
What type of flow meter do you need?
What Flowmeter Will Work Best for Your Application?
- Flow measurement type - momentum (velocity), volumetric or mass flow measurement
- Media - type of media (liquid, gas or slurry) and any special condition such as particulates in the media and viscosity of the media
- Media conditions - pressure and temperature of media and whether media conditions are likely to remain constant or vary
What is the thermal mass flow meter working principle?
Thermal mass flow meter working principle employ the thermal dispersion theory whereby the rate of the heat absorbed by a fluid flowing in a pipe is directly proportional to its mass flow. In a typical thermal flow meter gas flowing over gas flowing over a source of heat absorbs the heat and cools the source.
What is Venturi flow meter and how it works?
What Is a Venturimeter?
- Venturi meters are used to measures the flow rate of a fluid through a pipe. ...
- Venturi meter theory works on the Bernoulli equation such that the velocity increases as the pressure decreases.
- Venturi meter theory G.B. ...
How to use your peak flow meter?
To measure your peak flow:
- find a comfortable position, either sitting or standing
- reset your peak flow meter so the pointer is pushed back to the first line of the scale – this is usually 60
- hold the peak flow meter so it's horizontal and make sure that your fingers are not obstructing the measurement scale

How do I know if my air flow meter is working?
Pop the hood open. Lightly tap the MAF sensor and electrical connector with a screwdriver handle. Wiggle the wires as well. If the engine stalls, idle is upset, or idle gets better, the MAF sensor is likely defective.
What are the symptoms of a faulty air flow meter?
Symptoms of a Faulty Mass Air Flow SensorThe engine is very hard to start or turn over.The engine stalls shortly after starting.The engine hesitates or drags while under load or idle.Hesitation and jerking during acceleration.The engine hiccups.Excessively rich or lean idling.
What is a good air flow reading?
With the engine at idle, the MAF's PID value should read anywhere from 2 to 7 grams/second (g/s) at idle and rise to between 15 to 25 g/s at 2500 rpm, depending on engine size. Most manufacturers provide specifications for air flow at idle; some will provide specifications at several engine speeds.
Can I bypass air flow meter?
“Can you bypass the mass airflow sensor?” Yes, you can run a car without its MAF sensor, but it's not recommended, because the car will not run nearly as well and will get horrible fuel mileage.
Is it better to clean or replace a mass air flow sensor?
MAF sensors can become damaged, but more often they just get too dirty to do their job well. In this case, they can be cleaned but if it is a mechanical or electrical failure, they must be replaced.
What happens if I unplug my MAF sensor?
If you unplug the mass air flow sensor the car will start. If you try to plug it in while it's running the car will die.
How do you check air flow?
Volume flow is typically measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). Instrument Used to Measure Air Flow: A Hot Wire Anemometer is an instrument for measuring velocity and direction of fluid (in this case air) by measuring heat loss of an electrically-heated wire placed in the air stream.
How much air should be coming out of vents?
The air coming out of your vents should be roughly equal throughout your whole house. A bathroom fan, for example, should be able to pump a minimum of 50 cubic feet of air per minute.
How do you calculate air flow?
You can also calculate the air flow rate if you already know what the air velocity and pipe diameter are. With this information, you can use the following formula to determine the air flow rate: Qair = uair * π. D2/4.
Do you have to reset a mass air flow sensor?
The mass air flow sensor in your car needs resetting if you replace or re-install it. You've to replace the sensor when it becomes faulty or too dirty. After you replace or re-install the MAF sensor, you've to reset it to make it work.
How do you trick a mass air flow sensor?
How to Reset Mass Air Flow Sensor?Start your car's engine.Allow it to warm up to its normal operating temperature before continuing.Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position.Disconnect the connection for the mass airflow sensor harness.Start the engine of your car.More items...•
Can you delete MAF sensor?
MAF sensor removal can be done in many ways, including the removal of the sensor itself, or by doing a “MAF OFF” remapping, or a combination of both. You can clean the MAF sensor wire yourself, however, it is suggested that you leave the work to a technician.
Can a car run without a mass air flow sensor?
Without a proper signal from the mass air flow sensor, the powertrain control module (PCM), which manages the engine, transmission, and other systems in your car, won't know how much fuel the engine needs. This can either cause the engine to run too lean (too little fuel) or too rich (too much fuel).
Will a bad MAF sensor cause other codes?
Mass Air Flow Sensor Symptoms A faulty MAF sensor can also trigger other codes, such as those pertaining to an air/fuel ratio imbalance or an engine misfire.
How do you reset a mass air flow sensor?
Resetting the Mass Air Flow Sensor by Disconnecting the BatteryRemove the old MAF sensor and replace it with a new one.Before you connect the sensor with its harness, disconnect the battery from the ground cable.Leave it like that for around 10 minutes.The whole system will be reset now.
Do you have to reset after changing MAF sensor?
Conclusion. To sum up, resetting the car battery is what to do after replacing mass air flow sensor first.
What is an air flow meter?
