Oscillatory Flowmeters: An Effective

Solution for Flow Measurement Vortice-shedding Flowmeters

Roger C. Hunt Vortice-shedding meters are available from a number of
Consulting Engineer major vendors and are the most commonly used devices
MycroSENSOR Technologies within the oscillation flowmeter family. They are based on a
Phoenix, AZ 85028 principal discovered by famed aeronautical engineer Tódor
von Kármán. While a young boy, von Kármán fished in the
Flowmeters based on oscillation principles can provide a mountain streams of the Transylvanian Alps. During one
cost-effective solution for many flow measurement fishing trip, he noticed that, when the flow of the stream hit a
applications. rock, the water would separate from the rock's downstream
sides, first on one side of the rock, and then on the other. As
Flip open any industry product directory to the section on the water on each side curled back on itself, it would form
flowmeters, and you’ll find yourself in a situation very vortices. He also noticed that the distance between shed
similar to the one faced by customers in a Baskin-Robbins vortices was constant and dependent only on the size of the
ice cream store. There are at least as many types of object creating the vortices (i.e., the vortex shedder).
flowmeters as there are flavors of Baskin-Robbins ice cream
— differential pressure (DP) flowmeters, magnetic It was later determined that, as long as a stream has low
flowmeters, Coriolis flowmeters, turbine meters, ultrasonic viscosity (with Reynolds numbers between 20,000 and 7
meters, and the list goes on. million) the ratio between the shedder width and vortex
interval is 0.17. Therefore, if you know the vortex shedder
Actually, you’ll be able to narrow down the field fairly width, and can detect the vortices and determine their
quickly, since most types of meters excel in some situations frequency, you can measure the velocity of flow. Thus, the
and are lacking in others. For example, a meter that's ideal stage was set for the introduction of the vortice-shedding
for measuring flow velocity in a wastewater application meter.
might not be appropriate for a volumetric measurement in a
chemical plant. In vortice-shedding meters, an obstruction, known as a bluff
body, is placed inside the pipe. Typically, the width of the
One flow technology, based on oscillation flow principles, obstruction is one-quarter the diameter of the pipe. As
has been largely overlooked in recent years, yet can be used liquids or gases with suitably low viscosity flow through the
in numerous applications. Meters based on these principles meter body, a vortex is shed on one side of the obstruction.
have been around since the early ‘70s and provide simple, In the formation of the vortex, fluid velocity increases while
effective flow measurement (Figure 1). pressure drops. On the opposite side of the bluff, the effect is
reversed (i.e., higher pressure, lower velocity), leading to the
There are three primary types of oscillation flowmeters: subsequent creation of a vortex on that side. The pattern
vortice-shedding meters, fluidic flowmeters, and swirl repeats continuously.
meters (also known as vortex precession meters). While each
operates differently, oscillatory flowmeters share a number Sensors used to measure the pressure changes are located on
of characteristics: the face of the bluff, its sides, its rear, or downstream.
• They are relatively simple devices and generally have no Among the sensors typically used for this are thermistor
moving parts; elements, spherical magnetic shuttles, or pressure detectors
• They are all fairly stable, minimizing the need for of various types. Additionally, piezoelectric crystals can be
calibration; used to detect the shedding forces on the bluff body.
• They all shape the fluids flowing through them to generate
regular oscillations in fluid pressure that can be sensed and Vortice-shedding meters provide not only a linear digital
used to compute flow rate; output, but also good accuracy over a wide flow range, good
• All but one function only in turbulent flows. long-term stability and repeatability, and no moving
components. In addition, installation cost is low compared
with orifice plates or DP transmitters.

