Ultrasonic Water Flow Meter and STEAM Flow Meter
When it comes to energy efficiency and consumption measurements, not only compressed air and gases are carrying energy within a factory or plant. Other media as liquids and steam are also typically used in many production processes and applications, so it is important to measure their consumption as well using flowmeters with high accuracy.
Typical water and liquid measurements in an industrial application are water flow rate measurements, where water is often used to cool machines or even used for heating systems. Another widely used energy form used in industrial processes is steam. Hot water steam can easily carry high energy to the point where it is used. So measuring the steam flow rate is also part of evaluating the complete system in terms of energy efficiency.
SUTO iTEC’s flow meter for water and other liquids are offering accurate and reliable water, liquid and steam measurement technology for any industrial application.
WATER, LIQUID AND STEAM MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY
In this area we give an overview of the most important information and questions regarding the measurement of water, liquids and steam.
Why measuring liquids and steam?
Reliable flow measurement of liquids and steam is an important task to optimize the production process and the efficient use of energy and raw materials in any application.
- Steam flow meters are used to measure the consumption and volume flow rate of steam and are helping operators understand their application process. With a steam flow meter, users can identify the steam consumption of machines. This helps to understand how much steam is needed per machine and in total.
In addition to that, a steam flow meter helps to identify steam losses throughout the plant, where leakages can easily create high operating costs. Another important task of steam flow measurement is to identify peak demands, so systems are never overloaded and always run to their optimum specification.
SUTO steam flow meters measure the steam pressure with the integrated pressure sensor, so it is not needed to additionally compensate the pressure or temperature, as it’s normally needed in turbine flow meters. - Water flow meters, or in general, flow meters for liquids, are often needed to monitor critical processes in factories. Liquids are mostly used to cool down processes or to provide constant lubrication, so it is critical to monitor the flow and guarantee a constant flow at an unchanged flow rate. But also for energy efficiency measurements, water flow meters are needed to measure the energy regeneration gathered from heat exchange modules, as often used in compressors.
What types of water flow meters SUTO is using?
The SUTO ultrasonic clamp-on flow meters for water and liquids are non-invasive and therefore will not come in contact with the medium to measure the volume flow. Liquids or water flow meters are used in food and beverage applications as well as pharmaceutical applications to monitor the volume flow and consumption of liquids, especially water flow. The flow meters also serve as energy meters for heating and cooling applications. The easy installation outside of pipes by simply clamping on the sensors to the pipe, paired with high accuracy, makes them the best choice for water flow measurement and consumption measurement for liquids and water.
SUTO vortex flow meters are used to measure the volume flow rate and consumption of saturated steam. The steam flow meters are easily installed between two flanges and integrate seamlessly into the process. There is no need for additional pressure compensation. This provides plant managers insight into steam flow and consumption measurement to show where to save energy in an application and allows a system comparison in efficiency against other plants.
Where are Flow Meters for Water and Liquids used?
Water flow meters are widely used in industry for monitoring water consumption in processes. Many processes need a steady supply of water to operate without interruptions. Other processes and applications require constant and reliable cooling. It is crucial for such applications to measure the water flow to ensure a safe process.
Users of liquid and water flow meters are often looking for easy installation, no process downtime, no pressure loss or leak and no contamination of the medium to be measured. At the same time, they are looking for the latest technology and high accuracy.
SUTO is using clamp-on water flow meters based on ultrasonic measurement technology. The so-called transducers (flow rate sensors) are placed on the outer pipe and clamped on. This ensures an easy installation, no interruptions, and a safe application.
Example:
Modern compressors often offer a heat regeneration system, where cold water is brought to the compressors and heated up using the waste heat of the compressor. By doing so, operators can use the thermal energy loss of the compressor to heat buildings and factory floors or use the heated water in another application. To accurately quantify the total energy efficiency of the compressor, it is essential to measure the water flow rate, accounting for energy regeneration in terms of hot water. This consideration is crucial for assessing the overall efficiency of the system and application.
What measurement technology is used in SUTO ultrasonic flow meters for water and liquids?
SUTO flow meters for liquids and water are using ultrasonic transducers pairs which are clamped on the pipe. The transducers are sending an ultrasonic sound signal through the medium, which is then reflected by the inner pipe wall. The reflected signal is returned to the transducer. By knowing the sound of speed in the medium, Ultrasonic water flow meter is able to measure the transit time, which the signal needs to pass through the medium.
If the liquids now starts moving, the transit time will change, this time change is in direct relation to the fluids velocity. Knowing the velocity, the pipe dimensions and physical properties of the liquid, Ultrasonic water flow meter is able to calculate the flow rate and consumption. There is no need to measure the temperature or the pressure, this makes the flowmeters best suited for any application, providing any easy installation and high accuracy.
How are ultrasonic water flow meters installed?
SUTO ultrasonic water flow meters are based on non-immersion technology, which means they are not inserted into the pipe and therefore do not require a specific process connection. This has the advantage that the water flow meters are easily installed, do not interrupt any operations and can be used for almost any application.
1: Pipe preparation:
- For stainless-steel pipes, the installation process includes cleaning the outer surface to ensure proper adhesion.
- In the case of painted pipes, it is essential to remove the paint at the measurement point, a critical step in achieving the highest level of measurement accuracy.
2: Installation Process:
- Once the installation point has been prepared, the next step is to apply coupling pads or gels to the sensors.
- The carefully prepared water flow meter sensors are then securely clamped to the pipe.
3: Sensor integration:
- Depending on the model, some water flow meters have sensors that are seamlessly integrated into the flow meter itself.
- With these models, the entire instrument, now a single system, is conveniently clamped directly onto the pipe. This streamlined integration ensures both accuracy and efficiency in the measurement process.
The sensors are then adjusted according to the instructions, and the ultrasonic water flow meter is now ready to be configured. After some simple steps, such as setting up the pipe material, wall thickness, and diameters, the water flow meter is ready and can be used to measure the water flow rate and consumption, providing a robust and reliable measurement with the best accuracy.
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