Flow Meter Installation Considerations

Marsha Campbell Mathews

UCCE Farm Advisor, Stanislaus County

Flow Meter Installation

Note: These installation notes are not intended to substitute for the installation
instructions in the product manual, nor are they a blueprint for specific installations.
They are intended as a general overview. Consult a competent professional to help
determine design requirements for specific situations. Mention of specific products are
intended to simplify information, no endorsement of these products is implied and no
criticism of similar products is intended.
Depending on management, a pond may not have the same concentration of nitrogen
throughout the year. It is important to be aware of the range of concentrations expected
because this determines how large a pump and what kind of valve is needed to control
application rates. If possible, obtain an estimate of existing pump output before
installing a flow meter and making modifications to the system.
The placement of the flow meter is critical to obtaining accurate flow readings. For a
flow meter to perform properly it must see:
! A full pipe at all times
! A uniform water velocity across the cross section of the pipe.
Ensuring a full pipe
If a pipe is not full, the flow meter will give inaccurate results. If the sensor is always
completely submerged but the pipe is not full, the meter will still calculate flow based on
the assumption that the pipe is full, leading to overestimation of the flow. Having a pump
intake or gravity flow outlet on the bottom of a pond does not necessarily guarantee that
the pipe will run full. In our experience, considerable air can be found in pipes coming
off the bottom of a pond. At present, it is not clear where this air is coming from. Some
possibilities include pumps sucking air when running at less than full capacity, large
amounts of entrapped air remaining from when the pipe was empty, or pond gasses
coming out of solution once released from the pressure of the bottom of a deep pond.
Wherever the air is coming from, if it is in the pipe, it will interfere with flow
measurements.
To make sure the pipe is always full, the flow meter should be situated in the lowest
point of the pipe, make sure that there is a place downstream of the meter where the
pipeline is at least 1 pipe diameter higher than the pipe where the meter sensor is
located. A meter can be installed on a vertical section of pipe. If the pipe is tilted so that
the flow is going downhill, special provision must be made to ensure that the meter will
always see a full pipe.
Even if a pipe generally runs full, the flow may be underestimated if the sensor is placed
in a location where sometimes it is not completely submerged in the water, such as
when pockets of trapped air are moving past the sensor. Do not mount a Doppler or
insertion magmeter at the 12 oclock position on the pipe unless you are absolutely

University of California Cooperative Extension, Stanislaus County

September 21, 2000

certain the pipe is full. Do not mount a spool-type magmeter so that the sensors are in a
vertical plane.
Ensuring a uniform velocity
When water flows around a bend, the water on the outside of the bend flows faster then
the water on the inside. Since flow meters measure the velocity of the water, it is
important that the velocity of the water be uniform across the entire cross section of the
pipe in the location of the sensor. Flow patterns will be distorted both downstream and
upstream of any disturbance. As a general rule, the meter should be placed 10 pipe
diameters downstream and 5 pipe diameters upstream of any elbow, tee, junction or
change in pipe diameter. Since valves may distort flow for as much as 25 pipe
diameters downstream; it is best to place the flow meter ahead of, not after, a valve.
Specific flow meters may have more or less stringent placement requirements; check the
instructions for your particular meter and dont hesitate to call the manufactures
technical support with questions. Doppler meters are sensitive to sound in addition to
flow pattern so additional distance from pumps, partially closed valves and open
discharges is required.

In a straight run of pipe, water at the

edges of the pipe moves slower than the
water towards the center because of
friction along the walls. In this diagram,
areas in the pipe with similar velocities are
depicted as concentric rings. The fastest
moving water is in the ring in the center.

cross section
side view
Theoretical Velocity Profile

This diagram depicts the distortion in the velocity cross

section that occurs just after the flow has gone through an
elbow or a tee junction. The water on one side of the
profile is moving much faster than in the rest of the pipe.
A flow meter placed in this location will not give an
accurate flow measurement.

