Flow Meter Selection Guide
Choosing the Right Flow Meters
Numerous principles of operation and design variations together with the consideration of installation parameters, location and the economies of operation can make it a daunting task when choosing the right flow meter for a particular application.
If you don’t know the difference between vortex flow, Magflow or mass flow technologies then you’re probably not going to make the right choice when it comes to selecting a flow meter.
icenta is a UK flow meter specialist supplying some of the leading names in liquid, gas & vapour flow measurement with clients both large and small. To help you take the guesswork out of choosing a flow meter, icenta has produced a free flow meter selection guide, which we’ll email you on request.
A Comparison of Flow Meter Options
| Liquids |
Gear |
Turbine |
Magnetic * |
Coriolis Mass |
Thermal Mass |
Vortex |
Paddle wheel |
Ultrasonic |
Variable Area |
| Clean |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Dirty |
no |
no |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
special design |
yes |
yes |
| Conductive |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Viscous |
yes, >10 centistokes (cst) |
yes (special calibration) |
yes |
yes |
no |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes (special calibration) |
| Slurries |
no |
limited |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
yes (Doppler) |
no |
| Corrosive |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Reverse flow |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
no |
yes |
yes |
no |
| Pulsating flow |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Semi filled pipes |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
yes |
no |
| Open channel |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
no |
yes |
no |
|
Gases |
Gear |
Turbine |
Magnetic * |
Coriolis Mass |
Thermal Mass |
Vortex |
Paddle wheel |
Ultrasonic |
Variable Area |
| Steam |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Clean |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Wet |
yes |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Contaminated |
no |
no |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
| Corrosive |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
no |
yes |
yes |
| |
|
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|
|
|
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| Technical data |
Gear |
Turbine |
Magnetic * |
Coriolis mass |
Gas mass-flow |
Vortex |
Paddle wheel |
Ultrasonic |
Variable Area |
| Accuracy ± |
0.1-0.5% of reading |
0.25-1% of reading |
0.5-1% of reading |
0.05-0.15% of reading |
1.5% full scale |
1% of reading |
1% (linearity) |
typically 1-5% of reading |
2-4% full scale |
| Repeatability ± |
0.1% of reading |
0.1% of reading |
0.1% of reading |
0.05-0.10% of reading |
0.5% full scale |
0.2% of reading |
|
|
0.25% full scale |
| Max pressure Bar |
270 and up |
350 and up |
350 and up |
85 and up |
40 and up |
50 and up |
100 and up |
unlimited |
15 and up |
| Max temp °C |
125 and up |
300 and up |
150 and up |
200 and up |
100 and up |
400 |
100 and up |
100 and up |
300 and up |
| Pressure drop |
medium |
medium |
virtually none |
low |
low |
low |
virtually none |
none |
medium |
| Turndown ratio |
25:1 |
10:1 |
|
100:1 |
50:1 |
< 10:1 |
|
|
10:1 |
| Average cost |
Medium |
Medium |
Medium |
High |
Medium |
Medium |
Low |
Medium |
Low |
* liquid must be electrically conductive
|
Products
