Balanced flow meter

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The balanced flow meter represents a significant improvement over traditional throttling devices, featuring prominent balanced rectification properties. Traditional throttling devices have only one flow aperture, which causes the fluid to lose its ideal state after throttling ； The balanced flow meter features multiple functional apertures, which can maximize the balancing and rectification of the flow field to achieve an ideal fluid state, thereby fully leveraging the advantages of the differential pressure flow meter. Balance flowmeters are suitable for almost all fluid measurement applications, representing a revolution in fluid measurement technology. Today, they are widely used in industries such as petroleum, chemicals, metallurgy, power generation, natural gas, and water treatment. Product Principle The balanced flow meter is a revolutionary differential pressure type flow meter. Its working principle is the same as that of other differential pressure flow meters, based on the principle of energy conversion in a sealed pipeline: in the case of an ideal fluid, the flow rate in the pipeline is proportional to the square root of the differential pressure ； The flow rate in the pipeline can be calculated using the measured differential pressure value and Bernoulli’s equation. A balanced flow sensor is a porous disc throttle regulator installed in the cross-section of a pipe; the size and distribution of each pore are customized based on specific formulas and test data, and these pores are known as functional pores. When the fluid passes through the functional holes in the disk, it is evenly directed, turbulence is minimized, resulting in a flow that is nearly ideal. A stable differential pressure signal can be obtained using pressure sensing devices, and the volumetric flow rate and mass flow rate can be calculated based on Bernoulli’s equation. 1. The measurement accuracy is 5–10 times that of standard orifice plates. 2. The flow noise is 1/15 that of standard orifice plates. 3. The permanent pressure loss is 1/3 that of standard orifice plates. 4. Pressure recovery is twice as fast as that of standard orifice plates. 5. The minimum required straight pipe section can be less than 0.5D. First, it features high linearity and good repeatability: the balanced flow sensor has a symmetric porous structure that enables balancing of the flow field, reducing eddies, vibrations, and signal noise. This improves the stability of the flow field, resulting in a linearity 5–10 times higher than that of orifice plates, as well as a repeatability of 0.15%. In terms of its overall performance, the balanced flow meter belongs to the category of high-end flow meters. At a range ratio of 5:1, the linearity can reach ±0.3% ； At a range ratio of 7:1, the linearity can reach ±0.5% ； At a range ratio of 10:1, the linearity can reach ±1.0%. Second, lower requirements are placed on the straight pipe sections for these balanced flow sensors: due to the stable flow field and the fact that pressure recovery is twice as fast as in orifice plates, **the requirements regarding straight pipe sections are reduced. The straight pipe sections before and after such sensors are typically 3D in length ahead and 1D behind; in some cases, this length can be as low as 0.5D, thereby eliminating the need for large amounts of straight pipe section, especially in pipelines made of expensive materials. III. Reduction of permanent pressure loss: The symmetric design of the porous structure reduces turbulent shear forces and the formation of vortices, thereby minimizing kinetic energy losses. Under the same measurement conditions, it reduces permanent pressure loss by 2.5 times compared to orifice plates, which saves significant amounts of energy costs. It is an energy-efficient instrument that deserves widespread adoption. IV. The dirt-resistant and clog-resistant design with symmetrical pores reduces turbulent shear forces and the formation of vortices, thereby **decreasing the formation of dead zones where debris can accumulate; this ensures that dirty substances can pass through the pores easily, reducing the likelihood of these pores becoming blocked. V. It can directly replace the orifice plate; having the same usage method and shape as the orifice plate, it can be substituted without any need for changes to the piping or related instruments. It is very suitable for replacing orifice plates with balance flow meters during energy metering upgrades across entire plants. VI. Wide flow measurement range: Based on the test results, we found that the performance of the balanced flow meter allows its flow velocity to range from a minimum value up to the speed of sound ； Its minimum Reynolds number can be below 200, and its maximum Reynolds number is above 107 ； The β value can range from 0.25 to 0.90. VII. Good long-term stability: Due to the significant reduction in turbulent shear forces, the direct friction between the medium and the throttling element is greatly diminished. Its β value remains constant over time, and since the entire instrument has no moving parts, it can maintain stability for a long period. VIII. Measurable high-temperature and high-pressure media: Similar to throttling devices such as orifice plates, the operating temperature and pressure depend on the material and grade of the pipes and flanges; the operating temperature can reach 850°C, and the operating pressure can reach 42 MPa. IX. Media under complex measurable operating conditions possess special properties due to their unique structural design. They can be gas-liquid phases, various mixed gases (such as gas, biogas, coal gas, etc.), various low-temperature gases (such as LNG, liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, liquid argon, liquid hydrogen, liquid chlorine, liquefied ethylene, liquefied petroleum gas, etc.), gas-liquid phase media (such as moist air), slurries, multiphase water flows, vibrating water flows, electromagnetic interference-prone media, and two-way flows (since the balance flow meter is perfectly symmetrical on both sides). Rating