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Articles about Variable Area Flowmeters
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The World Market
for Variable Area Flowmeters
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 platic, 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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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.
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