Steam flow meter is mainly used for the steam flow measurement. The vortex flow meter concentrates temperature and pressure compensation. Can measure superheated/saturated steam, liquid and gas.

Vortex Steam Flow Meter

The vortex steam flow meter concentrates temperature and pressure compensation in the vortex flowmeter. Automatically detect the temperature and pressure of the medium in the pipeline, and the density automatically participates in the calculation. It can display the instantaneous mass flow and cumulative mass flow of the medium. It can also display the temperature and pressure of the medium. It can measure liquid, general gas, saturated steam, superheated steam, etc.

Vortex steam flow meter reference price: USD 200-1500/pc.

Sino-Inst offers a variety of  Vortex flow meters for flow measurement. If you have any questions, please contact our sales engineers.

Features of Steam Flow Meter

  1. Easy to install. It is suitable for the measurement of steam, compressed air and other gases;
  2. Integrated temperature and pressure dual compensation. The instantaneous flow and accumulated flow, temperature, pressure and other data after compensation can be directly read on the meter head;
  3. It has a very unique medium versatility. It can be used for flow measurement and control of most steam, gas and liquid;
  4. Simple structure, no holes and gaps design. No wear, dirt resistance, no moving parts, low failure rate. It has high stability and reliability;
  5. The vortex flowmeter uses the latest signal processing technology, and the entire system analyzes the measured signal. Then eliminates external interference and media disturbance. Therefore, stable measurement can be achieved even in harsh process conditions;
  6. The piezoelectric element of the vortex flowmeter is embedded in the probe body. It does not touch the medium. There is no filling material inside. The pressure loss is small and the service life is long;
  7. The original signal formed by the vortex flowmeter. Its output frequency has a linear relationship with the flow rate. There is no zero drift problem;
  8. Adopt advanced digital signal processing technology. Low lower limit. Excellent anti-vibration performance.

Read more about: Steam pressure transmitter-Pressure measure on steam pipeline 

Vortex Steam Flow Meter Specification

Measuring mediumSuperheated/saturated steam, liquid and gas
Measuring rangeSee flow range table for details
caliberWafer type/flange type: DN15~DN400~DN1000
Medium temperature (℃)(-40~80)℃, (-40~150)℃, (-40~300)℃, (-40~400)℃
Environment temperature (℃)(-20~+70)°C atmospheric pressure: 86kPa~106kPa
Nominal pressureLiquid 1.6MPa, 2.0MPa, 2.5MPa, 4.0MPa, 5.0MPa, 6.3MPa, 10.0MPa, 25MPa
Gas and steam 1.6MPa, 2.0MPa, 2.5MPa, 4.0MPa, 5.0MPa
Accuracy±1.0%, ±1.5%
Flow rate range (m/s)Liquid: 0.15~7 Gas: 1.5~60 Steam: 2~70
output signalThree-wire voltage pulse: high level≥5V low level<1V
Standard current signal: (4-20) mA standard current signal proportional to the flow rate, local display flow, cumulative flow.
And output proportional to the flow rate (4-20) mA standard current signal and pulse frequency signal
Communication method: RS-485 communication
Power supplyThree-wire voltage pulse: DC12V, DC24V
Standard current output, local display: DC24V
Battery power supply (lithium battery): 3.6V
Ambient temperature(-20~+70)°C atmospheric pressure: 86kPa~106kPa
Protection levelIP65
Explosion-proof gradeIntrinsically safe Ex ia ⅡC T6 Ga
displayLCD displays instantaneous flow, cumulative flow, vortex frequency,
temperature and pressure (integrated temperature and pressure)
Cable interfaceM20×1.5 (internal thread, recommended);
1/2NPT (internal thread)
Installation formIntegrated installation;
split installation
(the measuring tube and the indicator are connected by a 10-core special shielded cable)
Diameter (DN)Liquid flow range (m3/h)Output frequency range (Hz)Gas flow range (m3/h)Output frequency range (Hz)
151.2~6.290~9005~25265~2640
201.5~1040~3968~50218~1982
251.6~1632~32510~70172~1420
322~2020~25015~150130~1350
402.5~2513~13022~220115~1147
503.5~359~9336~32096~854
656~608~8250~48061~583
8010~1006~6570~64045~417
10015~1505~50130~110043~367
12525~2505~47200~170033~290
15040~4004~40280~224027~221
20080~8003~33580~496024~207
250140~14003~26970~800020~171
300200~20002~221380~1100017~136

Extended reading: Flow Totalizer F3000X for Data collection and calculation

Vortex Steam Flow Meter Applicaitons

Vortex Steam Flow Meter Applicaitons
  1. And saturated steam flow measurement
  2. Steam boiler monitoring
  3. Compressor air monitoring
  4. Measure the consumption of compressed air system
  5. Measure industrial gas consumption
  6. SIP and CIP processing in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries

Extended reading: Measuring Flow With Pressure Sensors

What is the principle of vortex Steam flow meter?

