Before deciding on purchasing a doppler flowmeter or a transit time flowmeter, there are many different factors that must be taken into careful consideration. By making a wrong decision, your entire investment could go to waste as the ultrasonic flowmeter will not be able to perform in highly effective manners.
Here are a few things you should consider before buying a flowmeter:
- Total Lifetime Cost of Installation
While many people believe that the initial purchase price is the only major cost of operating a flowmeter, that is highly untrue. The purchase price of an ultrasonic flowmeter as well as the installation cost tends to be very low, making it a popular choice amongst consumers. However, through the course of many years, operating costs of such ultrasonic flowmeters increase.
If you’re looking to make an investment for the long-run, it is recommended to opt for non-intrusive solid-state flowmeter. If the design life of your consumer product is below a thousand hours, you can easily work with an inexpensive flowmeter as well. Before making a final purchase, one should consider the total cost associated with the ultrasonic flowmeters and compare it with your specific project design and costing predications.
- Operating Restrictions
Variables such as temperature, line pressure, flow-rate, user-friendliness, type of fluid and accuracy level required are very important factors that must be considered during the selection of an appropriate ultrasonic flowmeter. The main reason behind this is that the entire function of the flowmeter depends greatly on them, and it is important for the buyer to be aware of all extraneous factors beforehand.
- Chemical Compatibility
When using something as complicated as an ultrasonic flowmeter, the user must take time to consider chemical compatibilities between the fluids being measures and the fluids present in the flowmeter itself. The overall structure of an ultrasonic flowmeter will typically include an O-ring, gears, ceramic magnets, bearings, turbines and a rotor. Since these are all key components, they must be tested against a vast and detailed chemical compatibility chart.
- System Parameters
Before putting the ultrasonic flowmeter to use, the user must carefully decide on the features of its operating conditions. Important aspects include the presence of hydraulic shocks, temperature stability, correlation between flow and design rate and whether the line will be cleaned in place. By asking yourself important questions regarding these, you can make strategic changes to the overall design of your project to eliminate any chance of failure.