Nanjing News – With the continuous improvement of measurement accuracy requirements in industries such as petrochemicals, food processing, and coating manufacturing, flow measurement of high viscosity media has become a technical challenge faced by many enterprises when purchasing industrial instruments. Silver Automation Instruments today shares an industry application analysis, introducing common high viscosity media in different industries and flow meter solutions suitable for these media.
High VIcosity Fluid Flow measurement
Why do high viscosity fluids require specialized flow meters ?
High viscosity liquids flow slowly and have high viscosity resistance, making it difficult for ordinary flow meters to accurately measure. Traditional turbine flow meters rely on uniform flow of the medium to maintain accuracy. When encountering high viscosity media, the flow velocity distribution is uneven, and measurement errors will significantly increase. Moreover, the rotor blades inside the turbine flowmeter are prone to wear and even damage due to long-term exposure to high viscosity media. Therefore, measuring high viscosity media usually requires the use of high viscosity fluid flow meter, such as Coriolis mass flow meters or ovall gear flow meters.
Oil and gas industry: heavy oil, crude oil, asphalt, lubricating oil needs high viscosity fluid flow meter
The oil and gas industry is one of the most widely used fields for high viscosity fluid flow meters. Heavy oil, crude oil, asphalt, lubricating oil and other media have high viscosity and often need to be measured under high temperature conditions. Coriolis mass flowmeter is the preferred flow measurement instrument for custody transfer of crude oil due to its high measurement accuracy. The oval gear flowmeter, with its advantages of simple structure and low cost, is widely used in gas stations, fuel consumption monitoring and other occasions. For media such as asphalt and tar that require insulation to maintain fluidity, an oval gear flowmeter equipped with a heating jacket can keep the medium in an ideal viscosity state during the measurement process, avoiding blockage or crystallization.
Food and beverage industry: honey, syrup, chocolate, molasses high viscosity flow measurement
Coriois Flow meter for high viscosity liquid in food industry
In the food and beverage industry, it is often necessary to measure high viscosity food ingredients such as honey, syrup, molasses, and chocolate to ensure the accuracy of formula feeding and consistency of product quality. For this type of application, sanitary grade Coriolis mass flow meters are usually used, and the liquid receiving components are made of 316L stainless steel material, which meets food grade hygiene standards. It can directly measure mass flow and avoid volume errors caused by temperature changes. It is particularly suitable for production processes with precise batching and batch control.
Chemical industry: resins, polymers, glycerin, coatings viscous liquid measurement
The chemical industry needs to measure a wide variety of high viscosity media, including epoxy resins, polymers, glycerin, coatings, paints, lubricants, and so on. In this type of application, there is a high requirement for material compatibility of the flow meter. It is necessary to choose a suitable liquid receiving material based on the corrosiveness of the medium, such as stainless steel elliptical gear flow meter or stainless steel Coriolis flow meter. At the same time, in many chemical dosing scenarios where the flow rate is very small, a small-diameter oval gear flowmeter can be used to balance accuracy and cost.
Electricity and Heavy Industry: Preheating Fuel Oil fluid flow measurement
Power plants and heavy industry boilers often require measurement of high viscosity fuel oil that has been preheated to ensure combustion efficiency and control fuel costs. This type of medium has high viscosity and relatively high temperature, and both Coriolis mass flowmeter and oval gear flowmeter can meet the measurement requirements of this type of working condition.
Paper Industry: Pulp and Coating Chemicals liquid with high viscosity flow measurement
Paper mills need to measure the flow rate of pulp and coating chemicals, which are viscous and often contain fiber impurities. Ordinary flow meters are prone to clogging and failure when encountering this medium. Coriolis mass flowmeter is the preferred flow measurement solution in the paper industry because there is no blocking structure inside the measuring tube, which can smoothly pass through pulp containing fibers.
Measurement of high viscosity fluid under high temperature conditions
High viscosity media such as asphalt and tar usually need to be measured under high temperature conditions, otherwise the medium will lose its fluidity. For such applications, it is necessary to choose high-temperature resistant flow meters, especially high-temperature resistant Coriolis mass flow meters, which can ensure measurement accuracy while stably addressing the technical challenges brought by high-temperature working conditions.
List of Common High Viscosity Liquids needs flow measurement
In addition to the media mentioned earlier, high viscosity liquids commonly found in industrial sites also include palm kernel oil, latex, toothpaste, lecithin, glucose, ointments, pastes, and so on. The viscosity range of different media varies greatly. Before selecting, it is recommended to clarify the viscosity value, temperature range, and whether there are solid particles in the medium. These parameters directly determine the suitable type of flowmeter.
Summary of Selection Suggestions
Medium cleanliness, moderate viscosity, limited budget: Priority should be given to oval gear flow meters.
If the medium has extremely high viscosity or contains solid particles or fibers, priority should be given to Coriolis mass flow meters.
The fluids needs insulation or high-temperature measurement: choose a oval gear flowmeter with a heating jacket or a high-temperature resistant Coriolis flowmeter.
Low flow rate: Choose a small-diameter elliptical gear flowmeter or a miniature Coriolis flowmeter.
About Silver Automation Instruments
Silver Automation Instruments is headquartered in Nanjing, China, specializing in the research and manufacturing of industrial automation instruments. Its products include Coriolis mass flow meters, elliptical gear flow meters, electromagnetic flow meters, vortex flow meters, thermal mass flow meters, pressure transmitters, liquid level instruments, paperless recorders, etc. Its service scope covers multiple industries such as oil and gas, water treatment, food and beverage, chemical, and power. With years of industry experience, the company provides global customers with one-stop solutions from selection consultation, customized design to after-sales service.
Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
Phone:+86-25-52155837
WhatsApp：+86-18936759191
Website: www.silverinstruments.com
