Regarding vortex flow meters
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I’ve started working at a new facility, and I noticed that the vortex flow meter used for measuring steam displays the flow rate in kg/h (the operator said that the measurement error is quite high). Moreover, there is no option to specify the flow unit in the meter’s settings. I would like to ask whether a vortex flow meter can be used to measure mass
Sure, what we have set is t/h....
Are there any particular considerations when using mass units? I should be getting around 10-15 kg/h, but both the on-site display and the central control system show only 7-8 kg/h. Moreover, the values are very unstable. The temperature and pressure compensation is set manually, rather than being determined through measurement
Check to see if there is an issue with the range setting
Many vortex flowmeters allow a fixed density to be set in the menu, with the output specified as mass flow rate; however, this method of measurement is not very accurate. It is better to perform temperature and pressure compensation, and many DCS systems have corresponding functions for such compensation
Steam is measured in terms of mass, and vortex flow meters can be set up to measure mass; in fact, many modern smart vortex flow meters are capable of measuring the mass of steam.
If the steam temperature and pressure are stable, the density can be fixed to measure the mass
If precise measurement is desired, it is best to include steam temperature and pressure compensation.
Currently, many companies use vortex flowmeters or differential pressure flowmeters to measure steam. To save effort or avoid increasing procurement costs, temperature and pressure compensation is not performed in real time; instead, the temperature and pressure values are set to fixed values. A measurement system constructed in this way will certainly have a deviation from the actual flow rate value. As for the situation where the amount of steam detected by the measurement system is less than the actual amount, this can be attributed to problems with the setup or system configuration. Another possible cause is that the range ratio of the vortex flow meter is too small (domestically produced meters can only achieve a ratio of 10:1); when the actual flow rate is low, the vortex flow meter is unable to detect it or its readings become unstable.
Check the quality of the steam; temperature and pressure compensation is key