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Flow meters are devices that are used to measure the flow rate of a certain liquid or gas. They can measure these substances in terms of the volumetric flow rate or the mass flow rate. The volumetric flow rate is generally given in m3/second. The mass flow rate is given in kg/second. There is a diverse range of uses for flow meters. They have applications for individuals, a common one being to help people with asthma. A peak flow meter measures the lung capacity when someone exhales. This can help to predict an imminent asthma attack. However the most varied applications are in the manufacturing industries or water management processes where precise measurements are vital for successful operations. This article will touch on how flow meters work in industry and for individuals. Flow meters are generally classified by the principal that governs their operation or possibly by their applications. For instance, mass flow meters measure the flow rate of a medium in terms of it's mass. The Coriolis flow meter is a point in case of a principle giving it's name to the type of flow meter. The Coriolis effect is the force exerted on a liquid moving in a circular motion. In the flow meter this is done by vibrating the pipes that the liquid passes through. The vibrations (or waves) that are created in the pipes are changed when the liquid passes through them. By knowing the changes in the wave vibrations you can work out the flow rate of the liquid. The ultrasonic flow meter and Doppler shift flow meter also use wave mechanics to determine the flow rate of the medium passing through a pipe or tube. For an ultrasonic flow meter, flow rate is measured by contrasting the measurements of two ultrasonic waves. These two waves are set off at the same time as each other but from different directions. The transmitters also act as a receiver of the wave sent by the other transmitter. One pulse of sound is sent in the direction of the flow and the other is sent against the flow. Provided some information is known about the type of pipe used and a few constants for the liquid or gas, then the flow rate can be determined from the time difference of each wave. Doppler shift flow meters use the changes in the frequency and amplitude of a sound wave when it bounces off particulate matter in the liquid that is being measured to determine the flow rate. A more traditional type of flow meter is the variable area flow meter that uses a float in a calibrated tube. When a substance passes through the tube, the float is displaced by the flow. The reading on the calibrated tube is a correlation of the flow rate of the substance. The peak flow meter uses this principle to measure the flow rate of the lungs when person exhales.
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Get more information on how do flow meters work and details about all types of flow meters at www.flowmetermatters.com.
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