ULTRASONIC FLOWMETERS ON TOP OF DIFFICULT WATER APPLICATIONS
Obtaining useful data is not always easy, though there are some applications in the water industry which are harder than others. Imagine the scenario: You have to measure the flow of liquid through a pipeline, the pipe is over a metre in diameter, you can only get access to the top of it and the only available access is via a narrow pit in the ground. This is exactly the situation in which engineers from Katronic Technologies and their customers are finding themselves on a regular basis, and ironically the solution is more simple than it might seem.
Unfortunately for water companies around the country the difficult situation mentioned is not only becoming more common – it is often essential to the efficient operation of their network. In an effort to reduce leakage and monitor water distribution it is important to be able to determine flow at a variety of points around a network. The drawback is that in order to do this, pipes are often not exposed, or access is via small chambers in frequently inconvenient places where only the top of the pipeline is accessible.
Trials of different metering systems have proved that one of the best ways to measure the application is to mount clamp-on ultrasonic transducers on the top of the pipe and to then use either a portable or installed transmitter unit to display the flow readings. The problem is that anyone who has ever been involved with ultrasonic flowmeters would agree that the application described is far from ideal. Katronic Technologies however are proving that their instruments are up to this most difficult of jobs. Even with this installation and these sizes of pipes, the KATflow ultrasonic meters are able to provide the reliable readings that their customers need. At one location the ultrasonic probes were even installed directly on the pipes 10 mm bitumen coating, and still provided results in line with what the customer was expecting.
The information provided by Katronic is vital to their customers as in many cases the clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters provide the only way for engineers to detect possible leakage in these large pipes and to identify the exact location. Other flowmeters are available for conduits of this size, but they all involve pipe modifcation and the cost and time associated with this. Even insertion electromagnetic flowmeters have limitations for these applications. The length of the flow probes needed for these commonly used instruments can mean that it is impossible to close the chamber during flow measurement, which creates security and safety issues. Furthermore, detritus carried within the flowing water can bend the probes, damaging them or causing them to become stuck and thus rendering the metering system useless.
Once a possible metering location is identified a portable KF220 ultrasonic flowmeter can be used to evaluate the application – prior to installing another KATflow meter on a permanent basis. Another advantage of the Katronic meters is the range of installation options: all of the sensors can be provided with mounting shoes for either magnetic or weld mounting, and as the sensors are available as IP68 and can be supplied with solid coupling pads, water ingress is not an issue. Futhermore, the compact size of the Katronic ultrasonic probes means that there is no problem getting the system installed in even the most confined spaces.
For more information on applications for the clamp-on flowmeters, the new solid sensor coupling, or any other details on the KATflow range of flowmeters, please contact Katronic Technologies Ltd, Leamintgon Spa, Warks.
Tel: 01926 882954 Fax: 0870 3000 111
E-mail mail@katronic.co.uk Web: www.katronic.co.uk
