Among the flow meters available on the market there are ultrasonic clamp-on flowmeters, suitable for measuring many types of liquids. Let’s see how these instruments work, what their characteristics are and what advantages the clamp-on models offer. Finally, we present the strengths of our IFX-P200 ISOFLUX portable flowmeter.
How do ultrasonic clamp-on meters work?
Ultrasonic flowmeters work on the physical principle of transit time difference. Outside the tubes trasducers have been installed and alternately send and receive ultrasonic pulses.
The ultrasonic signal transmitted and received by each sensor passes through the pipe thickness and the liquid both in the direction of flow (from “a” to “b”) and in the opposite direction.
The frequency of the signal is influenced by the flow of the fluid: the ultrasonic signal accelerates along the direction of the flow and slows down in the opposite direction.
The transit time difference measured by the sensors is directly proportional to the flow rate.
Knowing the section of the pipe it is possible to calculate the instantaneous flow rate.
Figure shows typical V reflection mounting, where sensors are installed on the same external side of pipe
Benefits and applications
Compared to in-line models, clamp-on flowmeters are non-intrusive and offer greater convenience: they can be easily installed at any time (no modifications to the pipes are required) and do not require interruption of the process for either mounting or maintenance (with consequent cost reduction).
These flowmeters are very versatile as they can handle both conductive and non-conductive fluids and are also suitable for pipes with large diameters; there aren’t moving parts and they are not in contact with the internal fluid, so there is a low need for maintenance; they offer great accuracy and excellent repeatability of the measurement.
These instruments are suitable for water treatment, energy sector and chemical industry, particularly where immediate and short-term flow measurement operations are required.
Portable clamp-on flow meter IFX-P200 ISOFLUX
To measure the flow rate of any type of fluid, regardless of conductivity, pressure or chemical characteristics in pipes of different materials, the IFX-P200 ISOFLUX clamp-on flowmeter is the ideal solution.
It is a robust and light portable tool, suitable for pipes from DN10 to DN3000. Its measuring principle is based on transit time, with dual DSP technology for greater accuracy.
It is equipped with an LCD display that allows you to view the instantaneous flow rate and the totalized volume; it can make up to 100,000 records (each with 10 parameters) and store up to 1,000,000 data.
All the technical characteristics of the instrument are described in detail in the dedicated brochure.
ISOIL Industria also provides a series of useful accessories to simplify the assembly of the flow meter and further improve the measurement results, and for any further information on this do not hesitate to contact our specialists.