Clamp on ultrasonic flow meter technology (COUSMT) offers the advantage of providing a non-custody transfer, non-intrusive method to obtain the pipe flow rate. The distinct advantage of the technology is; there is no need to present access to the fluid flowing in the pipe. The method is quite robust and simple to implement. More and more measurement practitioners are looking to this technology to fulfill that aspect of the metering requirements in their company.
DISCUSSION
Clamp on Ultrasonic Flowmeters have been commercially available for more than 45 years and have become an accepted method of measuring flow. Over the past 15 to 20 years several improvements have moved the technology forward.
- The first technological change was from analog transducers to Piezo ceramic (digital) transducers.
- The second change to follow was the digital change in methodology from analog timing to digital timing.
- The third change was made regarding the transit time to a differential transit time methodology.
All three of these improvements in methodology have greatly improved the meters ability to measure fluids more accurately. Typically one can now expect volumetric uncertainty values of xx.xx% tp xx.xx%.