An air flow meter (also known as a mass air flow sensor) is a device that allows you to measure the rate of airflow. This means that an air meter measures the velocity of air. In addition to velocity, airflow meters have the ability to measure air pressure as well. Some airflow meters are even capable of detecting the direction of the wind.
What is the purpose of air flow meters in ventilation?
Ventilation installations also use air flow meters to monitor the air which flows through them.
How does a metered vane work?
Basically, they comprise of a metered vane which is placed along the direction of the flowing air. This vane will be connected to a spring and usually be placed in its rest position. However once the air starts to flow, this vane will get displaced under the pressure of the spring.
How many cups are in an air flow meter?
This kind of air flow meter has an arrangement of vertical shaft which supports the horizontal arms carrying four hemispherical cups. At any instant of time, there would be atleast one cup facing the direction along which the air flows.
Why do we need air meters?
Air meters are used in many industries to achieve proper ratio of fuel to compressed air which in turn leads to efficient ignition, and hence maximum flame.
What is a hotwire air flow sensor?
Hotwire air flow meters use a hot wire mass airflow sensor to measure the flow rate of air. These sensors are made of short, circular-shaped platinum or tungsten-like resistive wires which are heated in prior up to a certain degree of temperature.
What is flow meter?
A flow meter is meant to measure the amount of gas, steam, or liquid passing around or through it. Although there are many kinds of flow meter sensors that work in different ways, they all have one set goal, and that is to give the most accurate flow rate report based on the application.
Why is a flow meter important?
In other words, a flow meter is a tool used to measure either mass or volumetric flow rate or the amount of fluid flowing inside a pipe.
How much maintenance does a flowmeter require?
Failure to match a proper flow meter to the right application will lead to breakages and device damages at an early stage. Flow meters that consist of moving parts usually need more attention in terms of maintenance than flow meters with no moving parts. However, all flow meters require maintenance one way or another .
What is flow measurement?
Flow Measurement Overview. Flowmeters are tools used to monitor the amount of vapor, liquid, or gas passing through them. Some flowmeters are meant to measure the fluid amount flowing inside them after a period of time (100 liters per minute, for instance).
How to find flow rate of a flow meter?
and the flowing fluid’s velocity (v): Q = A * v. In mass flow, the flow rate in a flow meter is given as ṁ = Q ∗ρ ( ρ here, is the fluid density and Q is the volumetric flow rate).
What are the parts of a flowmeter?
Most flowmeters have three parts: the primary device, a transducer, and a transmitter. The work of the transducer is to sense the fluid passing the primary device. Raw signal from the transducer is then turned into usable data by the transmitter.
What should be laid bare when choosing a flow meter?
Another vital piece of info that should be laid bare when choosing a flowmeter is about temperature value. What are the expected min and max pressure? Data about the normal operating values should also be known when choosing a flow meter. It is also good to know if sudden temp changes are expected and whether extra safety measures are required when cleaning or carrying out repairs. The system efficiency also depends on knowing whether slug flow will be present (air-solids-liquid). Users should also know whether the flow will always fill the pipe or whether the flow can reverse. Will the flow always feel the pipe or not? Knowing if pulsating and aeration will be there is also vital.
What is a Flow Meter?
A flow meter is a device that measures how much liquid or gas moves through a pipeline in a given period of time.
5 Types of Flow Meters and How They Work
All flow meters perform the same basic job: They measure flow by tracking how much liquid or gas moves through a fixture in a given period of time. However, several different types of flow meters exist, each of which uses a different approach for tracking flow.
Why Accurate Flow Meters Are Important
The degree of accuracy that an organization requires from a flow meter may vary. In general, however, the more accurate the flow meter, the more valuable it is to the business or agency.
How to Choose the Best Flow Meter
Given the varying levels of accuracy and degrees of maintenance required from different types of flow meters, choosing the best flow meter for your application can be challenging. Here’s what to consider when evaluating your options.
Getting Started with Flow Meters
From agriculture, to manufacturing, to the oil and gas sector, and beyond, flow meters play a vital role in ensuring safe, reliable operations of critical liquid and gas infrastructure.
What is flow meter?
A flow meter (or flow sensor) is an instrument used to measure linear, nonlinear, mass or volumetric flow rate of a liquid or a gas.
Why are moving parts bad for flow metering?
Moving parts are a potential source of problems, not only for the obvious reasons of wear, lubrication, and sensitivity to coating, but also because moving parts require clearance spaces that sometimes introduce "slippage" into the flow being measured. Even with well maintained and calibrated meters, this unmeasured flow varies with changes in fluid viscosity and temperature. Changes in temperature also change the internal dimensions of the meter and require compensation.
How many pipe diameters are needed for a flow meter?
Many are offered with flow fittings or insertions styles. These meters like the turbine meter require a minimum of 10 pipe diameters of straight pipe on the inlet and 5 on the outlet.
What happens when a flowmeter is stated in % AR?
When a flowmeter's accuracy is stated in % CS or % FS units, its absolute error will rise as the measured flow rate drops. If meter error is stated in % AR, the error in absolute terms stays the same at high or low flows. Because full scale (FS) is always a larger quantity than the calibrated span (CS), a sensor with a % FS performance will always have a larger error than one with the same % CS specification. Therefore, in order to compare all bids fairly, it is advisable to convert all quoted error statements into the same % AR units.
