A vortex flow meter, also known as a vortex shear flow meter or Karman vortex flow meter, is a flow measurement instrument designed based on the Karman vortex street principle. It is mainly used to measure the volumetric flow rate, standard volumetric flow rate, or mass flow rate of gases, steam, or liquids. Vortex flow meters are characterized by low pressure loss, a wide measuring range, and high accuracy. When measuring volumetric flow rate under operating conditions, they are almost unaffected by parameters such as fluid density, pressure, temperature, and viscosity.
I. Main characteristics of vortex flow meters include:
1. Low pressure loss: Due to its unique structural design, the vortex flow meter generates relatively low pressure loss when measuring flow rate.
2. Wide measuring range: Vortex flow meters can cover a wide flow range and are suitable for flow measurement of different scales.
3. High accuracy: Vortex flow meters have high measurement accuracy and can provide accurate flow data.
4. High reliability: Vortex flow meters have no moving mechanical parts, therefore they have high reliability and require minimal maintenance.
5. Stable Instrument Parameters: The instrument parameters of the vortex flowmeter remain stable over long periods and are not easily affected by external environmental factors.
6. Wide Operating Temperature Range: The vortex flowmeter uses a piezoelectric stress sensor and can operate normally within a temperature range of -20℃ to +250℃.
7. Diverse Signal Output Methods: The vortex flowmeter has both analog standard signal and digital pulse signal output functions, allowing for easy integration with digital systems such as computers.
The working principle of a vortex flowmeter involves placing a triangular prism-shaped vortex generator in the fluid. When the fluid passes through the vortex generator, it generates regular vortices alternating on both sides; these vortices are called Karman vortices. The measurement principle of the vortex flowmeter is based on the principle of fluid oscillation to measure flow rate. The vortex release frequency is related to the average velocity of the fluid flowing through the vortex generator and the characteristic width of the vortex generator. By measuring the vortex release frequency, the fluid flow rate can be calculated.
Applications of Vortex Flow Meters: Vortex flow meters have a wide range of applications, covering multiple industries and fields. The main applications are as follows:
1. Industrial Production: Vortex flow meters are a major category of instruments in process automation equipment. They can measure, monitor, and control the flow rate of liquids, gases, and steam in industrial processes in real time. This is of great significance for process optimization and energy conservation and emission reduction. Vortex flow meters are widely used in metallurgy, power, coal, chemical, petroleum, transportation, construction, light textile, food, pharmaceutical, agriculture, environmental protection, and other fields.
2. Energy Metering: In the energy industry, vortex flow meters are used to meter and control various energy media, such as primary energy (coal, crude oil, coalbed methane, petroleum gas, and natural gas), secondary energy (electricity, coke, manufactured gas, refined oil, liquefied petroleum gas, and steam), and energy-carrying media (compressed air, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and water). This is of great significance for energy consumption statistics, energy conservation improvements, and environmental protection.
3. Environmental Protection: Vortex flow meters are used in the environmental protection field to monitor and control the flow of various environmental protection equipment, such as sewage flow meters and exhaust gas emission meters. Accurate measurement and monitoring of flow ensures compliance with environmental protection standards and emissions.
4. Transportation: Vortex flow meters are used in transportation, including railways, highways, aviation, waterways, and pipelines. Especially in pipeline transportation, vortex flow meters can accurately measure fluid flow, ensuring the safety and efficiency of the transportation process.
5. Biotechnology: With the rapid development of biotechnology, the application of vortex flow meters in the field of biotechnology is becoming increasingly widespread. For example, vortex flow meters play an important role in the monitoring and measurement of biological samples such as blood and urine.
6. Scientific Experiments: Vortex flow meters are also widely used in scientific experiments. Scientific experiments require a large number and a wide variety of flow meters. The high precision and stability of vortex flow meters make them an ideal choice for flow measurement in scientific experiments.
In conclusion, the vortex flow meter is a relatively advanced and ideal flow measurement instrument with broad application prospects. It can be used for flow measurement of various media in industrial pipelines, such as gas, liquid, and steam. Furthermore, vortex flow meters can be used in conjunction with digital systems such as computers to achieve functions such as automated control and remote monitoring.