Portable Flow Meter: Principles, Advantages and Applications

Portable Flow Meter is a velocity and flow rate detection instrument applied to rivers, open channels, pipelines and other working conditions. Utilizing ultrasonic detection technology, it features high measurement accuracy, good stability, little influence from environmental factors, no rotating parts, low maintenance frequency and high working reliability, making it the preferred product for portable velocity and flow rate measurement. In field hydrological monitoring work, accurately measuring point velocity is of great significance for understanding water flow characteristics and water resource management. The portable Doppler velocity and flow meter, with its portability, has become a powerful tool for field point velocity measurement.

Its working principle is based on the ultrasonic Doppler effect. In the acoustic field, when there is relative motion between the sound source and the receiver (i.e., the probe and the reflector), the frequency of the echo will change, and this frequency change is called frequency shift. The frequency of sound waves becomes higher when moving towards the observer and lower when moving away from the observer. The instrument emits ultrasonic waves, and reflectors such as suspended particles and bubbles in water move with the water flow, causing a change in the frequency of the reflected ultrasonic waves. The Doppler velocity meter calculates the flow velocity by computing the frequency change and obtains the flow velocity according to a predetermined algorithm. This non-contact measurement method does not interfere with the flow field, ensuring measurement accuracy, and is especially suitable for complex field water flow environments, such as mountain streams and winding river courses. Unlike traditional contact measurement, which is easily hindered and affects water flow, it can handle these situations with ease.

Portability is a prominent advantage of this instrument. It is small in size and light in weight, making it convenient to carry to various field locations. Workers can put it in a backpack and move through terrain-complex areas such as mountains and jungles to reach the measurement site. It is also equipped with a carrying case to further facilitate transportation. The device is easy to install. The design of a single velocity sensor makes it suitable for flow rate measurement in municipal sewage and drainage pipelines, partially filled pipelines, various channels, irregular river courses, natural streams, sewage outlets, etc. It can be installed covertly, enabling long-term stable operation without complex tools and procedures. Deployment and measurement can be completed in a short time, greatly improving the efficiency of field work. The Chinese and English operation interfaces support one-key switching, allowing different users to operate it conveniently.

The shell adopts a waterproof and anti-corrosion design, enabling it to work stably in rainy days, humid environments and water with corrosive properties. The sensor has low power consumption, with power consumption < 0.8W when measuring velocity. Combined with the built-in rechargeable lithium battery, it can work for more than 8 hours, meeting the needs of long-term field operations. Some instruments can operate normally within a wide temperature range, whether in cold mountainous areas or waters around hot deserts, they can carry out measurement work normally.

The data processing and transmission functions also bring convenience to field measurement. The instrument is equipped with a 2.8-inch color screen, with text and graphics, facilitating operation and flow pattern analysis. It can store 10,000 pieces of data. After the measurement, the data can be quickly exported to computers and other storage devices through the attached USB flash drive, facilitating subsequent analysis and processing.