Hot Water Flow Meter
Industrial Process and District Heating Primary Build
Accuracy +/- 0.5% of rate
Temperature Application −40 to +180 °C
Pressure up to 25 MPa
- 304 stainless body standard
- 3.6 V lithium battery option
- Boiler condensate · feedwater heater · district heat
Hot water flow meters serve industrial process heating and district-heat primary metering. The LWGY turbine reads boiler condensate, feedwater heater return, district-heat substation primary, and closed-loop heating circuits across DN15–DN150. Temperature −40 to +180 °C; pressure up to 25 MPa for 12–16 MPa primary mains. 304 stainless standard; 316L for chloride-prone makeup.
Benefits
- Temperature Application −40 to +180 °C
- Pressure up to 25 MPa
- Reads low-conductivity treated water
- 304 stainless standard, 316L chloride upgrade
- 3.6 V lithium battery option
- Accuracy +/- 0.5% of rate
Typical applications
Four hot-water applications where LWGY turbine handles temperature, pressure, and conductivity ranges that ultrasonic and EMF do not.
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Boiler condensate return
100–130 °C treated condensate at 1–5 µS/cm (below EMF floor); supports condensate-recovery accounting.
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Feedwater heater return
130–150 °C branches up to 25 MPa for subcritical/supercritical heat-rate calc and tube-fouling detection.
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District-heat substation primary
110–130 °C @ 12–16 MPa paired with Pt100 at BTU meter for MWh/GJ billing.
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Industrial closed-loop heating
Plastics, induction, food pre-heat 80–110 °C glycol-water; circuit balancing and pump-wear detection.
Specifications
| Measurement principle | Velocity-type turbine with magnetic-pickup pulse output |
|---|---|
| Standard | JB/T9246-2016 turbine flow sensor |
| Line sizes | 1/2″ to 6″ (DN15 to DN150) |
| Accuracy | +/- 0.5% of rate standard (custody class) |
| Repeatability | +/- 0.1% of rate |
| Pressure | Pressure up to 25 MPa (3,625 psi); ANSI 150 / 300 / 600 / 900 / 1500 / 2500 LB |
| Compatible media | Industrial closed-loop hot water (80 to 100 °C, 0.36 cSt) · boiler condensate return (100 to 130 °C, 0.27 cSt) · feedwater heater return (130 to 150 °C, 0.20 cSt) · district heating primary (110 to 130 °C @ 16 MPa) · water-glycol heating blends |
| Temperature Application | high-temperature type: −40 to +180 °C standard for hot-water service · room-temperature type: −20 to +120 °C for service below +120 °C |
| Ambient temperature | −20 to +65 °C |
| Body material | 304 stainless standard for clean closed-loop hot water service · 316L upgrade for chloride-prone makeup water and brackish open-loop service · duplex / Hastelloy C custom on application review |
| Impeller | 2Cr13 martensitic stainless standard for closed-loop service · 430F ferritic alternative · duplex stainless for chloride carry-over · ceramic high-RPM and high-temperature option |
| Bearing | Tungsten carbide standard, ceramic high-temperature option (recommended at high-temperature sustained service) |
| Output signals | Pulse 3-wire, 4-20 mA 2-wire / 4-wire, RS-485 Modbus RTU, HART, GPRS / IoT |
| Power supply | 24 V DC standard, 3.6 V lithium battery option (~0.3 mA standby, 5-year typical for remote substation handover stations) |
| Transmission distance | Pulse 3-wire ≤ 300 m, 4-20 mA ≤ 1500 m (load ≤ 500 Ω), RS-485 / HART ≤ 1200 m |
| Ingress protection | IP65 / IP66 / IP67 |
| Connection | Threaded G1/2 to G4-1/2 / flanged ANSI 150 to 2500 LB |
| Approvals | JB/T9246-2016, EMC 2014/30/EU (Annex II), ISO 9001 calibration certificate with each meter |
Installation
Key install requirements. Full datasheet on request.
- Run the pipe full at the meter; avoid flash-steam pockets
- Ceramic high-temperature bearing recommended above +120 °C sustained
- Maintain ≥ 10 D upstream and ≥ 5 D downstream straight pipe
- Vertical installs flow upward only; horizontal preferred for service access
- Inspect impeller every 6 months on continuous service
Frequently asked questions
What is a hot water flow meter and how does it work?+
A hot water flow meter measures volumetric flow through a free-spinning rotor. The LWGY high-temperature type covers Temperature Application −40 to +180 °C across DN15 to DN150 lines for boiler condensate, feedwater heater, and district-heat primary service.
When does turbine beat ultrasonic and EMF for hot water service?+
Three niches. High-temperature closed-loop circuits at 100 to 150 °C; the rotor handles +180 °C without coil-derating or coupling drift. Low-conductivity treated water below the EMF 5 µS/cm floor. High-pressure district-heat primary at 12 to 16 MPa; LWGY pressure up to 25 MPa. Choose ultrasonic for HVAC retrofit, EMF for conductive municipal hot water.
What hot-water service falls outside the LWGY range?+
Commercial-building HVAC sub-measurement; go to clamp-on ultrasonic. Domestic hot water (DHW) tenant billing; go to multi-jet or compact ultrasonic with WMBus telemetry. Steam; go to LUGB vortex. Hot water above +180 °C exits the high-temperature range; go to LUGB vortex liquid build.
What pipe sizes and pressure classes fit district heating and feedwater heater service?+
DN15 to DN50 covers small industrial closed-loop heating and packaged-boiler condensate. DN65 to DN100 covers district-heating substation primary headers. DN125 to DN150 covers feedwater heater return branches. Pressure up to 25 MPa covers high-pressure district-heat primary at 12 to 16 MPa.
How does the lithium battery option work for remote district-heating substations?+
The 3.6 V lithium battery delivers 5-year typical service life at 0.3 mA standby. The integrated transmitter powers a local LCD display plus 4-20 mA / pulse / RS-485 / GPRS output for SCADA reporting. Battery is field-swappable on routine maintenance, sized for heating-season uptime.
How does pulse output integrate with BTU meters and district-heat billing controllers?+
The 3-wire pulse output is frequency-proportional to flow with the calibrated K-factor on each meter’s certificate. Kamstrup MULTICAL, Diehl SHARKY, and Itron CF Echo II BTU meters accept the K-factor and pair flow with Pt100 supply / return inputs to compute thermal energy in MWh or GJ. RS-485 Modbus and HART are also available.
What is the lead time and what certifications ship standard?+
Lead time is 5–7 business days from order confirmation, factory direct, on both room-temperature and high-temperature versions. Each meter ships with an ISO 9001 calibration certificate listing K-factor, calibrated DN, and tested flow range. EMC 2014/30/EU and IP65 / IP66 / IP67 are selectable. JB/T9246-2016 is the underlying standard.
Need help sizing a hot-water turbine?
Send line size, application, temperature/pressure, flow range—sized model code within one business day.