Ultrasonic Flow Meters

Today, ultrasonic flowmeters are the most widely used flow technology in the market. Their main advantage over other technologies is the non-intrusive clamp-on installation method which dramatically reduces installation costs by negating the need for costly pipe modifications. The non-invasive nature of this technology also allows for fewer process interruptions, more maintenance free operation, lower pressure differential and greater longevity versus other flow measurement technologies.

SmartMeasurement™ offers the most comprehensive array of ultrasonic flow meters in the industry.

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SMARTMEASUREMENT™ ULTRASONIC FLOW METERS

SmartMeasurement™ offers the widest selection of ultrasonic flow meters in the industry. Our comprehensive array of non-invasive clamp-on flowmeters includes devices employing both the time-proven transit time and the Doppler ultrasonic methods with either clamp-on or inline installation options available. We also offer low-cost spool piece water meters and BTU/energy ultrasonic meters. Ultrasonic flowmeters from SmartMeasurement have been successfully installed in a wide variety of industries and applications including semicon, municipal/wastewater, solar, building automation, energy, food & beverage, open channel flow measurement and factory automation.

The amount of suspended solids or bubbles/aeration present is a key consideration to selecting the proper ultrasonic flowmeter for any flow measurement application. SmartMeasurement’s wide array of ultrasonic flow meter offerings ensures that there is a suitable instrument available regardless of whatever fluid conditions may be present. For clean water applications having ≤ 1-2% solids / aeration, our ALSONIC-FX offers superior value and industry leading prices for applications where a clamp on ultrasonic flowmeter is the preferred instrument. For clamp on meter applications having higher particle counts, our ALSONIC-DSP product is available in either single or dual path configurations to accommodate dirtier fluids. If a portable ultrasonic flowmeter is required, the ALSONIC-HL is available for clean liquids while the ALSONIC-DSPPL can accommodate liquids with up to 30% solids.

SmartMeasurement also has several special-situation ultrasonic flowmeters, such as the ALSONIC-EG which is a clamp on ultrasonic flowmeter for BTU/energy measurement, or the ALSONIC-BAWM which is a low-cost inline ultrasonic flowmeter for residential/institutional applications. The ALSONIC-MINI is tailored to ultra-low flows and small pipe sizes down ⅛”. The ALSONIC-AVM is an area velocity meter for open channel flow measurement applications having fluids with solids counts of ≤30%. For open channel applications where an economical solution is required, the ALSONIC-DDPL and ALSONIC-DAVM are low cost Doppler meters designed for open channel installations.

Ultrasonic Flow Meter Application and Installation Techniques

The clamp-on installation method, unique among flow metering technologies, allows ultrasonic flow meters to be used in applications where the process cannot be shut down and/or the pipe cannot be cut for installation. Clamp on ultrasonic flow meters introduce no pressure drop, suffer no mechanical wear and tear, allow for bidirectional measurement, and are able to pass unlimited particles or solids past the meter without damage.

Ultrasonic flow meters offer a number of advantages over other flow measuring technologies. The most distinct advantage is the non-invasive nature of the ultrasonic measuring technique: flow can be measured by clamping a pair of transducers onto the outside of the pipe without contacting the measured fluid.

Ultrasonic flow meters use either transit time technology, which is used in over 90% of ultrasonic flow measurement applications, or a Doppler technique. Advances in microprocessor technology are enabling transit time technologies to be constantly enhanced with better scan times and improved algorithms. More and more applications that could once only be measured using Doppler techniques are now being monitored with transit time technology as a result of these ongoing advancements. Today, ultrasonic flow meters that rely on the Doppler effect are becoming more of a niche instrument.

Theories of Operation:

Transit-Time Ultrasonic Flow Meters

Fluid velocity is measured by sending an ultrasonic pulse from an upstream transducer to a downstream transducer and back again. These pulses are emitted alternately in the flow direction and against it. As the fluid in which the signals propagate flows, the transit time of the ultrasonic pulse in the flow direction is shorter than against the flow direction. The resulting difference in transit time, ∆t, is measured and used to determine the average fluid velocity along the propagation path of the ultrasonic signals. A flow profile correction is then performed in order to obtain the area averaged flow velocity, which is proportional to the volumetric flow rate based on user-entered information about the process application.

Advances in digital signal processing technologies have made it possible to attach digital coding to the beamed sound waves. This method eliminates a number of problems such as noise and density variations. Flow meters that use the transit time method can be used only in conditions of clean fluids, with barely any gas bubbles or suspended solids.

Transit time ultrasonic flowmeters from SmartMeasurement offer the widest range of prices and capabilities in the industry. Applications involving clean liquids with low solids counts and few or no bubbles can be accommodated by the value-priced ALSONIC-FX. For more difficult conditions, such as fluids with high aeration or solids counts up to 30%, or for applications requiring higher accuracy, the AlsonicDSP provides an ideal solution. SmartMeasurement’s transit time also provides solutions for BTU (energy) flow measurement as well as open channel flow measurement applications. For a more detailed discussion of our ultrasonic flowmeters’ principles of operation, please visit our Ultrasonic Measuring Principle page.

Transit-Time Method

Doppler Ultrasonic Flow Meters

Doppler flow meters’ operation relies on the Doppler effect, first discovered by physicist Christian Doppler in 1842. Doppler ultrasonic flow meters measure flow velocity by sending sonic signals into the flow stream and then receiving signals reflected back from particles or bubbles entrained in the fluid. The velocity is measured as a function of the frequency shift due to the motion of these reflective materials. A pair of transducers outside the pipe, or a single transducer inside of the pipe, transmits an ultrasonic pulse into the moving fluid. A portion of this signal is reflected by suspended solids, entrained gases or flow turbulence back toward the transducer. Electronic circuitry compares the transmitted frequency with the received frequency. The difference, or frequency shift, is proportional to fluid velocity. When the liquid is not moving (a zero-flow condition) the transmitted and received frequencies are identical.

The SmartMeasurement family of clamp-on Doppler ultrasonic flow meters may be used in pipes containing liquids having up to 40% particles or solids and in open channel sewer applications. Clamp-on, insertion, and inline installation methods are available for closed pipe applications. For open-channel applications, the transducer is installed at the bottom of the channel and is used in conjunction with a level transmitter to measure the complete area-velocity flow profile. For a more detailed discussion of our ultrasonic flowmeters’ principles of operation, please visit our Ultrasonic Measuring Principle page.

Doppler Pulse Method

SmartMeasurement’s AlsonicDSP family of ultrasonic flow meters use patented “fine time measurement technologies” that beam sound waves at picosecond intervals to ensure accurate measurements of liquids that contain solids or gas bubbles. The SmartMeasurement’s AlsonicDSP flow transmitters use Cross Correlation to erase noise and make 3D cross sections of the flow profile’s travel speed through the pipe. It also allows users to use a Fast Fourier Transform technology, which allows for two signals to use the same frequency. This increases the accuracy of the flow rate measurement. Finally, SmartMeasurement’s AlsonicDSP ultrasonic flow meters can be used to measure fluids that contain up to 30 percent gas bubbles or solids while maintaining superior measurement accuracy.

Have questions about our ultrasonic flow meters? Contact the experts at SmartMeasurement today!

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