Saelig Company, Inc. has introduced the Coltraco Permaflow® Ultrasonic Transit-time Flow and Heat Meter, which uses a pair of clamp-on ultrasonic transducers to non-invasively monitor fluid flow rates. Using ultrasonic technology, the Permaflow meter can measure Flow Velocity, Volumetric Flow Rate, Mass Flow Rate, Energy Flow Rate (Heat Quantity), Volume, Mass, Energy, and it is also suitable for heat metering applications. All measured values can be individually totalized to show session totals.
The Permaflow Flow Meter works on DN15 – DN 2500 pipes (0.5” – 98”) with a wide range of pipe materials, carrying virtually any clean liquid. With no actual fluid contact, there are no issues with the flowmeter being damaged by the nature of the fluid being measured, unlike traditional inline flowmeters. No installation costs or downtime are involved when using Permaflow, such as caused by drilling into pipes, shutting off flow, etc. A single operator can take flow measurements accurate to +/- 0.5% under ideal conditions, with a resolution of 0.25mm/s and repeatability of 0.15%.
The Permaflow system also accepts PT100 thermometer inputs, allowing simultaneous liquid temperature monitoring. Two PT100 thermometers can be installed in order to check supply and return temperatures, as commonly used in heating and chilling efficiency calculations. Due to its PT100 thermometer input integration, when Permaflow® is installed in HVAC networks or buildings, for example, it can help comply with regulations by recording heated or chilled water flow rates, supply and return temperatures, and calculate the thermal energy involved in heating and cooling the fluid to assess kWh or BTU energy consumption.
The Permaflow system is one of the easiest flow meters to use, and it is built with I/O module options for selecting only necessary features, including 4–20mA, Digital, Modbus, Relay, OPTO, Open Collector Output. USB and RS232 interfaces are standard for serial communications and the 16MB internal memory is capable of logging more than 90,000 measurements, saved for later export or streamed directly to a PC. The system comes with a built-in oscilloscope for signal diagnostics that can assist in a reliable set-up process. An optional ISO 17025 calibration certificate is available to verify measurement accuracy.
The benefits of choosing non-invasive ultrasonic transit time technology over inline flow measurement technology include:
- Clamp-on sensors means no downtime or installation costs
- 24/7 flow rate monitoring and customizable alert options available
- No contact with the fluid being measured, no risk of pressure loss throughout the pipe network
- Fluid cannot damage the flowmeter: longer lifespan and lower maintenance costs
- Can be wall-mounted, allowing the display and measurements to be viewed clearly in a variety of room conditions
Applications include almost any kind of fluid flow monitoring, including commercial building HVAC metering, fuel monitoring, waste-water, etc. The Coltraco Permaflow® is made in UK by ultrasonics specialists Coltraco Ultrasonics, global leaders in the measurement and monitoring of systems that protect high-asset value and critical national infrastructure installations. It is supplied in a handy, robust carrying case. It is available now from now from Saelig Company, Inc. Fairport NY their authorized USA technical distributor. For detailed specifications, free technical assistance, or additional information, please contact Saelig 1-888-7SAELIG.
