Flow Measurement Solutions
Flow Meter Use Case
| Meter type | Best suited for | Typical applications | Key advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coriolis | Liquids Gases Slurries | Custody transfer of hydrocarbons & chemicals, pharmaceutical batching, food & beverage dosing, LNG measurement | Measures mass flow & density directly; very high accuracy (±0.1%); handles viscous fluids | High cost; pressure drop concern; not suitable for large pipe diameters; vibration sensitive |
| Thermal mass |
Clean gases Air |
Compressed air monitoring, natural gas sub-metering, HVAC balance, combustion air measurement, emissions monitoring | Direct mass flow of gas; no moving parts; measures very low flows; low pressure drop | Gases only; sensitive to contamination and coating; requires calibration per gas composition |
| Magnetic (Mag) | Conductive liquids Slurries | Water & wastewater, mining slurries, pulp & paper, food processing, chemical dosing | No moving parts; unobstructed bore; handles solids & slurries; bi-directional; low maintenance | Requires electrically conductive fluid (min ~5 µS/cm); not for hydrocarbons or gases |
| Vortex | Steam Gases Clean liquids | Steam distribution & energy metering, compressed gases, light hydrocarbons, district, heating and cooling | Wide temperature range; no moving parts; handles steam well; long term stability | Minimum flow velocity required; vibration sensitive; not for viscous, dirty, or two phase fluids |
| Clamp-on ultrasonic | Clean liquids Non-invasive | Retrofitting existing pipes, chilled/hot water circuits, district energy, temporary flow verification, hazardous or inaccessible lines | Zero pipe penetration; no process shutdown needed; portable; works on wide range of pipe sizes | Reduced accuracy on dirty or aerated fluids; pipe condition & wall thickness affect accuracy; signal attenuation on lined and corroded pipes |
| Doppler ultrasonic | Dirty liquids Slurries Aerated fluids | Wastewater & sewage, mining slurries, sludge lines, aerated process streams, portable spot-checking of problematic fluids | Works where other ultrasonic meters fail; handles suspended solids & bubbles; non-invasive | Requires particles or bubbles (>100 ppm); less accurate on clean fluids; not for custody transfer |
Contact our flow measurement experts to discuss your specific requirements and find the ideal meter for your application.