Methods and Instruments for Measuring the Rate of Liquids and Gases: Prospects of Application of Ultrasonic Transducers with a Wide Measuring Beam

The development of industrial automation and transportation of gases and liquids is closely linked with the growing usage of computers and electronics. Therefore, performance capabilities of measuring instruments controlling certain parameters and processes are one of the factors determining their quality. Since all the resources require strict accounting of volumes, currently no industry can do without the use of flow meters. In Russia state control over the rational use of resources in oil production and oil refining is tightening, so the task of measuring the oil flow rate is becoming urgent. The article describes the results of the comparative analysis of the most commonly used modern methods and instruments for measuring flow rates of liquids and gases. It presents the operating principle, advantages and disadvantages of each. It is shown that out of all the above measuring methods the ultrasonic Lamb wave method is the most promising one.

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