Flow meters are used for measuring the volumetric or mass flow rate of liquids or gas. In other words it is the amount of gas or liquid which passes through a single point inside the pipe at a given time. For simple calculation of flow rate we can use the following formula.
Flow Rate= A x V
where A= Area of cross section of the flow pipe and V= Average velocity of the fluid or liquid.
Flow meters are used in a various industries including petrochemical industries and health. Selection of right flow meter for your industry requires a thorough knowledge about various factors related to the liquid or gas in use. For example one should know the density of the liquid, viscosity of the liquid, temperature at which the flow meter is used to measure the flow of the liquid or gas etc.
When selecting flow meters, first thing you have to decide is if the flow rate measurement should be continuous or totalized. Also determine if the flow rate information is needed locally or remotely. Again if you need this information remotely, should the transmission be shared, analog or digital? After you have decided on these factors, then you can move on to other important factors like the property of the liquid or gas and the cross section of the gas/liquid flow pipe and the temperature at which flow meters are used for measuring.
More detailed information about flow meters and how to use them will be discussed in the future articles.