Ultrasonic Flow Measurement Meters

The use of ultrasonic flow meters for measuring liquid and gas flow in a range of production processes has grown substantially over the past decade. This has been driven by a number of factors. Firstly, global competition across all industries has led to the need for greater efficiencies in all processes. Flow measurement meters are important tools for ensuring that systems and processes can operate at optimum levels and any issues with flow can be quickly identified and rectified, minimising potentially detrimental effects.

With government targets to lower carbon emissions, water use and other environmental concerns, there has been growing pressures on businesses to monitor their water and energy use. Flow measurement meters have been used in a wide range of industries to help ensure resources are not being wasted and to improve water and energy efficiencies. As use of these finite resources continues to grow, it is likely that further pressures will be placed on businesses to monitor and reduce usage which will lead to a rise in demand for flow meters.

At the turn of the century ultrasonic flow meters were a relatively new product. Since then advances in flow meter technologies has led to improved performance and reliability. Along with improvements to the monitoring and maintenance features, flow meter measurement is now a relatively simple procedure. The range of flow meters has also grown, so there are more options available for a wide range of industrial applications.

Ultrasonic flow meters are either Doppler meters or time-of-travel (or transit) meters. In Doppler meters, two transducers are mounted in a case attached to one side of the pipe. A signal of known frequency is sent into the liquid to be measured. A portable Doppler meter includes sensing heads which are simply clamped to the outside of the pipe, and the instrument is ready to be used. Time-of-travel meters have transducers mounted on each side of the pipe. The sound waves travel between the devices at a 45 degree angle to the direction of liquid flow. The speed of the signal traveling between the transducers increases or decreases with velocity of the liquid being measured.
As with any addition to existing processes, or designs for new systems, there are functional and operational considerations to find the suitable solution for a specific requirement and to ensure optimum performance. Flow measurement meter will only be accurate if they are installed correctly, training is given to operators and the equipment is properly maintained.

Expertise from flow meter manufacturers can help companies to select the best option for their process. Many also offer installation, training and maintenance services, although a key feature of current ultrasonic flow meters is that they are easy to install and operate. In many industrial situations they can be attached to external pipework, minimising the interruption to processes. Clear screen displays also make it easier to monitoring results and quickly identify abnormal readings which may suggest an issue in the process.
Ultrasonic flow meters have many beneficial features, which has made them more popular than other measurement devices in a wide range of applications, these include:

Accuracy - they can calibrated to

Non-Intrusive - resulting in minimal pressure drop or interruption to flow

Low Maintenance - with no moving parts ultrasonic flow meters are easier to maintain and display screens and integral electronic diagnostics reduce the need for internal inspection

Large Turndown - typically >50:1
Naturally Bi-directional - they can measures volumes in both directions with comparable performance

Tolerant of Wet Gas - this is an important function for many production applications

Flow measurement meters can be used for both liquids and gases. In ultrasonic flow measurement, sound waves or acoustic pulses are transmitted and received by transducers. These pulses travel at differing rates through the liquid or gas being measured, as the speed of sound is affected by density of the medium. Ultrasonic flow meters can be set up for the measurement of the specific medium and it can be used to calculate mass flow. Many meters come with common liquid or gas density measurements pre-programmed into the device. If those used in your application are not included, flow meter manufacturers can often provide the data required.

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