Turbine Flow Meters
Two Catalog Series; Pick LWGY for Liquid, LWGQ for Gas
LWGY liquid: ±0.5 % rate, DN4 to DN300
LWGQ gas: ±0.5 / 1.0 / 1.5 % rate options, DN25 to DN300
Magnetic-pickup pulse output, JB/T9246-2016
- 10 LWGY built models across diesel, fuel oil, sanitary, chemical, water
- 6 LWGQ built models across natural gas, fuel gas, N2, O2, biogas, air
- Factory direct, 5–7 business days lead time
The turbine family at ProFlow covers two distinct duties: clean low-viscosity liquid and dry single-phase gas. Two Series handle the physics separately. LWGY runs the liquid side; LWGQ runs the gas side. Each Series carries its own bore range, bearing strategy, certification mix, and pricing curve. Pick the Series first; the model lineup inside each Series follows from there.
Pick the Series that matches your duty
Fluid phase decides the Series. Liquid goes to LWGY, gas goes to LWGQ. Each sub-hub lists every built model inside that Series.
Liquid Turbine; LWGY Series
The LWGY Series handles clean low-viscosity liquid ≤ 10 cSt across 17 bore sizes. The lineup spans 10 built models from terminal diesel through sanitary food-and-beverage. Tungsten-carbide bearings ship standard with ceramic upgrade for high-RPM or high-purity duty. Body materials run 304 stainless standard, 316L for chemical service, duplex for chloride or sulfide carry-over.
Headline duties
- Diesel, gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel terminal loading
- Light fuel oil and distillate (warm, ≤ 10 cSt)
- Chemical batch, sanitary food-and-beverage
- Process water, cooling water, glycol-water mix
Gas Turbine; LWGQ Series
The LWGQ Series handles dry single-phase gas across DN25 to DN300, with DN350 and DN400 available as special build. The lineup spans 6 built models covering custody and non-custody gas service. Built-in T+P compensation outputs mass flow directly on the 4-20 mA loop. Both CNEX Ex d (flameproof) and Ex ia (intrinsically safe) hazardous-area builds ship as catalog options.
Headline duties
- Natural-gas city distribution, custody billing
- Refinery, petrochem, CHP fuel-gas service
- N2 chemical-park manifold, O2 medical and industrial
- Post-upgrade biomethane, compressed-air audit
How turbine flow meters work
A turbine flow meter measures volumetric flow through a free-spinning rotor mounted in the pipe bore. Fluid pushes against the rotor blades, the rotation rate becomes proportional to fluid velocity through a fixed K-factor calibrated for each meter, and a magnetic pickup coil downstream of the rotor translates blade passage into a pulse train. The on-board electronics count pulses, multiply by the calibrated K-factor, and output volumetric flow on a 4-20 mA loop, RS-485 Modbus link, or HART signal.
This same magnetic-pickup pulse-output principle applies on both LWGY liquid and LWGQ gas Series. The difference between them is mechanical, not principle-level. LWGY runs tungsten-carbide bearings sized for liquid lubrication and rotor geometry tuned for liquid density. LWGQ runs gas-tuned rotor geometry and bearing strategy that does not depend on liquid wetting. The K-factor calibration certificate ships with every meter on both Series.
When to specify turbine
Match the duty against the table below. Out-of-range service goes to vortex, electromagnetic, Coriolis, or thermal-mass families.
| Service | Turbine pick | Alternative meter type |
|---|---|---|
| Clean diesel, gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel | LWGY Series | — |
| Light fuel oil & distillate (≤ 10 cSt warm) | LWGY Series | — |
| Process water, glycol-water mix, cooling water | LWGY Series | EMF (LEA) for conductive water service preferred |
| Heavy fuel oil (HFO / IFO 380 / 180) | Out of range (30–380 cSt) | Coriolis (ZLMFM) or PD meter |
| Slurry, abrasive fluid, mining concentrate | Damages rotor bearing | EMF (LEA) with PU or ceramic liner |
| Natural gas distribution, fuel gas | LWGQ Series | Vortex (LUGB) for mixed gas / steam |
| N2, O2, biogas, compressed air (dry, single-phase) | LWGQ Series | Thermal mass (TMF) for low-flow leak detection |
| Steam, wet gas, 2-phase service | Out of range for both Series | Vortex (LUGB) or thermal mass (TMF) |
Frequently asked questions
Need help picking the right Series?
Send line size, fluid, viscosity or density, pressure, and flow target. Engineering returns LWGY or LWGQ Series, sized model code, and ship window.