Flow Conditioner Eliminates Swirl for Accurate Measurement

Wastewater treatment engineers who cannot find room for the recommended straight pipe run needed by electromagnetic flowmeters in sewage lift stations will find that the Vortab elbow flow conditioner from the Vortab Co. eliminates the problem by removing swirl and asymmetric velocity profiles caused by pumps placed too close to the meter.

To provide accurate and repeatable flow measurement, electromagnetic and other types of metering technologies require a specific amount of straight pipe run upstream and downstream from the installed location of the meter. The straight pipe runs create a swirl-free and symmetric velocity profile in the pipe that can be measured accurately over and over again.

When electromagnetic flow meters are placed too close to pumps in sewage lift stations, there can be measurement problems. Sewage lift stations are required to pump wastewater from one elevation to a higher level when gravity flow isn’t feasible for any number of reasons. Often, there is not enough available plant real estate to support the straight pipe run required by electromagnetic and other metering technologies.

The Vortab Co.’s elbow flow conditioner eliminates the flowmeter upstream piping requirements by conditioning the flow stream into a flow regime, mimicking adequate straight run. In addition to conditioning the flow stream, the 90-degree angle tab-type Vortab elbow flow conditioner eliminates the pipe cost and technician labor for the 5 to 10 upstream and 3 to 5 downstream pipe diameters required by mag meters.