Vortex flow meter application overview

field case analysis and practical application techniques

Vortex flowmeter as a kind of fluid measurement instrument based on the principle of Kamen vortex street, because of its simple structure, high reliability, wide range of applications and other characteristics, in the industrial field has been widely used. The following is a systematic analysis from the application areas, typical cases and practice skills in three dimensions:

I. Core application areas

Energy industry

Steam metering: power plant steam network monitoring (saturated/superheated steam)

Natural gas transmission: low and medium pressure gas metering (temperature and pressure compensation required)

Fuel oil monitoring: heavy oil/light oil flow control

Process Industries

Chemical: corrosive media measurement (Hastelloy required)

Pharmaceutical: purified water system validation (GMP compliance)

Food: CIP cleaning process monitoring (hygienic design)

Utilities

Centralized heating: hot water flow measurement (anti-cavitation design)

Water supply and drainage: large-diameter pipe monitoring (plug-in installation)

Special Applications

Compressed air: energy efficiency management of factory pneumatic systems

Cryogenic liquids: LNG storage and transportation metering (-196 ℃ conditions)

Second, the typical application case analysis

Case 1: petrochemical plant ethylene cracking device

Problem: high temperature cracking gas (420 ℃) flow fluctuations

Solution:

Select split vortex street (sensor and transmitter separation)

Built-in vibration compensation algorithm

Customized nitrogen purge interface

Effect: Measurement stability increased to ±1.5%FS

Case 2: CO2 metering in a brewery fermenter

Challenge: Drifting readings due to two-phase flow conditions

Response:

Install upstream rectifier

Set small signal removal threshold (<0.3m/s)

Adopt frequency-digital dual-mode output

Result: Batch metering error <1%

Third, the key practice skills

Selection of the Golden Rule

Flow rate range: 0.3-7m/s for liquids, 4-60m/s for gases

Reynolds number > 10,000 to ensure linearity

Avoid permanent pressure loss from downsizing tubes

Installation taboos

Minimum straight pipe section requirement: 15D upstream, 5D downstream (D is pipe diameter)

Pump/valve position: upstream >30D, downstream >10D

Vertical installation in the direction of flow from bottom to top (liquid)

Anti-interference strategy

Vibration: Preferred pipeline vibration frequency <1/3 vortex frequency

Electromagnetic: signal line twisted shielding + grounding resistance <4Ω

Pulsating flow: add buffer tank or pulsation damper

Maintenance tips

Regular inspection of the generator body sharp edges (wear > 0.1mm need to be replaced)

Steam measurement in winter needs to be accompanied by heat to prevent freezing

Zero calibration once a year (medium at rest)

Fourth, the integration of cutting-edge technology

Intelligent diagnosis

Failure self-diagnosis based on FFT analysis

Occurrence of body contamination AI prediction model

Multi-parameter integration

Temperature / pressure / flow integrated measurement

Energy metering direct output (steam/gas)

Wireless applications

HART 7 protocol wireless transmission

Battery-powered (lifetime > 10 years)

Practical applications should be noted: high viscosity media (>30cP) need special calibration, bidirectional flow measurement needs to choose symmetrical generator structure.