What is variable area flowmeter?
Variable Area Flowmeter#N#The variable area flowmeter is a tapered tube and a float. It is the most widely used for for gases and liquids flow measurement because of its low cost, simplicity, low pressure drop, relatively wide rangeability, and linear output.
What is flow rate in a pipe?
Q is flow rate, A is the crosssectional area of the pipe, and v is the average fluid velocity in the pipe. Putting this equation into action, the flow of a fluid traveling at an average velocity of a 1 meter per second through a pipe with a 1 square meter cross-sectional area is 1 cubic meter per second. Note that Q is a volume per unit time, so Q is commonly denoted as the “volumetric” flow rate. Now consider the following equation:
What are the factors that affect the life of a flowmeter?
The major factor, of course, is matching the right instrument to the particular application. Poorly selected devices invariably will cause problems at an early date. Flowmeters with no moving parts usually will require less attention than units with moving parts. But all flowmeters eventually require some kind of maintenance.
How to test mass air flow sensor?
In modern cars, the only way to test the mass air flow sensor is with a scan tool. Mechanics measure the amount of air flow (mass air flow sensor readings) at different RPMs. They compare the readings to the specifications or to the readings of a known-good mass airflow sensor.
How does a hot wire air flow sensor work?
A temperature sensor installed close to the hot wire measures the temperature of the air near the hot wire. When the engine is idling, a small amount of air flows around the hot wire, so it takes a very low electric current ...
What causes an engine to miscalculate fuel flow?
A contaminated or failed mass air flow sensor cannot measure the amount of air flow correctly. This causes the engine computer to miscalculate the amount of injected fuel.
Why is my air flow sensor reading out of range?
Sometimes a poor electrical connection at the air flow sensor connector could also cause the air flow readings to be out of range. For this reason, the air flow sensor connector terminals as well as the wiring needs to be carefully inspected.
What to do if air flow sensor is dirty?
If a sensor is dirty, your mechanic may suggest cleaning it (cleaning the airflow sensor is a delicate procedure) as a temporary solution; sometimes it could help. When replacing the mass air flow sensor, make sure the air filter is installed properly.
What happens if you don't install an air filter?
Often if an air filter is not installed properly, or the air filter box is not closed, a piece of debris can get sucked into the mass air flow sensor (see this photo) and cause problems. Sometimes the debris can fall in during the air filter replacement. In this case, the repair is easy. The mass air flow sensor must be cleaned and the air filter must be reinstalled correctly or replaced.
What is an intake air temperature sensor?
In modern cars, an intake air temperature or IAT sensor is built in the mass air flow sensor. There are few types of air flow sensors, however, modern cars use a hot-wire type. Let's see how it works.
What is a flow meter?
A mass flow meter is a way of measuring the volume or mass of a gas or liquid passing through a system at a specific point in the flow system. They are used to measure linear, nonlinear, mass, and volumetric flow rates. The names given to mass flow meters depend on the industry that uses them and include flow gauge, flow indicator, liquid meter, or flow rate sensor. Mass flow meters have replaced other forms of flow rate measurement because of their accuracy, precision, and resolution of flow measurement.
Why do we need flow meters?
Flow meters are a necessity in production facilities to give precise and accurate readings regarding fluid flow to ensure maximum operational efficiency. Flow measurements provide indicators of the overall performance of the system.
How accurate is a Coriolis flowmeter?
With Coriolis mass flowmeters, the fluid runs through U-shaped tubes vibrating in an angular harmonic oscillation. The tubes deform and an additional vibration component is added to the oscillation, which causes a measurable phase shift in the tubes. Coriolis flow meters are very accurate, better than ± 0.1%, with a turndown rate of more than a 100:1 and can be used to measure a fluid's density.
What is a coriolis meter?
Mass flow meters are further categorized as Coriolis, or inertial, and thermal. Coriolis flow meters use the Coriolis effect that states that a mass moving in a rotating system creates force perpendicular to the direction of the motion and rotational axis. A Coriolis meter measures the inertia caused by a fluid or gas flowing through oscillating tubes and uses sensors to record the amplitude, frequency, and phase shift of the oscillations to determine mass flow.
Why do pipes vibrate?
In some instances when a fluid is introduced into a pipe, it can cause a vibration. Coriolis and vortex meters will not provide proper measurements in those conditions. This is not true of ultrasonic flow meters, which are not influenced by vibrations.
What are the two types of flow meters?
The two main categories of mass flow meters are volumetric and mass, which differ in how they measure flow and show their readings. Volumetric flow meters measure the volume of a liquid, while mass flow meters measure its mass.
What is the purpose of mass flow meters?
The main function of mass flow meters is to measure variations in the flow caused by viscosity and density, which affect the accuracy of flow measurements. The effects of temperature on density of fluids widely varies. Mass flow meters are used for fuel monitoring and balancing of fuels, which require an accuracy between ± 1%.
