Question of the Day What is a Flow Meter?

I know you are just dying for me to answer the age old question, how does a flow meter work? Well, I was wondering the same exact thing, and after a little research, have the answer for you below!

First, what is a flow meter, and what does a flow meter measure?

A flow meter is something that measures fluid movement, such as the velocity of a gas or liquid, via flow indicators. A fluid flow meter or gas flow indicators can be used in manufacturing (as is the case with electromagnetic flow meters or thermal flow meters), or also with healthcare measurements (such as oxygen, blood flow, etc.).

So, how does a flow meter work?

The mechanics of flow meters and flow indicators vary according to type, of course, but the basic premise remains the same. For the sake of clarity, let us take a look at a flow meter that most of use at least once a week; the gas pump.

In a gas pump, a mechanism measures the units of gasoline as it passes through to the gas tank of your car. It measures the speed and volume (velocity) by tenths of a gallon. The mechanism inside the flow indicator then sends the information to a computer. Pretty simple, right?

As with all objects mechanical, though, things can break down or deteriorate. Therefore, recalibration of flow meters or flow indicators is an ongoing requirement in all environments.

How many different types of flow meters are there?

As previously mentioned, flow meters measure both gasses and liquids. There is almost an endless number of purposes for their use, and as you can imagine, many iterations of them exist within a variety of manufacturing and other environments.
Reference links: www.flowmetersource.com