An ultrasonic flow meter is a type of volumetric flow meter that is used to measure the flow rate of a liquid. Ultrasonic flow meters are different from other types of volumetric flow meters because they use acoustic vibrations to measure flow rate, making them non-intrusive. Ultrasonic flow meters are ideal for applications concerning “dirty” liquids, such as wastewater, as they generally do not work with distilled water or drinking water. Other requirements that may make ultrasonic flow meters necessary include low pressure drop, chemical compatibility, and low maintenance.
Doppler Vs. Transit Time Ultrasonic Flow Meters
There are two types of ultrasonic flow meters: doppler and transit time. These two types of ultrasonic flow meters operate on a similar principle, but function using two different technologies. Doppler ultrasonic flow meters operate on the Doppler effect principle: they emit an ultrasonic beam into the stream flowing through the pipe, and particles or bubbles must be present to reflect the ultrasonic signals. In contrast, transit time ultrasonic flow meters use two transducers on either side of the pipe to measure flow rate. An ultrasonic signal is transmitted from the first transducer until it crosses the pipe and is received by the second transducer, resulting in a flow rate measurement. The output type (analog or digital), size of the pipe, process temperature, pressure, and flow rate can all factor into which type of ultrasonic flow meter is right for your application.
How Does An Ultrasonic Flow Meter Work?
As stated above, the two types of ultrasonic flow meters (doppler & transit time) operate slightly differently. With a Doppler ultrasonic flow meter, the motion of particles causes a frequency shift of the beam and results in a flow measurement. With a transit time ultrasonic flow meter, flow rate is measured by how fast an ultrasonic signal travels between two transducers. When liquid flow is present in a pipe, the ultrasonic signal moves faster if traveling in the same direction and slower if moving against it. Both types of ultrasonic flow meters are designed to be clamped onto the outside of a pipe without breaking the line or interrupting the flow. Ultrasonic flow meters also prevent the loss of pressure, which can happen with an inline flow meter. Ultrasonic flow meters are extremely useful for measuring flow rate in oil, gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, food, beverage, metal, mining, paper, and wastewater applications!
Shop Ultrasonic Flow Meters Online or Contact Sentrol Life Sciences Today!
If you have any questions about ultrasonic flow meters in relation to your application, please don’t hesitate to contact our team at Sentrol Life Sciences! We provide facilities in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and Eastern Canada with instrumentation sales, repair, calibration, and much more! Call us today at (888) 877-1778 or fill out the contact form on our website, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible! Shop our online store to purchase ultrasonic flow meters from industry-leading manufacturers!