Vortex flow meters are widely used flow measurement instruments, primarily suitable for measuring the flow rate of liquids and gases. They have many advantages and disadvantages, which will be analyzed below.
Advantages of Vortex Flow Meters
1. High Accuracy
Vortex flow meters offer high accuracy, typically reaching 0.5%, far exceeding other flow meters. They utilize the rotational force generated by the fluid passing through the flow meter. After rotating the measuring device, the output pulse or signal accurately measures the fluid volume or mass, achieving an accuracy of ±0.2%
2. Good Stability
Vortex flow meters exhibit excellent repeatability and stability, maintaining high-precision measurement results over long periods and gradually stabilizing over time.
3. Wide Applicability
Vortex flow meters have a wide range of applications, widely used in industries such as petroleum, chemical, pharmaceutical, food, textile, and metallurgy, capable of measuring the flow rate of liquids and gases.
4. Simple Structure
Vortex flow meters have a simple structure, requiring minimal external devices and circuitry, making them easy to install and maintain. Therefore, the maintenance and repair costs of vortex flow meters are low.
5. Excellent Self-Cleaning Function: Vortex flow meters possess excellent self-cleaning capabilities, automatically cleaning and removing foreign objects and impurities during measurement, ensuring accuracy and stability.
Disadvantages of Vortex Flow Meters:
1. Higher Price: Vortex flow meters are relatively expensive because their high precision and stability require high-precision components. Many flow meter manufacturers are researching and producing them, making the price relatively high.
2. High Requirements for Fluid Quality: Vortex flow meters have high requirements for the fluid. For example, the liquid flow rate must be within a certain range, and the cleanliness and energy levels must not exceed certain limits; otherwise, measurement accuracy will be affected.
3. High Requirements for Installation Location: Vortex flow meters are small-diameter flow meters, and their installation location is highly demanding. They must be installed on the geometric center line of the fluid flow to ensure measurement accuracy.
4. High Requirements for Protective Measures: The rotor structure of vortex flow meters is relatively complex, requiring protective measures against high temperature, high pressure, and corrosive environments; otherwise, they are easily damaged. 5. Susceptible to Media Properties: During the measurement process, vortex flowmeters are often affected by the properties of the media. For example, in high and low temperature environments, the viscosity of the fluid changes significantly, affecting the accuracy and stability of the measurement
Vortex flowmeters have advantages such as high precision, good stability, wide application range, and good self-cleaning function, but they also have disadvantages such as high price and strict requirements on the fluid. When selecting a measuring instrument, it is necessary to choose the most suitable type of flowmeter based on different situations.