What is turbine flow meter？

Turbine flow meter consists of a multi-blade rotor mounted with a pipe perpendicular to the fluid flow. When the liquid passes through the blades, the rotor will spin. The speed of the rotor is depended upon the flow rate, so it can be measured by using a photoelectric cell or gears. This flow meter would convert the mechanical action of the turbine as the fluid flow rate. This device would rotate according to the flow in which it is placed, the number of revolution is proportional to the flow.It is used in many industrial applications to measure the flow of liquid and gas.

The major part of this device is a multi-blade rotor and this rotor is mounted at an angle that the fluid flow can rotate the rotor. A ball bearing supports the rotor on a shaft which is retained in the flow meter housing by shaft support section. A magnetic pick up is mounted to the turbine wheel, and the sensor would record the voltage pulse that is created. Then the voltage information is then translated into actual flow meter reading.

What is the principle of turbine flow meter?

The turbine is rotated by the flowing fluid, these rotating blades would create pulses that would be recorded and the flow rate is determined by this. The pulse rate is depended upon the flow rate. This device would convert the mechanical action of the rotating turbine in the liquid flow around an axis into a user-readable rate of flow. The blades on the rotor is placed in a way that, can transform the energy of the flow into rotational energy. The rotor shaft spins on the bearings when the fluid moves faster then the rotor would spin faster too. These turbine flowmeters are used to measure the velocity of fluids and gases in pipes. Shaft rotation is sensed mechanically or by the blade movements. The movement of the blade is also detected magnetically. More pulse would be generated when the fluid flows faster and this flow could be measured, the transmitter would process the pulse signal to determine the customized gas turbine flow meter rate. These meters can be used when accuracy, compact size, and fast response is required.

Applications of turbine flow meter

Military applications

It is used in the blending system of the petroleum industry

Airborne applications for energy fuel and cryogenic flow measurement

Chemical industries

Food and beverage

Oil and gas

Refining

Semiconductor

Agricultural

Pharmaceutical

Process control

Food beverage dispensing

Advantages of a turbine flow meter:

Good accuracy

Easy to install

Low-pressure drop

Good temperature and pressure rating

Excellent repeatability and range

The construction materials would allow to use it with many process fluid

Simple and durable

It can be easily connected to the electronic readout device for flow control and computer interface

Disadvantages of turbine flow meter

High cost

Limited use for slurry applications

Problems caused by non-lubricating fluids

Less accurate at low flow rates

It cannot be operated at high velocity

Moving parts

Sensitive to flow profile

Interchangeability from unit to unit is very poor

The bearing is depended on the cleanliness and lubricity of the process fluid

Wear and tear could happen to the turbine blades and it needs to be calibrated frequently

For certain liquid applications, there could be problems such as cavitation, specific gravity, and viscosity