A liquid flow meter is essential in measuring the flow of liquids in the pipe because measuring flow is one of the most frequent activities in the flow industry. Installation and Maintenance of liquid flow meters can sometimes be challenging. Structuring your meter correctly is essential because poor installation and Maintenance can affect the flow of liquids even if the design is perfect. When it comes to some applications like non-custody transfer or non-fiscal, calibration always does not matter. The meter is always left in situ for several years without thinking of its accuracy. However, even in these situations, you will still need to understand installing a flow meter.
Liquid Flow Meters Installation Process
Ensure that you follow the following installation practices if you want to get accurate measurements of the flow:
Ensure that you are constantly installing the meter in a manner that you were recommended
Make sure that the pipe is always filled with water.
Also, ensure that there is no air or vapor when it comes to liquid flow measurement.
Also, make sure that there are no droplets in the gas.
Ensure that you minimize the effects of vibration by supporting the piping on both sides of the meter.
Where needed, ensure that you give filtration upstream of the meter to remove the solids from the flow channel.
When you are installing liquids, pressure pulsations might be an issue. So, ensure that you are protecting the meter from pressure pulsations and flow surges.
Also, ensure that you are avoiding solid magnetic fields as much as possible.
Ensure that you install flow limiters
Where you expect vortex flow, you can increase inlet and outlet sections or install the flow directors.
If the flow rate is too high, ensure that you install two or more meters in parallel.
Each flowmeter installation has to give allowance for expansion of the tube.
Ensure that there is enough clearance for installation and maintenance work to be performed on the measurement system.
Always ensure that you are not installing a meter on the pump suction side.
Maintenance of Flow Meters
You need to maintain a flow meter so that you might have safe access to it. When carrying the meter, ensure that you keep it away from oil and grease, dangerous materials, and toxic fumes. Also, ensure that you remove long or overgrown grass and dangerous machinery that might affect the meter’s accuracy. Maintaining a meter will also enable you to read the meter display.
Steps to Select the Right Meter for Your Application
The first step that you need to follow if you want to choose the correct meter for your application is to know if the flow is continuous or not. Also, see if you need the information locally or remotely as well. You also need to know the characteristics of the flow before you choose a meter for your application. Ensure that you are always using a flow meter for the correct application.
The accuracy of the flow meter is also essential. You need to install and maintain the meter correctly. You will need total accuracy in applications where there is selling and buying of products. In other applications, repeatability might be more essential than accuracy. So, ensure that you establish the accuracy and repeatability of every application separately. Ensure that you also show them in the specifications. Always ensure that you are selecting a meter that does not have moving parts. This is because they do not tend to wear or tear and are also sensitive to coating.
Final Thought
Proper installation and Maintenance of each liquid flow meter are essential. Poor Maintenance of the meters might result in leakages, and this is dangerous. Also, before buying a meter for your application, ensure that you have enough information about the meter you need. This is because it allows you to measure the flow of liquids accurately.