《Ultrasonic Flow Measurement》.pdfVIP

Excerpts from this ultrasonic report (UR-234) appear in the Proceedings of the Texas AM Symposium (January 2002) in the following paper: ”Ultrasonic Flow Measurement: Technology and Applications in Process and Multiple Vent Stream Situations,” by Robert A. Rabalais, Dow Chemical USA, Louisiana Division, Plaquemine LA and Larry Sims, Panametrics Inc. Baton Rouge, LA/Houston, TX Instrument and process personnel are always looking for a better way to measure process flows. From simple steam flows to two-phase flows with entrained solids, the search is ongoing for technology that provides both accuracy and cost effectiveness. With today’s environmental regulations requiring both more and more accurate flow measurements as well high-energy costs making fuel consumption a primary focus, traditional measurement techniques may be less than adequate. One technology, which is gaining acceptance to meet the new needs in today’s industrial marketplace, is transit-time ultrasonic flow measurement. (Box at right illustrates a common clamp-on configuration for liquids.) Considered by many skeptics to be too “new” of a technology, it has in fact been around since the 1950s or earlier for special applications. It has been available commercially (at least in Japan) since the 1960s. Panametrics commercial flowmeters were introduced at an ISA Show in 1979 and its flare gas ultrasonic flowmeter was introduced at this Symposium in 1984 by Smalling et al. Applicatio