Turbine Flowmeter vs. Ultrasonic Flowmeter: What are the Differences?

Turbine and ultrasonic flowmeters are most used for measuring and monitoring liquids or gases. This blog will help you compare your requirements with the applications and understand the differences between these flowmeters. Hence, you will be able to pick the right one for you. Let’s start with understanding the turbine flowmeter.

What is a Turbine Flowmeter?

The turbine flowmeter utilizes the free-spinning turbine wheel required to measure the fluid velocity. It is installed in the flow stream just like a miniature.

What are the applications of a Turbine Flowmeter?

The major application of the turbine flowmeter is to measure clean, pure, and dry gases. The turbine flowmeter measures chemicals, gases, hydrocarbons, vapors, fuels, and other liquids with lower velocity.

What is an Ultrasonic Flowmeter?

The ultrasonic flowmeter is not just equipment but a huge system used to measure the liquid or gas. This equipment is also required for transferring liquid or gas.

What are the applications of an Ultrasonic Flowmeter?

• Measuring water movement - The ultrasonic flowmeter originated for measuring water flow. You can use the meter to measure the flow and movement of water. Also, you can monitor the water flow with the help of an ultrasonic meter without moving the parts.

• The oil industry - The meter is highly used in the oil industry. You can extract or flow oil from the ultrasonic flowmeter.

• Custody transfer of liquids - Custody transfer is the essential one. When two parties agree to transfer the liquid from one storage to another, you need the ultrasonic flowmeter to make the transition. The ultrasonic meter helps to measure the flow of liquid or gas accurately.

What are the similarities and differences?

You must have identified the differences in the applications of the flowmeters. Hence, let’s get to the key similarities and differences between the turbine flowmeter and the ultrasonic flowmeter.

Particulars	Turbine Flowmeter	Ultrasonic Flowmeter
Gas/Liquid	Both	Both
Accuracy	0.30 %	1 %
Ideal for measuring	Mass flow/velocity	Mass flow

Here is the comparison of both the flowmeters in terms of measurement principle.

Measurement Principle	Turbine Flowmeter	Ultrasonic Flowmeter
Effect of uneven flow	Excellent	Not Good
Effect of solids	Not Good	Good
Effect of adhesion	Not Good	Good
Obstruction inside pipe	Not Good	Excellent

You may have understood the turbine and ultrasonic flowmeter, their similarities, and their differences. Select the right flowmeter for your requirements.

Turbine Flow Meters vs Ultrasonic Flow Meters: Advantages and Disadvantages

One of the most important purposes for flow measurement is custody transfer. For custody transfer applications, a variety of flow metering systems are used. DP flow meters, turbine flow meters, ultrasonic meters, and other types of custody transfer metering systems are among the solutions. In this blog, however, we will talk about the turbine flow meter and ultrasonic meter in this blog.

Turbine flowmeter

Reinhard Woltman, a German engineer, devised the turbine flow meter in 1790. Turbine flow meters consist of a rotor with propeller-like fixed blades that spin when water or another fluid is carried through it. The flow rate is proportional to the rotor rotations.

Advantage

The turbine flow meter is useful for determining a clean, steady, high-speed flow of low-viscosity fluids. These are more cost-effective than ultrasonic flow meters, especially for larger lines. When it comes to cost, a single turbine flow meter can replace numerous DP meters.

Disadvantage

The only disadvantage of turbine flow meters is that they have moving elements that can wear out. To prevent corrosion, increasingly durable materials such as tungsten carbide bearings and titanium rotor blades are employed in the construction of turbine flow meters.

Ultrasonic flowmeter

Ultrasonic flow meters are non-infiltrative flow measurement systems that use sensors to generate ultrasonic waves that go through the flow transducers to identify flow velocity and then calculate the flow rate. An ultrasonic flowmeter is made up of several pairs of transducers, each of which measures transit time quickly. As a consequence, there is quite a plethora of basic data to work with when aggregating and determining flow rates.

Advantage

Ultrasonic flowmeters feature a very low-pressure drop and a very high turndown capacity. They are capable of a wide range of tasks, including crude oil production, transfer, and refining. Ultrasonic flow meters optimize the overall accuracy and there are no notable disadvantages.

On an ending note, each of the flow meters mentioned above holds significance in custody transfer. Its application depends on the requirements and processes.