The World Market for Variable Area Flowmeters

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The World Market for Variable Area Flowmeters

Flow Research is pleased to present The World Market for Variable Area Flowmeters published in October of 2022. This study determines the regional and worldwide market size and market shares of the leading suppliers in 2019 and 2020 and forecasts market growth through 2024. It also analyzes products from all of the primary VA suppliers, profiles the significant worldwide suppliers; identifies the top industries, applications, growth factors, and frontiers of research; and proposes market and product strategies. 

The market for variable area (VA) flowmeters is growing steadily as suppliers introduce improvements to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of today’s users, according to a new study from Flow Research.  The World Market for Variable Area Flowmeters, Flow Research first, finds that worldwide VA meter revenues totaled $280 million in 2019 and forecasts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.1 percent worldwide through 2024. 

The Variable Area (VA) market has gone largely unexplored for many years, despite the fact that this technology remains a popular choice for many end-users in a variety of industries. VA meters are a good fit for simpler, low-cost solutions in gas and liquid measurements. It is also a plus that most do not require power. Today, VA meter suppliers are offering new materials of construction and new protocols for those with an attached transmitter. In our study, we will explore the market size and market shares along with industries and applications for this market. Our main segmentation will be plastic, glass, and metal VA meters, with special attention to purgemeters.

About Variable Area Flowmeters

Most variable area (VA) flowmeters consist of a tapered tube that contains a float.  The upward force of the fluid is counterbalanced by the force of gravity.  The point at which the float stays constant indicates the volumetric flowrate, which can be often read on a scale on the meter tube.  VA meter tubes are made of metal, glass, and plastic.  Metal tubes are the most expensive type, while the plastic tubes are lower in cost.  Metal tubes are used for high-pressure applications.  

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Other innovations are also mitigating traditional VA design limitations to improve performance, simplify installation and maintenance; and accommodate broader temperature and fluid conditions. Enhancements noted in the report include:

·         Multiple tubes for measuring both gas and liquid

·         Rib-guided and fluted metering tubes for more stable and accurate readings

·         Flow adjustment/control valves on meter outlets and precision metering valves for greater control and resolution, including for very low flow rates.

·         Suspended, spring-loaded, and light-guided floats; guide rods to stabilize the floats; orifice floats; low pressure drop and float damping mechanisms, and other float design improvements

·         Integral orifice, built-in flowtube cleaners, adjustable flow alarms, and other design features that compensate for contamination, viscosity, and density, even with very low flows

·         Smaller meters, flowtube assemblies that can be quickly interchanged without disturbing the piping, isolation valves, a variety of mountings, more readable scales

While most VA meters can be read manually, some also contain transmitters that generate an output signal that can be sent to a controller or recorder.  While VA meters should not be selected when high accuracy is a requirement, they do very well when a visual indication of flow is sufficient.  They are very effective at measuring low flowrates and can also serve as flow/no-flow indicators.  VA meters do not require electric power and can safely be used in flammable environments.

One important development for variable area flowmeters is the development of meters with a transmitter output.  The HART protocol is available on some meters.  This turns the VA meter into more than a visual indicator and makes it possible to do control and recording.  A class of VA meters called purgemeters have been developed to handle a variety of low flow applications. Other areas of research include float design and materials of tube construction, especially metal.