Turbine flowmeter Overview

Where turbine flow meters are used

Turbine flowmeters will continue to have an important role in the market for a variety of applications such as measuring steady, clean, mid to high-speed flow of low viscosity fluids. Thanks to their simplicity and solution related customizable capacity, turbine flowmeters prove relevant despite new-technology flowmeters.
Turbine meters are a better cost-effective option when dealing with larger pipe sizes. This is the case for ultrasonic, Coriolis and especially for DP flowmeters, as many DP meters can be replaced by one turbine meter. Turbine meters’ users are more likely to stay within their already adapted technology.
Mechanical based turbine meters sales are on the decline, favoring electronic-based multipath ultrasonic meters thanks to their lower maintenance needs and less intrusive design. Their disadvantage lies in their higher cost per unit and their high calibration costs. But, because of their uncertain accuracy and performance, multipath ultrasonic meters are losing ground to turbine meters.

Technology improved in Turbine flow meter

Turbine flow sensor’ moving parts are now more reliable thanks to the technological breakthroughs. With the use of more durable metals -such as synthetic sapphire- when making ball bearings, turbine flow meter manufactures have increased the lifespan of their product. This removes the edge new technology meters had over durability.
Some flow meter manufacturers have started to promote things such as the “Dual Rotor Design” among other product enhancements. The implementation of the dual rotor design gives the smaller line of turbine flow meter sensor an increase in their operating range. Thanks to this improvement, the two rotors now turn in the opposite direction making the first rotor act as a flow conditioner redirecting flow to the second rotor. Since they are hydraulically connected, the rotors will continue to turn even in very low flow rates. This enhances the turbine flowmeters’ sustainability in low flow conditions.

Low price cost of Turbine flow meter

Both electromagnetic flow meters and ultrasonic meters are displacing -some, not all- turbine meters over their utility measurement. Nevertheless, turbine flow meters retain a wide market margin thanks to their price advantage over ultrasonic and mag meters. This is why turbine meters will continue to have a larger market share in the industrial gas flow measurement market.

Wide applications of turbine flow meter

Turbine meters for oil applications are used for hydrocarbon truck loading and unloading. Aviation applications also make use of turbine meters. In this market, turbine meters compete with Coriolis flowmeters and positive displacement meters. The Coriolis mass flowmeter has been favored over turbine meters in these distribution applications. Turbine meters are also employed in chemical plants and refineries for in-plant clean liquid or gas flow rate measurement.