Installation of rotameter
Thread Content
The skid-mounted equipment in our factory is equipped with a rotameter that is installed horizontally. Can a rotameter be installed horizontally? Is there anyone who knows this concept? I want to understand the internal structure and principles of this table when installed horizontally
This post was last edited by myface on 2018-12-18 at 14:31. If it’s the type of rotameter I understand, it should be installed vertically; is yours a turbine flowmeter? And there are no built-in installation instructions? It is said that there are special types that can be installed horizontally, but I have never seen them~
Why does it seem that the elbow is so close to the flow meter?
Rotary flow meters can be installed horizontally
It can be installed horizontally, but the distance between the front and rear straight sections as shown in the diagram is insufficient. . .
There are horizontal-mounted rotameters, but those with the structure shown in the diagram cannot be installed horizontally
Precautions for the installation and use of rotameters: 1. Installation direction of the instrument – The vast majority of rotameters must be installed vertically in pipes free from vibration; there should be no significant tilt, with the fluid flowing through the instrument from bottom to top. There is no strict requirement for the length of the straight upstream pipe section for the instrument, but some manufacturers do require a length of (2-5)D. 2. For installation with dirty fluids, a filter should be installed upstream of the instrument. When a metal tube rotameter with magnetic coupling is used for fluids that may contain magnetically susceptible impurities, a magnetic filter should be installed in front of the instrument. It is necessary to keep the float and cone tube clean, especially in instruments with small diameters; the cleanliness of the float significantly affects the measurement values. 3. The flow rate value of the rotameter requires necessary conversion. Unless the instrument is custom-made by the rotameter manufacturer based on parameters such as the density and viscosity of the medium, liquid instruments are usually calibrated using water, while gas instruments are calibrated using air, with the values set at standard engineering conditions. When the fluid density, gas pressure, and temperature under operating conditions do not match those used for calibration, necessary conversions must be made. The conversion formulas and methods are detailed in the manufacturer’s instructions for rotameters. Rotary flow meters are primarily used to measure single-phase liquids or gases; they are generally not suitable for use with liquids that contain particulate solids or gases that contain liquid droplets. Because particles or tiny bubbles attached to the float in the liquid flow will affect the measurement values. When a remote output signal is required for total accumulation or flow control, a metal tube rotameter with electrical signal output (i.e., a metal tube float flowmeter) is generally chosen. If the environmental atmosphere requires explosion protection and there is a gas supply for control instruments on site, a remote-transmission metal tube rotameter should be given priority. In short, different types of flowmeters should be chosen based on the operating environment and requirements, making the selection process particularly important.
It can be installed horizontally. Looking at the photo, it seems to be a Kroni product
The structure of this rotameter is as shown in the attached diagram