Or, How steam flow is measured?
How is the steam flow rate calculated?

The basic principle of the intelligent vortex flowmeter, is the Karman vortex principle. That is “the vortex separation frequency is proportional to the flow velocity”.

The diameter of the flowmeter body is basically the same as the nominal diameter of the meter. The axis of the cylinder is perpendicular to the flow direction of the measured medium, and the bottom surface greets the fluid.

When the measured medium flows through the cylinder, Vortex is alternately generated on both sides of the column, and the vortex is continuously generated and separated.

In the downstream of the column, two rows of vortices, namely “vortex street”, are formed. Theoretical analysis and experiments have shown, that the frequency of vortex separation is proportional to the flow rate of the column side medium.

steam vortex flow meter
steam vortex flow meter 2

f=(sr*V)/d

In the formula:

F── the frequency of the vortex separation of the column side (Hz);

V── column side flow rate (m/s);

D── the width of the cylinder facing surface (m);

Sr ─ Strauhal number.

It is a constant that is substantially independent of fluid properties, and flow rate depending on the shape of the cross-section of the cylinder.

Extended reading: Liquid Bitumen/Asphalt Flow Meter

Temperature and pressure compensation of vortex steam flowmeter

Gases are compressed fluids. If its volume state has changed. It is mainly caused by changes in temperature and pressure indicators.

In the process of measuring the gas flow, on the one hand, the flowmeter must be able to accurately output the standard volume flow. On the other hand, the output of mass flow is also required.

And the vortex flowmeter is used to measure the volume flow. It is necessary to ensure that the measurement is carried out in the environment of the working condition. Therefore, the vortex flowmeter is used in the measurement process of general gas and steam. The temperature and pressure compensation function should be fully considered. And make a reasonable instrument selection.

After temperature and pressure compensation, the volume flow of the working condition can be converted into a mass flow. Or it is converted into other volume flow, that is, the standard volume flow.

For general gases during measurement. The compensation principle is to calculate according to the formula, which belongs to the standard gas state equation:

P0V0/T0= P1V1/T1.

where:
The absolute pressure (Pa) in the standard state represented by P0;
The absolute pressure (Pa) in the working state represented by P1;
T0 represents the thermodynamic temperature (K) in the standard environment;
T1 represents the thermodynamic temperature (K) under working conditions;
V0 represents the gas volume in the standard environment;
V1 is the gas volume in the operating state.

Extended reading: How to realize the flow accumulation function in PLC?

During the steam measurement. The work that needs to be done is the compensation of saturated steam. There are two methods of application, one is pressure compensation and the other is temperature compensation.

There are usually two specific compensation modes.

That is, if the vortex flowmeter sensor does not have a temperature detection element and built-in pressure. Static compensation can only be implemented inside the instrument. That is to say, the compensation is realized by inputting the fixed pressure value and temperature value. This mode is more suitable for occasions without large temperature and pressure changes.

If the vortex flowmeter sensor has a temperature detection element and built-in pressure. The meter takes into account the results of the measured temperature and pressure. Master the state of steam. Determine which type of steam is superheated steam or saturated steam.

For mass flow, the calculation method needs to obtain the steam database index stored in the instrument and implement intelligent calculation. The other is to use the steam flow totalizer. in the steam flow totalizer. The volume flow and temperature of the working conditions measured by the transmission vortex flowmeter. And to transmit the signal measured by the pressure transmitter.

The steam flow totalizer has built-in superheated steam and saturated steam compensation algorithms. Can accurately output mass flow and standard volume flow. Moreover, the heat and specific enthalpy can be output correctly.

Extended reading: How to Calibrate DP Level Transmitter

Steam Flow Meter Types

Commonly used flow meters for steam flow measurement include: differential pressure flow meters, vortex flow meters, rotary wing steam flow meters, V cone flow meters, elbow flow meters, and flute-shaped uniform velocity tube flow meters. These steam flow meters work principles and The usage requirements are different.

