Posted in Industrial Flow Meter Articles:
Liquid Flow Meters by GPI on October 14, 2009
Edwin Starr’s lyrics in the classic, “War” tell the listener that war is good for “absolutely nothing!” When you talk about flowmeters with your friends, which I am sure all of us do, they probably think the same thing about the topic. Your friends think that flowmeters do absolutely nothing and they often wonder why someone would buy one of these objects.
If you are not in our industry, it is hard to explain why flowmeters make our universe whole or give us peace of mind. As we all know, flowmeters come in different shapes, sizes, materials, and flow ranges. Books could be written on each topic alone.
In this GPI informational article we will focus on how to use a stainless steel turbine flowmeter, how it is being used in various industries and other features of this popular meter. Plus, we will have an in-depth look at the GPI G2 Stainless Steel flowmeter.
AS GOOD AS IT GETS
A flowmeter that is made of stainless steel is one that does not rust, stain, or corrode easily when compared to other types of flowmeters that are made of different metals such as brass, aluminum etc. This is one of the main reasons why stainless steel turbine flowmeters are so popular. They are rugged meters that can take on some of the harshest chemicals without damage.
If you are looking for a meter that can sustain high pressure and harsh liquids you need to check out one of these stainless steel meters. The versatility of these meters can be seen in the ways it is used throughout different industries. There are some original equipment manufacturers (OEM) that use the meter for process control of chemicals in some of their applications. These manufacturers enjoy peace of mind by knowing that the chemicals being monitored have a good accuracy reading.
Manufacturers build these stainless steel turbine flowmeters differently. Some of these flowmeters are bigger, bulkier and the end user has to accommodate for space restrictions to make sure the application has ample room for the height and width of the meter. Other flowmeters are smaller and rugged in design so end users have flexibility when installing them in their applications.
If you are looking for a flowmeter that can handle some of the harshest conditions stainless steel is the way to go.
INDUSTRY USE
One of the popular uses of a stainless steel turbine flowmeter is to measure chemicals. These meters have excellent chemical compatibility allowing them to measure ammonia and boric acid. Stainless steel turbine flowmeters can take on some very obnoxious chemicals.
Bruce Patterson, Executive Products Manager at GPI, has over 20 years experience in the field of flowmeters. Patterson says,“ The versatile, stainless steel flowmeter performs great in most applications. These meters are currently used in environmental control, batching and blending of chemicals, temperature regulation, chillers and heaters, and in process control through out different markets.”
Cutting costs is always a great thing for business because it helps the bottom line. A flowmeter is a tool that can help companies save cash by cutting waste.
When asked about the potential impact these meters have on the bottom line, Patterson replied,
“It is a simple equation, the higher the accuracy you have when measuring fluids for your particular application the lower your risk of waste in measurement. Companies that are using this meter along with a batch controller are also in better shape when it comes to potential equipment break downs.”
FEATURES OF A STAINLESS STEEL FLOWMETER
Although there are many types of stainless steel turbine flowmeters in the industry let’s concentrate on the features of the GPI G2 Stainless Steel turbine flowmeter. The GPI G2 Stainless Steel turbine flowmeter has a local display with two totals, one is re-settable and one is cumulative. The meter is factory calibrated in gallons and litres.
The customer wants to calibrate it to their specific fluid the G2 Stainless Steel turbine flowmeter includes two field calibrations and flow rate. The accuracy rate depends on the meter size (see spec sheet here). The ease of repairing the internal parts is very popular with people using this meter. The G2 Stainless Steel flowmeters are plug-and-play ready. If the internals of the stainless steel flowmeters are damaged in use, they are easy to replace. All the user needs to do is take a retaining ring off and remove the damaged internals. Then replace the internals with a new kit. Many users really like this feature because it takes literally minutes to do. This means less down time to their operation.
This stainless steel turbine flowmeter has about 9,000 hours of battery life. Think about that for a second, which is the equivalent of about 9,000 NFL football games (minus the rest room breaks, beer & chip commercials, and time-outs called). The electronics in the display use Lithium batteries to provide it with the power necessary to run the display.
One of the best things about GPI G2 Stainless Steel turbine flowmeters is the class one division one rating. In simple English, this classification means that the flowmeter is explosion proof, intrinsically safe, and of the purged/pressurized type. Fancy lingo that lets users know there is no chance the flowmeter will cause a spark if it is used in a hazardous area. This is a great feature for someone wanting to use this meter but has to prove to management that the meter is safe to use in their hazardous application. In some industries they are required to prove that the piece of equipment that is going to be used has been approved by a number of regulatory organizations such as Factory Mutual (FM). Think of this as peace of mind approved.
Hopefully reading this gave you more insight on stainless steel turbine flowmeters in general along with useful information on the GPI G2 stainless steel turbine flowmeter. In the words of John Lennon, “Let us now give stainless steel flowmeters a chance”, okay he didn’t really say that but you get my drift or should I say flow?
If you would like more information about the GPI G2 Series Flowmeters or other GPI Flowmeters please contact Forberg Scientific, Inc Customer Service Representative.
Phone: 248-288-5990
Email: processsales@forberg.com
GPI (Great Plain Industries, Inc.) releases the QStar Ultrasonic clamp-on flowmeters in either a fixed or portable models. These flowmeters use transit time technology and include a large, backlit LCD. The robust flowmeters provide accurate and drift-free measurement. Both models include integrated heat quantity measurement capabilities. Choose from three sets of transducers covering pipe sizes from ½ to 240 inches. GPI QStar Ultrasonic Flowmeters include several unique features, such as online diagnostics, noise filters and a parameters calculator.
