Since their introduction in the 1950s, Magflo electromagnetic flow meters have become one of the most widely used flowmeter types for measuring water and other liquids. Also known as Magmeters, magnetic flow meters or induction flow meters, they function with conductive fluids to measure flow across a controlled magnetic field.
The magnetic flow meter design offers some very important advantages especially with regard to reliability and accuracy, which have helped encourage uptake, making the Magflow meter the most common velocity device used for flow measurement:
Magflow Meter Advantages
• No moving parts (which are prone to wear and unreliability) resulting in obstructionless measurement with nothing projecting into the flow stream
• Good accuracy (0.5 to 1%)
• Virtually no pressure drop (except insertion magnetic flow meters where pressure drop is limited)
• Can be used in pipes of almost any size
• Can handle flows with high level of solids which cannot be measured with other types of flow meter
• Support a variety of liners that allow them to be used for a range of specific applications eg sanitary liners for hygienic applications, inert liners for corrosive liquids
• Insensitive to fluid viscosity, specific gravity, temperature and pressure (within certain limitations)
• Magflow meters will work with laminar, turbulent, and transitional flows
• Magmeters can respond well to fast changing flows
• Relatively short straight-run requirements
Magflow Meter Limitations
• Magflow meters use restricted to liquids where conductivity is at sufficient levels to induce measurable voltage ie magmeters are unable to measure the flow of hydrocarbons due to their low conductivities
• Typically require a pipe full of flowing liquid
• Magmeters cannot be used measure gas flow
• The pipe must normally be grounded (failure to properly ground the pipe can result in fluctuating flow signals)
Due to the significant advantages of magnetic flow meter technology, the Magflow meter can handle a wide variety of applications. It is commonly used in the water and wastewater industries; it is also used for liquid food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, where there is a requirement for sanitary flow meters and for very corrosive liquids such as corrosive acids, process chemicals, electrolytes and brine. Its suitability for flows with high level of solids has led to applications in the pulp and paper industries, mining slurries, sludge and other solid bearing fluids.
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