Sino-Inst shares the knowledge of these steam flow meters with you.

Extended reading: metal tube flow meter

In the measurement of steam flow, the differential pressure flowmeter still ranks first. It is based on authoritative standards and has test pieces that are easy to copy. The structure is simple, firm, reliable, and has a long service life. The usable temperature and pressure range is wide. Low price, no need for real flow calibration and other advantages.

Extended Reading: Advantages and disadvantages of differential pressure flow meter

The complete set of differential pressure flow meters is composed of standard throttling devices, differential pressure transmitters and flow totalizers from different manufacturers, so it is flexible and convenient to use.

The differential pressure flowmeter is especially suitable for measuring high temperature, high pressure saturated steam and superheated steam.

Differential pressure flow meters also have shortcomings. Such as: installation is more complicated, easy to leak, maintenance and disassembly labor intensive. The turndown ratio is only 3:1, and the pressure loss is large. Due to changes in the measurement conditions during use, the process parameters deviate from the design values, which will cause larger measurement errors.

Extended reading: Integral DP Flow Meter|Gas, liquid, steam|Compact structure

The vortex flowmeter has a simple structure and does not need a pressure guiding tube. The measurement range is large, and the turndown ratio can reach 10:1. The advantages of small pressure loss, etc., account for an increasing proportion of saturated steam flow measurement. The installation difficulty is similar to the orifice plate, and it has certain requirements for straight pipe sections.

Vortex flowmeters also have disadvantages. For example, regular verification cannot be done by general users and needs to be removed for inspection. Its stability is affected by the flow rate, and the stress-type vortex flowmeter is more sensitive to vibration and is susceptible to measurement errors due to the impact of pipeline or equipment vibration. Vortex flowmeters are also limited by temperature. Generally, it cannot exceed 500°C. The vortex flowmeter cannot be used to measure multiphase flow.

Read more about: Vortex Shedding Flow Meter Working Principle

Rotary wing steam flowmeter has a wide range of applications in the measurement of saturated steam in small and medium-sized enterprises. It is a measuring instrument based on pure mechanical principles. It has simple structure, firmness and low maintenance. Only the inner orifice plate needs to be replaced to adjust the range. It also has the advantages of manual adjustment of pressure compensation, and no power supply.
But there are also shortcomings. Such as: straight pipe section has certain requirements. The adaptable range of pipe diameter is limited and can only be installed horizontally. The accuracy is not high, and manual meter reading is not convenient for measurement management.

Features of thermal gas mass flow meter:

  • The range of fluid media has been expanded: gas, gas and liquid, and liquid. Proprietary humidity algorithm software makes fluid flow measurement more accurate.
  • The replacement of the sensor does not require recalibration. The instrument adopts modular design, which realizes interchangeability and is easy to maintain.
  • Using Bluetooth and GPGS technology, it is convenient for on-site and remote monitoring and maintenance of the instrument.
  • Adopt “FLUD” proprietary fluid software technology to make the straight pipe section needed for instrument measurement shorter
  • No drift, maintenance-free, and high sensitivity.
  • When the product is installed and running, there is no need to use any measurement system as a reference standard for calibration.
  • Various functions are set up on site configuration.

The measuring principle of the V cone flowmeter is the same as that of the differential pressure flowmeter, and it is also a throttling differential pressure flowmeter.

When measuring gas flow and steam flow, the v-cone flowmeter measures high temperature and high pressure, and the flow of normal temperature and normal pressure media is a small expert in measurement.

The v-cone flowmeter is actually a differential pressure flowmeter, and the measurement flow is calculated by capturing the pressure difference before and after the throttling device. This is an internationally certified measuring throttling device. Even leaving the factory without calibration, the purpose of high-precision flow measurement can be achieved.

Extended reading: V-Cone Flow Meter Applications

The elbow flowmeter is an elbow with a fixed geometric size and a fixed shape. Its structure is simple, without any additional parts and throttling parts. Therefore, there is basically no pressure loss. The turndown ratio can reach 10:1. High precision, maintenance-free measuring device, long life, high temperature resistance, high pressure resistance, vibration resistance, etc.

