Whenever possible valves should be located after the flow meter. Reducers Location of Valves to Venturi Flow Meters.Here is a list of the most common piping components: The most intuitive way to think about it is this the more disruption a component causes, the further away it should be located. In fact, some our rate of flow controllers have a butterfly valve integrated right into the back of the flow meter. One advantage BIF venturi flow meters have is that there is usually no downstream requirement. This give the flow some time to stabilize before the venturi does it’s work. Most flow meters have to be installed a specified distance before and after piping components that will affect the fluid in the line. Piping Conditions That Can Affect Venturi Flow Meter Performance BIF has been building and testing venturi flow meters for years to develop the ideal combination of accurate flow measurement and low head loss. Piping Conditions That Can Affect Venturi Flow Meter PerformanceĪlmost any change in diameter can be used to create this pressure difference, take an orifice plate for example, it is simply a plate with a hole in the middle.The CFD flow simulation below shows the higher fluid velocity in the throat (the small part) of the venturi in red compared to the slower moving fluid in blue in the inlet and outlet.ĬFD Velocity Plot of BIF Universal Venturi Tube Here is What We Will Cover The fast moving fluid has a lower pressure than the slower fluid in the larger section of the venturi. The pressure difference is created by reducing the diameter of the pipe causing the fluid to flow faster. A venturi works by measuring the difference in pressure at two different locations. We won’t go in depth on all the theory and calculations here, but a basic understanding of how a venturi flow meter works will help you in the following sections. How a Venturi Flow Meter Works (a brief overview) It doesn’t matter if you’re a design engineer, contractor, or plant in plant maintenance, understanding what a proper venturi flow meter installation should look like is something you should know. When designed and installed correctly, a venturi flow meter will provide you with years of reliable flow measurement.