With new construction, an ideal location for a flow meter can be designed into the
system. In existing plumbing, a suitable location can often be found which will require
only minor modifications to the existing plumbing. In other situations, more extensive
modifications may be necessary to accommodate a flow meter. Sample diagrams of
how a flow meter may be incorporated into several common situations are provided in

University of California Cooperative Extension, Stanislaus County

September 21, 2000

the following section. The key elements to siting a flow meter are ensuring a full pipe
and a providing a straight run.
With new construction, an ideal location for a flow meter can be designed into the
system. In existing plumbing, a suitable location can often be found which will require
only minor modifications to the existing plumbing. In other situations, more extensive
modifications may be necessary to accommodate a flow meter. Sample diagrams of
how a flow meter may be incorporated into several common situations are provided.
The key elements to siting a flow meter are ensuring a full pipe and a providing a straight
run.
Installing a valve to regulate pump output
Greatest flexibility in managing lagoon water nutrients is obtained when the proportion of
pond water to fresh water can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the flow coming
from a pump or gravity flow valve in order to obtain a desired nutrient application rate.
If at all possible, the flow meter should always be located upstream of the valve,
otherwise distortion in the flow pattern from water shooting through a partially closed
valve will interfere with accurate measurement of flow, regardless of the type of meter.
A valve will distort a flow pattern for a much greater distance that an elbow or tee, so a
much greater distance between the meter and the valve is required. Recommendations
are for the meter to be at least 25 pipe diameters downstream or 10 diameters upstream
of the valve.
Valves vary in their suitability for throttling flow, especially of water carrying debris. For a
discussion of valve selection, see the article Regulating Dairy Lagoon Water Application
Rates.
If the same pump is used to operate both the flush and the irrigation system, do not put a
v notch valve in the flush line. A v-notch will result in too much loss of pump output. It
may be necessary to install a bypass with a throttling valve on one arm and a nonrestrictive valve on the arm going to the flush. In some instances where the pond is very
dilute during some times of the year, it can be advantageous to have the option of using
either valve to control to pump output going to the field, especially if the pump is
somewhat undersized. If the irrigation pump also operates the flush, place the irrigation
valve as close as possible to the Y to avoid having the line pack with solids during the
off season.
When pumping high solids sludge, you may be limited on how much you can throttle
back without plugging the line.
Flow meter system installation tips
Professional assistance may be needed to properly size pipes, valves, and pumps and
determine placement of appropriate air vents to prevent collapse of the pipe, allow
optimal flow by preventing air from displacing water in the pipe, or to keep water from
siphoning water back into the pond when the pump is shut off.

University of California Cooperative Extension, Stanislaus County

September 21, 2000

Use two 45s instead of one 90 degree elbow on lagoon water pipelines to avoid eddies
where solids can settle out. An alternative would be to use a sweep style elbow. Larger
lagoon water solid particles may tend to settle at velocities less than 2 feet per second.
Make provision for a way to conveniently obtain a sample of the same lagoon water as is
being measured by the flow meter. A valve on the bottom of the pipe is prone to solids
settling in the pipe, and an accurate sample can only be obtained if the sample is
captured in mid-stream after having run for awhile to clear out accumulated solids. A
drain valve on the bottom may easily become plugged with solids, and can result in a
nasty lagoon water shower when it becomes unplugged. Do not make the opening too
small or it will become plugged with solids especially when pumping from the bottom of
the lagoon. A 1 inch ball valve with a hose draining back into the pump box has been
the most convenient for sampling. Any sampling spigot with a hose needs to be run long
enough to clear the hose before taking the sample.
Nearly all flow meters consist of two main sections, the meter itself and a controller box
which interprets the signal received from the meter sensor(s) and displays the velocity or
gpm on a readout. Most flow meters have the option of having the controller box
separated from the meter itself via a cable. This is preferable in most cases because it
allows the display to be close to the controller valve, and because the controller box can
be mounted in a box to protect it from sun, rain, dust etc. Allow for some ventilation of
any mounting box to avoid condensation, the enemy of all electronic devices that must
be kept out of doors.

University of California Cooperative Extension, Stanislaus County

September 21, 2000

University of California Cooperative Extension, Stanislaus County

September 21, 2000