Electromagnetic flow meters are able to measure a host of water related applications but when it comes to water that does not contain electrically charged minerals, the ultrasonic meter is a better option. This is because the mode of measurement does not require the liquid to hold any kind of charge.
What types of liquids will magnetic flow meters measure?
The answer is “Conductive liquids”
Here is a popular definition for the technology
Electromagnetic flowmeters (or mag meters) are a type of velocity or volumetric flow meter that operate on the principles described in Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction – which states that a voltage will be induced when a conductor moves through a magnetic field. Mag meters can detect the flow rate of conductive fluids only.
If we are trying to measure a non-conductive liquid flow in a pipe, then one of the options we have is to select a non-intrusive flow meter.
Improvements in ultrasonic flow meter technology
Several decades ago, doppler ultrasonic flowmeters made their debut on the market as an answer to non-intrusive measurements for non-conductive liquids. Although the idea was novel, the performance of the meters did not seem to match with the expectations of the operators. This is because the doppler phase shift flow measurement relied on the presence of solids or gas bubbles to act as reflectors. In the absence of these reflectors or insufficient number of reflectors, it was difficult to determine the average velocity of the liquid.
The transit time method does not require reflectors. Instead, it passes an ultrasonic wave through a pipe wall, into the liquid and back out the other sides.
This method is measuring the ultrasonic wave propagation through a fixed distance and measuring the time taken for the waves to move downstream and upstream in a flow regime where there will be a difference in the time taken. Obviously, just like any technology and product, there are advantages and disadvantages. One of the great advantages of EESIFLO’s Portalok 7s is the ability to move the flow meter and use it on different sized pipes and in different locations. This saves a huge amount of time on installation costs, especially if the only alternative was to stop a process and install a permanent flow meter on an application that did not require long term flow monitoring.
EESIFLO Portable Flow meter solutions