But there are also shortcomings. For example, the differential pressure generated by the measurement is relatively low, generally around 3000 Pa. Therefore, the selection requirements for differential pressure transmitters are relatively high. When measuring steam flow, temperature and pressure compensation are still required.

The flute-shaped uniform velocity tube flowmeter is based on the pitot tube velocity measurement principle. It outputs a differential pressure signal. Used in conjunction with a differential pressure transmitter for measuring differential pressure. It can measure the flow of steam, liquid and gas. The structure is simple, the pressure loss is small, and the length of the upstream and downstream straight pipe sections is short. Easy to install, the range ratio can reach 10:1. It is resistant to high temperature and pressure, is not affected by abrasion, and has no leakage.

The flute-shaped average velocity tube flowmeter also has its shortcomings. If the on-site installation conditions are demanding, the differential pressure generated is small, and some are only 20-30Pa. Must be equipped with high-precision differential pressure transmitter.

Due to the structure, the flow rates of the pressure ports are different, and there is a certain pressure difference between the pressure ports. There is a flow of medium between the pressure holes. If there is a medium, it may be blocked and cause measurement errors. The fluid to be measured flows in the circular tube, and the pressure distribution caused by the circular tube is different when the fluid flows in due to the different separation points of the fluid. The flow coefficient is unstable and the flow is unstable.

Extended reading: Use of high temperature melt pressure sensor

Clamp on Steam Flow Meter

The clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter cannot measure steam. Generally, it measures the flow of medium such as water and uniform liquid.
The measurement of steam generally uses a temperature and pressure compensated vortex flowmeter or a differential pressure flowmeter.

Portable Steam Flow Meter

The FLUXUS G601 ST is the world’s ONLY clamp on steam meter! This device is able to measure steam flow non-invasively from outside the pipe which means that there is no interruption of operation or supply. This also means there is no pressure loss, need to open the pipe, or to reduce the pipe size for measurement.

Read more about: Condensate Flow Meter-Steam Condensate Flow Meter|Types & Selection Guide

Featured Steam Flow Meters

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Frequently
Asked
Questions

In fact, different steam flow meters work differently.
Of course, the most commonly used is definitely the vortex flowmeter.
The steam flowmeter is a volumetric flowmeter that measures the volume flow of gas, steam or liquid, the volume flow of standard conditions or the mass flow according to the Kármán Vortex Street principle. And can be used as flow transmitter in automatic control system.

How is steam flow measured? Maybe everyone knows how to measure with a flowmeter. Because there are many types of flow meters on the market, I don’t know how to choose. There are measuring liquids, gases, slurries and so on.

First, the temperature of the steam is relatively high. We have to choose a flowmeter that can withstand high temperature to measure. For example: V cone, orifice plate, balance, vortex street, turbine can all be measured. Among them, the measuring caliber of V cone flowmeter is from DN15-DN2000. The range is also relatively wide, so it is also favored by the majority of users.

When choosing a flowmeter, you should confirm the working conditions of the site, the temperature and pressure range, the power supply is generally 220VAC, the default installation method is flange installation, the output signal is 4-20mA, and the range diameter should also be confirmed.

There are many types of flowmeter, those suitable for steam and condensate applications include:

  • Orifice plate flowmeters.
  • Turbine flowmeters (including shunt or bypass types).
  • Variable area flowmeters.
  • Spring loaded variable area flowmeters.
  • Direct in-line variable area (TVA) flowmeters.
  • Ultrasonic flowmeters.
  • Vortex shedding flowmeters

Each of these flowmeter types has its own advantages and limitations. To ensure accurate and consistent performance from a steam or condensate flowmeter, it is essential that it is correctly matched to the intended application.

Extended reading: Ultrasonic Flow Meters Types & Technical Guide

All of our Flow Meters can work with the NEW AMS TREX !

Sino-Instt offer over 10 Vortex Shedding flow meters, with Best Price.

A wide variety of industrial Vortex shedding flow meters options are available to you, such as free samples, paid samples. All of our flow meters can wokrk with the AMS NEW TREX.

About 13% of these are magnetic flow meter, 14% are Insertion Magnetic Flow Meter, 25% are Venturi flow meter, 13% are Handheld ultrasonic flow meter, and others are Liquid Turbine Flow Meters.

Sino-Inst is Vortex shedding flow meter suppliers, located in China. Vortex shedding flow meter products are most popular in North America, Mid East, and Eastern Europe.


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