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On the downside, bluff bodies are subject to long-term Coanda-style fluidic flowmeters can be used in most liquid
degradation, and can be a source of inaccurate measurement flow streams. Like the vortex-shedding flowmeter, they
if they become coated or eroded. However, they’re easy to provide good accuracy over a wide flow range, offer
replace in many units. Also, fluid viscosity must be low excellent long-term stability and repeatability, and are less
enough to insure the flow is turbulent. susceptible to calibration shifts due to erosion. The sensor
can be replaced without any effect on the meter calibration.
Fluidic Flowmeters Like the vortex shedder, the wall attachment phenomenon
requires that the flow be turbulent.
While not as well known as vortex-shedding flowmeters,
fluidic flowmeters offer many of the same advantages and, The Momentum Exchange (MX) flowmeter also is a
in the case of one style, are suited for the measurement of feedback oscillator similar in design to the Coanda meter,
laminar (nonturbulent) flows. Moore Products (now part of but it differs in the mechanism used to create oscillations.
Siemens Energy and Automation) invented fluidic The shape of the MX meter body creates a main flow that
flowmeters in the 1970s. The devices now are being passes through the nozzle and is directed toward one side of
developed and manufactured by MycroSENSOR the meter body or the other. The force of the jet creates a
Technologies. flow pulse in a feedback passage, which exerts a force on
the main jet and deflects it in such a way that it exerts a
Two styles of s of fluidic flowmeters are available. One uses force on the fluid in the opposite feedback passage (Figure
a physical phenomenon known as the Coanda effect; the 3). This pattern repeats continuously, creating a self-
other is based on the fluid phenomenon of Momentum sustaining oscillation. Like the Coanda meter, a sensor in
Exchange. one of the feedback passages detects the fluid pulses.
The Coanda effect is named after Rumanian aerodynamicist While the Coanda meter requires turbulent flow to function,
Henri-Marie Coanda, who discovered that, as a free jet the MX meter does not, making it an ideal device for
emerges from a nozzle or conduit, it will tend to follow a measuring higher-viscosity fluids. The MX meter was
nearby surface and will attach to it. (Unfortunately, his first designed for, and has found widespread acceptance in,
exposure to this phenomenon occurred when jet engine burner management applications involving the flow
exhaust gases attached themselves to the fuselage of his measurement and control of No. 2 and No. 6 fuel oil. It
primitive aircraft.) offers the same high stability, turndown, and low installed
cost as its partners, with the additional ability to operate in
The geometric shape of the Coanda flowmeter creates a both laminar and turbulent flow regimes. This ability to
continuous, self-induced oscillation. Fluid passing through operate at low Reynolds numbers allows high turndown on
the meter body bends toward, and attaches itself to one of moderate viscosity fluids such as ethylene glycol or carbolic
the meter's sidewalls. A portion of the flow is diverted acid.
through a feedback passage and travels back to the control
port. This feedback stream breaks the main stream's Swirl Meters
attachment to the near sidewall and pushes it toward the
opposite sidewall, to which the main stream then becomes Swirl meters were the predecessors to vortice-shedding
attached. A portion of the flow is diverted to the far-side meters. In this device, fluid entering the meter body passes
feedback passage and the entire process repeats (Figure 2). through vanes or blades that put the fluid in a swirl
This oscillation is self-sustaining. condition. After the swirl blades, flow is contracted, then
suddenly expanded. The geometry of the meter body moves
A sensor, which is located in one of the feedback passages, the vortex off of the meter's centerline, creating a helical
detects the presence and absence of flow. The frequency of path (or precession) as the fluid flows through the body. A
these pulses is linear with volumetric flow rate. The sensors sensor placed downstream from the swirl blades measures
used to detect the flow pulses are either thermal or strain the frequency of the precessions. As is the case in all of the
gauge devices. meters discussed so far, there is a linear relationship
between the oscillation frequency and the flow rate.

Precision Measurement and Specialty Sensor Technology

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July 2002
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Swirl meters work best with relatively clean flow streams About the Author
and are well suited for liquids, gases, and steam. They can Roger C. Hunt is a consulting engineer with
be used in tight piping applications and are available in sizes MycroSENSOR Technologies. From 1963 until 2000, he
as large as 16 inches. Compared to vortex meters, they have served in a variety of positions as a supervisor and product
higher head loss and higher initial cost. Like vortex meters, development engineer for Moore Products, (Spring House,
they are susceptible measurement errors due to material PA). He holds a bachelor's in engineering from Lafayette
build up on the swirl blades. College and a master's in engineering from Penn State
University.
Which Flowmeter Is Best?
Vortice-shedding meter? Coanda meter? MX meter? Swirl Figure 1: Flowmeters based on oscillation flow principles
meter? Which is the right choice? The answer (as always) is are relatively simple devices with generally no moving
"It depends." parts. Shown is MycroSENSOR Technologies’ Fluidic
Flowmeter Model 140 that is based on the momentum
To varying degrees, all oscillating flowmeters offer the exchange (MX) principle.
same advantages — relatively inexpensive to purchase,
install, and maintain; no moving parts; and stability. Beyond
that, however, there are differences that help limit the
choice. For example, if your application has a laminar flow,
the only appropriate member of the oscillating flowmeter
family is the MX meter. The fluidic flowmeters have the
least obstruction in the flow path.

Fluidic flowmeters are limited to pipes of a 4-inch diameter

or less, since use of larger pipes would create an Figure 2: Coanda Effect Flowmeter
unacceptably low number of pulses per gallon, and a
resulting loss of resolution as well as a large casting. Larger
line sizes can be handled using bypass techniques, but that
adds an additional element. Vortex-shedding meters, on the
other hand, oscillate faster for a given flow rate, so they can
more easily be adapted for larger pipe diameters. Generally,
they are also more compact.

As mentioned previously, inaccuracies in vortice-shedding

flowmeters can occur if the bluff body becomes worn or
coated by fluids flowing through it. In addition, the signal
from both types of fluidic flowmeters generally is stronger
than that of vortice shedders, and is easier to sense and Figure 3: Momentum Exchange Flowmeter
condition.

As for choice of models, there are numerous vortice-

shedding flowmeters available from multiple manufacturers,
while the selection of fluidic flowmeters and swirl meters is
more limited.

Precision Measurement and Specialty Sensor Technology

WWW.FLUIDICFLOWMETERS.COM 480-315-1558 [email protected]

PT-4
July 2002