In the field of liquid measurement, ultrasonic flow meter is a non-contact measuring instrument with high accuracy. Among them, the two commonly-used types are multi-channel ultrasonic flow meters and single-channel ultrasonic flow meters. What are the differences in use between these two flow meters? This article will show what you want to know for you.
1. Working Principle
---The two-channel ultrasonic flow meter uses the combination of two pairs of transducers, which are installed on both sides of the pipe to form two sound channel paths. Flow velocity and flow rate are calculated by measuring the time difference in ultrasound propagation along the two acoustic channel paths. Therefore, the two-channel ultrasonic flow meter has higher measurement accuracy and stability.
---The single-channel ultrasonic flow meter has only a pair of transducer, usually installed on one side of the pipe. It calculates flow velocity and flow rate by measuring the propagation time of ultrasound in the fluid. Because the single-channel ultrasonic flow meter has a simple structure and is easy to install, it is more suitable for some application environment with small flow rates.
2. Installation Scenarios
---Two-channel ultrasonic flow meter is suitable for situations with a wide pipe size range, such as large pipe diameters, high flow rates, high viscosity, etc. Since the dual-channel ultrasonic flow meter uses two channel paths, the error can be reduced and the measurement accuracy can be improved. In addition, the two-channel ultrasonic flow meter also has better signal processing capabilities and can resist noise interference.
---Single-channel ultrasonic flow meter is suitable for application environment with small flow rate, such as small pipe diameter, low flow rate, etc. Since there is only one channel path, the measurement accuracy of single-channel ultrasonic flow meter is relatively low. In addition, single-channel ultrasonic flow meters have weak signal processing capabilities.
3. Advantages & Benefits
---The two-channel ultrasonic flow meters include high measurement accuracy, good stability. In addition, two-channel ultrasonic flow meters can provide more liquid information, such as flow velocity distribution, flow pattern, etc.
---The single-channel ultrasonic flow meters include simple structure, easy installation, and relatively low price.
4. Conclusion
Single-channel ultrasonic flow meters have a simple structure and are easy to use. They have relatively poor adaptability to changes in flow distribution, and the measurement accuracy is difficult to control. It is generally used in small and medium-diameter pipelines, where the liquid stability changes little and the measurement accuracy is not high.
Two-channel ultrasonic flow meter installs two pairs of transducers in the pipe under test to form multiple ultrasonic channels, and the flow rate is obtained by combining the measurement results of each channel. Compared with single-channel ultrasonic flow meters, two-channel flow meters have strong adaptability to changes in flow distribution, the measurement accuracy is easy to control, and they are more stable. It can be used in large-diameter pipelines and sites with complex flow distribution. The cost of two-channel ultrasonic flow meter is higher than that of single-channel ultrasonic flow meter. Therefore, the appropriate flow meter equipment should be selected according to the site conditions.
