Can vortex flow meters really measure high-pressure gases?
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A vortex flow meter was used in the project to measure high-pressure hydrogen at 11.2 MPa, but it soon became unusable. However, the conditions necessary to remove this flow meter and send it back to the manufacturer are not available at present. The manufacturer states that vortex flow meters cannot handle high pressures well, as this can lead to damage to the internal components; the reason for this is unknown Could some expert explain this? Can a vortex flow meter actually measure the flow rate of high-pressure gases?
It depends on the brand of product you purchase. When selecting any type of instrument, it is necessary to provide technical parameters such as the temperature, pressure, and even density and viscosity of the medium. This depends on the type of instrument chosen. If you provide these parameters, the manufacturer is willing to sell it to you, and they must take responsibility for it. Claims that too high a pressure is not allowed are complete nonsense. You should understand that the eddy current generator is a rigid component that is perpendicular to the pipe and runs through it; it is welded to the inner wall of the pipe. The stress generated by it is caused by the differential pressure, that is, by the flow velocity of your fluid
It is recommended to use Emerson mass flow meters
Of course, there’s no problem. Choose high voltage for the selection! Hydrogen is still a bit special; we need to do the calculations!
Vortex flowmeters can be used to measure high-pressure gases, but due to the structural limitations of vortex flowmeters, which prevent them from withstanding high pressures, it is recommended to consider high-pressure orifice flowmeters. These are products designed according to the specific pressure and flow rates in use. The orifice flowmeters produced by Henan Yunyao Instrument Technology Co., Ltd. are of good quality
Whether a vortex flow meter can measure high-pressure gases depends on the principle of vortex detection; some vortex flow meters use pressure-transmitting elements to detect vortices, and the pressure resistance of these elements determines the range of applications for such flow meters. However, some vortex flowmeters use the pressure strain principle; the element is located within the vortex street and is solid, which allows them to withstand very high pressures. Furthermore, when the pressure of the medium increases but the flow velocity remains low, it may be impossible to achieve a stable vortex street effect, resulting in unsatisfactory measurement results. When ordering a vortex flowmeter, it is essential to provide the manufacturer with the parameters of the medium and the operating conditions, so that they can use their specialized software to carry out the calculations.
I’ll answer this question. The original vortex flow meter was a Yokogawa product, and according to those in the same industry, one of the components in Yokogawa’s vortex flow meters, namely the cantilever beam structure, is prone to damage； As for mass flow meters, they are certainly good, but they are expensive. I’ve seen discussions on other forums about the mass flow meters produced by Xi’an Dongfeng Electromechanical, Taiyuan Taihang, and Shanghai Yino. I wonder if anyone has used them? What is the reliability? Is the price roughly a few tenths of that of Emerson’s?
You might want to give Jiangsu Wei Yi a try; its domestic vortex flow meters can compete with Emerson’s 8800 model, at a price lower than that of the 8800 but higher than that of the 8600. Why aren’t orifice plates used for high-pressure hydrogen? I think orifice plates are really great~!
The most suitable instrument for measuring hydrogen is, of course, a mass flow meter. However, foreign brands are expensive, while domestic brands do not inspire confidence among customers. To be honest, one of the main reasons for choosing a vortex flow meter is its lower price. We had indeed not used vortex flow meters in high-pressure conditions before; although we selected it based on the supplier’s recommendations, we did not expect such problems to arise
Original poster, are you copying my reply? I clearly meant an orifice plate… not mass flow
It’s a reply to you – this client had specific brand requirements; in the end, they used flow meters from another manufacturer. It was said that mass flow meters are the most suitable for measuring hydrogen flow, as they offer high precision in terms of hydrogen quality as well as accurate results for hydrogen sampling and analysis, and their accuracy brings significant benefits