Have you learned how to use a vortex flow meter after buying it?

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Hi, I’m your industrial control assistant, sharing a little tip about industrial control devices every day. Come and learn something new with me! What we will be discussing today is the installation of vortex flowmeters. Although it’s just a small flowmeter, there are important considerations involved in its installation. We will go into detail about these aspects next. Firstly, to ensure data accuracy and achieve better measurement results, we need to pay attention to certain matters before installation in order to facilitate a proper setup of the flow meter. 1. Flow meters can be installed indoors or outdoors; when installed outdoors, protection measures should be taken to prevent the meter from being corroded by weather conditions and the external environment. 2. Vortex flowmeters can be installed horizontally or vertically; when installed vertically, the fluid should flow from bottom to top to achieve the best measurement results. 3. Flow meters should be avoided in locations with strong magnetic fields, high radiation levels, limited space, and difficult access for maintenance, in order to reduce external interference. 4. When the medium being measured contains a high amount of impurities, a filter screen should be installed to prevent these impurities from accumulating on the sensor over time and affecting the proper operation of the flow meter. 5. The flow meter should be installed in a location free from severe vibrations; if necessary, a fixing device should be installed 2d away from the flow meter. 6. Avoid installing valves in front of the flow meter; if required by the process, they can be installed behind the flow meter. 7. When a valve is installed in front of the flow meter, try to minimize the number of times the valve is opened and closed. When the air pressure is too high or the flow rate is too high, instantaneous shocks can cause irreversible damage to the internal sensors and prisms. 8. Sufficient straight pipe sections are required before and after the flow meter, generally 10d in front and 8d behind. 9. Flow meters should be avoided being installed on very long horizontal pipes that are suspended; when such pipes are long, gravity causes deformation at the flange connections of the flow meter, leading to problems such as air leakage. Next is the main part of our task: the installation of the vortex flow meter. (1) The general requirements for the straight pipe sections before and after a vortex flow meter are: 20D in front and 5D behind (D being the inner diameter of the connected process pipeline); valves are generally installed on the downstream side of the flow meter. (2) When the flow meter is installed at the outlet of a blower or plunger pump, a valve must be installed on the upstream side of the flow meter. To ensure its accuracy, in addition to the upstream straight pipe section having a length of at least 20D, it is advisable to install a flow-limiting or buffering device on that upstream side, as shown in Figure 1. (3) For process pipelines where a change in diameter is required, the lengths of the upstream and downstream straight pipe sections should be at least 10D and 5D respectively; if a gate valve must be used on the upstream side of the flow meter, then the length of the upstream straight pipe section should be at least 40D, as shown in Figure 2. (4) The temperature, pressure, and other sensor components should be installed on the downstream side of the vortex flow meter; the required distance is shown in Figure 3: the distance requirement between the vortex flow meter and the sensor components. When installing a vortex flowmeter, it is necessary to ensure that the interior of the vortex generator is filled with the medium under operating conditions. This type of flowmeter can measure the flow rate of liquids, gases, and steam. It can also be installed in pipes that are horizontal, vertical, or at any other angle. However, in all cases, it is essential to ensure that the interior of the flowmeter is completely filled with the same medium during operation. (1) For connected process pipelines, their inner diameter should not be smaller than that of the flow meter; the inner diameter of the gaskets used for flange connections should be larger than that of the flow meter itself. Otherwise, bubbles or negative pressure vacuums may occur, affecting the accuracy of measurement. (2) When installing horizontal pipes with a liquid medium, it is necessary to avoid the formation of bubbles inside the flow meter due to improper pipe arrangement, as shown in Figure 4(a). When installing vertical pipes, the flow direction of the medium should be upward; when a downward flow direction is inevitable, measures should be taken to eliminate the negative pressure resulting from gravity, so as to prevent the interior of the flow meter from not being completely filled with the medium under measurement, as shown in Figure 4(b). That’s all for today’s content. If there’s anything else you’d like to know, feel free to leave a message. Making small progress every day represents a big step forward for human civilization; stay tuned for more updates.