Different Types of Flow Meters and How to Choose the Right One

Choosing the right flow meter depends on the fluid, flow rate, pressure, temperature, pipe size, and required accuracy. Different flow meter technologies are designed for different applications.

Whether you need to measure natural gas, compressed air, steam, water, oil, fuel, chemicals, or other liquids and gases, selecting the correct technology is important for reliable measurement.

Common Types of Flow Meters

1. Electromagnetic Flow Meter

Best suited for conductive liquids such as water, wastewater, chemicals, and slurry.

Advantages: No moving parts, low pressure loss, good accuracy, suitable for dirty liquids.

Not suitable for: Most gases and non-conductive liquids such as many hydrocarbons.

2. Ultrasonic Flow Meter

Uses sound waves to measure flow. Available in inline and clamp-on designs.

Applications: Water, wastewater, hydrocarbons, natural gas, compressed air, and other gases.

Advantages: No moving parts, low pressure loss, and clamp-on models can be installed without cutting the pipe.

3. Coriolis Flow Meter

Measures mass flow directly and can also provide density and temperature information.

Applications: Chemicals, oil, fuel, food, pharmaceuticals, gas, and precision dosing.

Advantages: High accuracy and excellent repeatability.

4. Vortex Flow Meter

Measures the vortices created when fluid passes through the meter.

Applications: Steam, natural gas, compressed air, water, and industrial gases.

Advantages: Suitable for liquids, gases, and steam with no traditional moving parts.

5. Turbine Flow Meter

Uses a rotating turbine to measure flow velocity.

Applications: Clean water, fuel, oil, chemicals, natural gas, and compressed gases.

Advantages: Good accuracy, fast response, compact design, and cost-effective for suitable applications.

6. Positive Displacement Flow Meter

Measures flow by repeatedly capturing known volumes of fluid.

Applications: Oil, fuel, diesel, lubricants, chemicals, and high-viscosity liquids.

Advantages: Good accuracy and repeatability, especially for liquid measurement.

7. Differential Pressure Flow Meter

Uses a restriction such as an orifice plate, Venturi, or flow nozzle to create a pressure difference related to flow.

Applications: Natural gas, steam, water, air, and process fluids.

Advantages: Proven technology with a wide range of industrial applications.

8. Thermal Mass Flow Meter

Measures gas flow based on heat transfer.

Applications: Compressed air, natural gas, nitrogen, oxygen, biogas, hydrogen, and other gases.

Advantages: Direct mass flow measurement and good performance for gas monitoring.

9. Variable Area / Rotameter

Uses a float inside a tapered tube to indicate flow.

Applications: Water, air, gases, chemicals, laboratories, and purging systems.

Advantages: Simple, economical, and easy to read.

10. Open-Channel Flow Meter

Designed for flow that is not completely enclosed in a pipe.

Applications: Wastewater, sewage, drainage, irrigation, and water treatment.

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Which Flow Meter Should You Choose?

The best flow meter depends on your application.

This table is only a starting point. The actual operating conditions should always be checked before selecting a meter.

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Information Needed to Select a Flow Meter

To recommend the correct flow meter, provide as much of the following information as possible:

• Fluid: Natural gas, water, oil, air, steam, chemical, etc.
• Pipe size: DN25, DN50, DN100, etc.
• Minimum / normal / maximum flow
• Operating pressure
• Operating temperature
• Fluid composition or density
• Viscosity, for liquids
• Conductivity, for electromagnetic meters
• Required accuracy
• Flow unit: m³/h, Nm³/h, kg/h, L/min, GPM, etc.
• Process connection: Flange, threaded, wafer, sanitary, etc.
• Output: 4–20 mA, pulse, Modbus, HART, etc.
• Application: Monitoring, process control, dosing, energy management, billing, etc.

Need Help Choosing a Flow Meter?

Not sure whether you need an electromagnetic, ultrasonic, Coriolis, vortex, turbine, positive displacement, differential pressure, thermal mass, or another flow meter?

Send us your application information—even if you don't know which technology is suitable.

We can review your fluid, flow rate, pressure, temperature, pipe size, and application requirements and recommend a suitable flow meter for your system.

Send Your Flow Conditions → Get a Technical Recommendation / Quotation

 

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