy to help.

Electromagnetic process flow meter

Electromagnetic flow meters are especially suited to measure process water

flow since chunky liquids can clog turbine or vortex flow meters.
Keep in mind that your process water dictates the equipment you use. Some
chemicals may attack your flow meter and shorten its lifespan. If your process
water contains chemicals, you’ll need a Teflon liner to prevent corrosion.
Otherwise, just go with polyurethane or hard rubber liners.

Conclusion
The ideal water flow meter type is determined by the details of your
application because some flow meters work better than others in certain
situations. You can save a lot of time and energy by making an informed
choice, so if you are still confused, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

To know more about water flow meters, you can get in touch with our
engineers and we will be happy to help.