By asking the right questions and having a good understanding of the existing guidelines and standards, you should be well on our way to getting the most of your flow meter investment.

These are some of the general guidelines to consider when determining proper flow meter placement for your application. Some of the most common Guidelines/Standards are listed below:

When in doubt, I would recommend you consult these guidelines as they have been tested and provide a very good starting point to ensure proper flow meter performance. Some of these are ISA, ISO, API, AGA, ASME, and ANSI. There are a number of professional organizations that offer guidelines and standards for a majority of the flow technologies being used. There are no bad questions when trying to determine proper meter placement. The old adage “if you don’t know something, ask” applies here. What we hope to do is give you some key questions to ask, resources to go to, and general guidelines to follow. What we are referring to is the placement of the meter in the process piping, and its relation to valves, elbows, strainers, reducers, and a host of other devices that can have an effect on the flow profile. In this case, when talking about improper installation, we are not referring to improper piping alignment or meter orientation (although both are issues and need proper attention depending on the application). Perhaps this is due to limited changes that can be made to existing piping (time and expense), the end user dealing with a technology they are not familiar with and making assumptions based on what they have done in the past, or a mechanical contractor having limited experience with various flow meter technologies, etc. Often, not as much consideration is given to its installation. Aside from improper sizing, material compatibility, and meter misapplication, a number of issues with flow measurement arise from improper piping practices.Ī lot of time, effort, and money can go into the purchase of a flow meter. Flow disturbances (distortion and swirl) can occur when your flow meter is installed improperly, reducing measurement accuracy.

Fluid flowing through a pipe generally assumes a desirable flow profile at or near the center of the pipe. After all, you went through the trouble of selecting the proper meter for your application, why not ensure it’s installed in a manner that will produce optimal measurement results? While quite a bit has changed over the years in flow meter technology you can’t argue with physics.

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