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Flowmeters measure fluid or gas flow and can express results in volumetric or mass units. There are different types of flowmeters, including mechanical, pressure, optical, and thermal. They are used in various industries and applications for process control and billing purposes.
A flowmeter is a device used to measure the fluid or gas moving through it. The results returned by the meter can be expressed in one of two measurement values: volumetric flow or mass flow. Flowmeter readings are returned in area and application specific units, with volumetric types producing readings in gallons, liters or cubic inches per second, while mass flow meters express their measurement in pounds or kilograms per second . There are several general classifications of flowmeter type, each of which is represented by a range of variants. Flowmeters are used to measure the supply of gases and fluids in a wide range of industries and applications such as manufacturing plants, breweries, hospitals and domestic or industrial water supplies.
Flow measurement of gases and fluids is an essential function in industrial process control, consumer billing systems and medical treatments. These measurements are usually obtained by placing a flowmeter in series with the fluid or gas supply line. These meters then monitor the flow of material through them by the action of different types of mechanisms. The calculated results can then be displayed on the meter itself or sent via an electronic output to a remote display or data storage facility. While all flowmeters measure material flow in real time through their assemblies, they fall into two distinct types.
Both types of flowmeters use different types of measurement units which, by themselves, differ according to global locations or industry types. Mass flow meters measure the physical mass or weight of the fluid or gas flowing through the system. Volumetric flow meters measure the physical volume of material flow. Because of the compressibility of gases, their flow rates are often expressed as effective cubic feet or standard cubic meters per second.
Flowmeter mechanisms are also grouped into several distinct categories, including mechanical, pressure, optical, and thermal types. Multi-jet, Pelton wheel, and Woltmann meters are all types of mechanical flowmeters that depend on the motion of a series of vanes, helical blades, or impellers to measure material flow. Pressure flowmeters use venturis, pilot tubes, and orifices to measure the pressure differentials used to calculate flow rates. Optical flow meters use lasers and photo detectors to measure scattered light to calculate flow results. Thermometers use a system of heating elements and temperature sensors to calculate flow and static temperature differentials in conjunction with known material characteristics to extrapolate flow values.
These flow measurement devices are an essential part of many industrial process control applications where accurate material feed rates are required. In these applications, the flowmeter typically interfaces with process controllers to regulate the flow of raw materials or end products. The flowmeter is also widely used to calculate domestic and industrial water and gas usage for billing purposes.
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