Liquid Vortex Flow Meter

Vortex flow meters measure low-viscosity, single-phase liquids with Reynolds number above 1×10⁴. Typical service includes process water, cooling water, glycol-water solutions for HVAC and district energy, synthetic heat-transfer fluid (thermal oil) up to 250 °C, gasoline, alcohol, benzene-class solvents, and clean petrochemical process liquids. The meter does not handle high-viscosity oils, slurries, or two-phase flow with entrained gas.

Choose vortex when the liquid is non-conductive (thermal oil, glycol, hydrocarbon solvent); electromagnetic meters require conductivity above 5 µS/cm and cannot measure these. Choose vortex over Coriolis when capital cost matters and tube-fouling is a risk on particulate-laden process water. Choose vortex over ultrasonic when the liquid is opaque, the pipe is non-uniform, or accuracy below ±1 % is required. Choose electromagnetic for clean conductive water, Coriolis for custody-transfer or high-viscosity liquids, and ultrasonic for non-invasive clamp-on retrofits.

Vortex shedding off the bluff body creates a localised pressure drop. If the downstream static pressure falls below the liquid vapor pressure, cavitation forms vapor bubbles that corrupt the vortex signal. The design rule is Pmin ≥ 2.7 × ΔP + 1.3 × Po, where ΔP is the meter pressure loss and Po is the liquid saturated-vapor pressure at line temperature. Mount the meter at a low-elevation point, keep at least 5× DN of straight pipe downstream before the next throttling element, and verify static pressure at the meter outlet is above the calculated minimum.

The LUGB body has no rotating parts and the bluff body is robust against fine suspended solids. The meter handles process water, cooling water, and recycled-water service with sub-millimetre particulate carry-over. For coarse particulate (sand, scale, weld slag) above 1 mm, install an upstream Y-strainer or basket filter at the next maintenance point. The piezoceramic sensor is mounted in the meter body wall, away from direct flow path, so it does not foul like Coriolis tubes.

The standard build covers −45 to +250 °C medium temperature. For synthetic thermal-fluid service above 250 °C, see the High-Temperature Vortex model which extends to 500 °C with the T2/T3/T4 build codes and 316L or Hastelloy C wetted parts. The standard build’s 250 °C ceiling covers most chemical-process water, cooling water, glycol service, and hot-oil heat-transfer loops up to mid-temperature reactors.

Yes; glycol-water mixtures are within the standard range. Specify the glycol concentration at order time so the factory K-factor compensates for the density and viscosity shift versus pure water. Ethylene glycol at 30 % concentration shifts density by approximately 4 % and viscosity by approximately 80 % at 5 °C; the meter’s K-factor pre-load handles the conversion. The 1:30 turndown on a single meter spans seasonal load swings on chilled-water and heating-water loops.

Standard lead time is 5–7 business days from order confirmation, factory direct. CNEX Ex d IIC T6 Gb (flameproof, Zone 1, gas group IIC) is the optional hazardous-area protection for petrochemical process service. EMC compliance to the EU Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive 2014/30/EU (Annex II) ships standard. IP65, IP66, and IP67 ingress ratings are selectable. Hastelloy C wetted-parts upgrade ships within the same lead time.