Common Applications for Ultrasonic Flow Meters
- Gas-stack flow measurement in power plant scrubbers
- Cryogenic liquids (time transit ultrasonic flow meters only)
- Influent and effluent water flow (doppler flow meters only)
- Waste water (doppler flow meters only)
- Light to medium crude oils in the petroleum refining industry (time transit meters only)
- Makeup water
- Pure and ultra-pure fluids in semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and the food & beverage industries (time transit ultrasonic flow meters only)
- Digester feed control (doppler flow meters only)
- Acids and liquefied gases in the chemical industry
- Cooling water
- Water distribution systems used in agriculture and irrigation
- Clarifier monitoring
Cole-Parmer's range of ultrasonic flow meters and doppler flowmeters offers process contamination free measurement of liquids and gas flow. A typical ultrasonic flow meter will consist of a transducer that is mounted on to the exterior of the pipe and an indicator or totalizer to display the output. This can easily be installed without disturbing existing pipe work. Most ultrasonic flow meters will work with pipe sizes between 1/2" and 200" diameter. There are two main types of ultrasonic flow meters; doppler flow meters and time transit ultrasonic flow meters.
A doppler flow meter requires particulates or bubbles in the media. The minimum diameter size of the particulate is typically 30 microns and requires a minimum concentration levels of 25 ppm. Since some meters may require slightly larger concentrations of particulate, it is a good idea to check the specifications table. Doppler flow meters are mainly used for liquid applications (roughly 88%) while the rest are used for gas (11%) and steam (1%) applications.
A time transit ultrasonic flow meter requires a clean liquid without particulates or bubbles and can be used for both liquid and gas applications. It has better accuracy than that of a doppler flow meter and will typically offer accuracies of 2% full scale.
Why Use an Ultrasonic Flow Meter
- Doppler flow meters are suitable for slurries
- Suitable for aggressive chemicals as no contact with the media
- Allows for easy installation without disturbing existing pipe work
- Process contamination free measurement of flow
- No leak potential
Limitations of Ultrasonic Flow Meters
- Higher initial setup costs than other flow technologies
- Pipe material must be compatible with ultrasonic sensor
- Requires sufficient knowledge of the flow and media to give some confidence in readings
To find the right flow meter for your application use Cole-Parmer's on-line flow meter quick search. Alternatively contact our Application Specialists for free technical support and let us bring over 50 years of flow control experience to help solve your application needs.