The application of vortex flowmeters in the liquid flow measurement industry

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There are many instruments used to measure liquid flow, such as float flow meters, differential pressure flow meters, electromagnetic flow meters, ultrasonic flow meters, target flow meters, vortex flow meters, and so on. Most of these flow meters can be used to measure the flow rate of liquids. Vortex flowmeters are used for measuring liquid flow, and they are favored by users due to their wide range of measurement capabilities, low pressure loss, fairly high accuracy, linear output, absence of moving parts, high reliability, low maintenance requirements, moderately low cost, and good performance-to-cost ratio. In terms of measuring liquid flow rates, vortex flow meters are primarily used in the following areas: (1) the measurement of flow rates for various industrial water applications, including circulating water, wastewater, and waste liquids used in the production processes of industries such as chemicals, light industry, power generation, metallurgy, building materials, and petroleum. (2) Measurement of some corrosive liquids, such as acids like sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, and various chemical solutions. (3) Measurement of non-conductive liquids: While electromagnetic flowmeters play a dominant role in measuring the flow rate of conductive liquids, they are not suitable for this purpose when it comes to non-conductive liquids; in such cases, vortex flowmeters are much more effective. Vortex flowmeters with small pipe diameters (DN < 25mm) introduced in recent years are more suitable for use in this field. Some vortex flowmeter models utilize molding technology to manufacture the sensor part of the vortex flowmeter as a fully plastic component; ultrasonic sensing elements that do not come into contact with the fluid are then used to perform non-contact measurement of the fluid. Such flowmeters can be employed for measuring the flow of corrosive fluids and highly pure liquids. According to available information, vortex flowmeters are effectively used in the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food, and semiconductor industries. Examples include methanol, formaldehyde, propanone, toluene, trichloroethylene, ethylene, liquid ammonia, etc., as well as pure water for the semiconductor industry and ultra-pure water. (4) Flow measurement of some low-viscosity oils, such as gasoline, kerosene, and diesel, as well as the flow measurement of heavy oils and residue whose viscosity decreases upon heating. (5) Measurement of water flow rate in large-diameter pipes: full-bore vortex flow meters are mainly used for pipes of medium and small diameter, while inserted vortex flow meters can be used for measuring flow rate in large-diameter pipes (DN≥300mm). It is widely used in urban water supply pipelines as well as in the industrial water supply pipelines of companies in the chemical, power, metallurgy, papermaking, and textile industries.