Ultrasonic Flow Meter Installation Methods and Selection Guide
Insertion-type ultrasonic flow meter: A dedicated drilling device enables installation without interrupting production. Single-channel measurement is standard; for higher accuracy, a three-channel configuration is available.
Spool-piece (in-line) ultrasonic flow meter: Requires cutting into the pipeline for installation, but subsequent maintenance can be performed without stopping production. Available with single-channel or three-channel transducers.
Clamp-on ultrasonic flow meter: Capable of both fixed and portable measurement. Installed using a dedicated couplant (room-temperature-curing silicone rubber or high-temperature long-chain polymer grease), the installation process does not damage the pipeline.
Portable ultrasonic flow meter: Designed for portable use with a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, ideal for mobile measurement applications, and equipped with magnetic transducers.
Handheld ultrasonic flow meter: Compact and lightweight, with a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, designed for handheld operation, and equipped with magnetic transducers.
Explosion-proof ultrasonic flow meter: Designed for liquid flow measurement in explosive atmospheres, featuring a combined explosion-proof and intrinsically safe design—the transmitter is explosion-proof, while the transducer is intrinsically safe.
Flow measurement system: Composed of multiple ultrasonic flow meters and a central system master station. Suitable for centralized measurement across multiple pipelines.
Ultrasonic heat meter: Used for heat energy measurement in heating systems.
Battery-powered ultrasonic flow meter: An integrated ultrasonic flow meter powered by a single lithium battery. Suitable for locations without access to mains power, a single battery can last up to ten years, and it offers multiple measurement functions.
The spool-piece ultrasonic flow meter integrates the transducers and the measuring tube into a single unit, solving a major challenge encountered with clamp-on flow meters. Its measurement accuracy is also higher than that of other ultrasonic flow meters; however, this comes at the cost of losing the clamp-on meter's advantage of installation without flow interruption, as it requires cutting into the pipeline to install the transducers.
Insertion Type
The insertion-type ultrasonic flow meter falls between the two types mentioned above. It can be installed without interrupting the flow, using specialized tools to drill into a pressurized, water-filled pipeline and inserting the transducers into the pipe. Since the transducers are located inside the pipe, the signal is transmitted and received only through the measured medium, without passing through the pipe wall or lining. Therefore, its measurement is not affected by the pipe material or lining material.
Selection of Ultrasonic Flow Meters
In addition to the types described above, recent years have seen the emergence of digital ultrasonic flow meters using digital circuitry, as well as integrated ultrasonic flow meters that combine the transducer and transmitter in a single unit, among others. Faced with so many types of ultrasonic flow meters, users must make a reasonable selection based on actual conditions and measurement requirements.
Doppler Ultrasonic Flow Meter
Doppler ultrasonic flow meters can only be used to measure fluids containing an adequate amount of particles or bubbles capable of reflecting ultrasonic signals, such as factory discharge liquids, untreated wastewater, and industrial process fluids with stable impurity content. Note that it has stringent requirements for the measured medium: it cannot be clean water, and the impurity content must be relatively stable for proper measurement. Furthermore, the performance of instruments from different manufacturers and their requirements for the measured medium vary. When selecting this type of ultrasonic flow meter, you must have a clear understanding of the measured medium, as well as in-depth knowledge of the selected meter's performance, accuracy, and requirements for the medium.
Portable Ultrasonic Flow Meter
Suitable for temporary measurement tasks, primarily used to verify the operating status of other flow meters already installed on pipelines, to perform fluid balance testing within a specific area, and to check the current flow conditions of pipelines. When fixed installation is not required and the meter is used for these purposes, a portable ultrasonic flow meter is both convenient and economical.
Transit-Time Ultrasonic Flow Meter
The transit-time ultrasonic flow meter is currently the most widely produced and applied type. It is primarily used to measure the flow of clean fluids and is widely used by water supply companies and in industrial water applications. In addition, it can measure homogeneous fluids with low impurity content (impurity content less than 10 g/L, particle size less than 1 mm), such as wastewater, with an accuracy of up to ±1.5%. Practical applications have shown that the transit-time ultrasonic flow meter delivers satisfactory results for measuring the corresponding fluids.
In-line (Spool-Piece) Ultrasonic Flow Meter
The in-line ultrasonic flow meter offers high accuracy, up to ±0.5%, and is not limited by pipe material or lining, making it suitable for applications with high flow measurement accuracy requirements. However, as the pipe diameter increases, so does the cost. Generally, selecting a spool-piece ultrasonic flow meter for small to medium pipe sizes is more economical. Insertion-type ultrasonic flow meter: A dedicated drilling device enables installation without interrupting production. Single-channel measurement is standard; for higher accuracy, a three-channel configuration is available.
Spool-piece ultrasonic flow meter: Requires cutting into the pipeline for installation, but subsequent maintenance can be performed without stopping production. Available with single-channel or three-channel transducers.
Clamp-on ultrasonic flow meter: Capable of both fixed and portable measurement. Installed using a dedicated couplant (room-temperature-curing silicone rubber or high-temperature long-chain polymer grease), the installation process does not damage the pipeline.
Portable ultrasonic flow meter: Designed for portable use with a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, ideal for mobile measurement applications, and equipped with magnetic transducers.
Handheld ultrasonic flow meter: Compact and lightweight, with a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, designed for handheld operation, and equipped with magnetic transducers.
Explosion-proof ultrasonic flow meter: Designed for liquid flow measurement in explosive atmospheres, featuring a combined explosion-proof and intrinsically safe design—the transmitter is explosion-proof, while the transducer is intrinsically safe.
Flow measurement system: Composed of multiple ultrasonic flow meters and a central system master station. Suitable for centralized measurement across multiple pipelines.
If you would like to learn more about ultrasonic flow meters and Doppler ultrasonic flow meters, please call the Dayu Electronics hotline: 0591-28082552 or contact us on QQ : 2187169532