accQrate
Hybrid Ultrasonic Flowmeter
The accQrate can measure fluid flow in virtually any fluid in which sound waves can travel. The accQrate is considered "hybrid" because they can measure fluid flow using either the Doppler or Transit Time methods. The accQrate ultrasonic sound transducers are clamped to the outside of the pipe wall and include no moving parts. This method of flow measurement is safe, non-intrusive, and very easy to service.
The Doppler measurement method requires particles to be present in the flow stream to "reflect" the sound waves. The meter may be operated in the Doppler mode when the fluid contains 0.02% to 15% (200 to 150,000 ppm) of particles.
The Transit Time measurement method requires relatively "clean" fluid to enable the sound to complete their circuit. The meter may be operated in the Transit Time mode when the fluid contains 0% to 10% (0 to 100,000 ppm) of particles. To allow for changes in the fluid's particle count, the S2 monitors the signal gain and employs an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) algorithm that periodically adjusts the gain to maintain the optimum power level.
The speed at which sound travels in the fluid must be known. The factory will configure the meter for a known fluid during the initial configuration. The accQrate includes a 5-button user interface and remote PC software that can be used to configure the meter. Many common fluids are listed in the software and can be selected directly from the menu. Provided the speed of sound is known, custom "unknown" fluids can be input manually by the user. A list of various fluids and their sound speeds are provided in the user manual.