For accurate flow measurement, proper flow rate measuring tools are necessary. As a plant manager, pairing the right application with the correct flow meter will achieve significant ROI. In this post, we will discuss Vortex flow meters, which are among the various categories available in the market today. Read on to gain better knowledge of their advantages and drawbacks.
Flow measurement is an important aspect of any industry dealing with gas and liquid substances. Proper flow rate reading requires flow sensors designed for particular applications. Selecting the right flow meter may look easy, but it’s not. Vortex flow meters are among the most common flow meters used in various flow systems.
Unlike other flow meters whose working principles are pretty straightforward, vortex flowmeters use a very interesting flow rate measuring principle. These fluid measuring meters work by allowing liquid to pass a shredder bar, a bluff body found inside the flow meter. This creates disturbances within the liquids. From the created disturbances, vortices begin to form and trail behind the cylinder on both sides of the shedder bar. The fluid movement within the flow meter is directly proportional to the vortex’s movement.
Vortex flow meters come in two types; therefore, you need to ensure that you have chosen the right vortex flowmeter for the right application. The two types of vortex flowmeters include the following:
Inline Vortex Flow Meters
Inline vortex flow meters are usually installed along the pipelines to measure the flow rate of fluids. This means that the measured fluid needs to pass through the vortex flow meter to measure flow rate. These flow rates are the most popular types of flow meters compared to other types of vortex flow meters.
Insertion flowmeters
The fluid doesn’t need to go through the flow meter when measuring flow rate using the insertion vortex flowmeter. These flow meters are inserted into the flow to measure the flow rate. These categories of flow meters use very sensitive flow sensors when reading the flow rate of fluids.
Application Of Vortex Flow Meter Types
Among researchers, vortex flowmeters are becoming more popular by the day. They are used in various industries and companies because their accuracy levels are much higher than other flow meters. Below are some of the major uses of the vortex flowmeter types:
- Used to measure higher viscosity fluids
- It is used to measure of liquid that is suspended
- Water application
- Stream measurement
- Water and glycol mixtures
- Chilled water
- Hot water
- Portable water
- Solvents
- Acids
- Ultrapure water
- Deionized water
Pros of using the vortex flowmeter
You can use a vortex flowmeter in any flow system that meets the requirements mentioned above. Here are the benefits of using the vortex flowmeter:
- It doesn’t consist of any moving parts and is not subject to wear and tear
- Low maintenance costs since maintenance are not done regularly
- Vortex flowmeters are used to measure different types of liquids, gasses, or stream
- These types of flow meters are quite reliable
- It produces long term accuracy
- Installation cost is also very low compared to other types of flow meters
- These flow meters can work in various temperature ranges
- You can also get them in various pipe sizes
Cons of using the vortex flowmeter
As much as vortexes are reliable tools for measuring the flow rate of fluids, you also need to know that it also has a few constraints. For example, certain fluids cannot be measured using this flow type. Even though it has several setbacks, the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages.
Conclusion
There are plenty of benefits that you can get from acquiring the vortex flowmeter. Among them is that it has a wide range of flow rate metering. These flow meters are also easy to maintain because they have no moving parts inside them. If you can’t decide which kind of vortex flow meters to use, you can always ask your vendor or manufacturer for help.