New technology: Clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter for process measurement and control

SoundWater Technologies has launched a clamp-on flowmeter for process measurement and control.

The Wenatchee, Washington, US based company has recently begun shipping the new flowmeter, named the Orcas SP. According to the company, the new device can connect with any process automation system with 4-20mA pulse or serial data. It can also sends data wirelessly to nearly any mobile device.

According to the company, the Orcas SP presents a new way to measure flow inside a pipe without any cutting or drilling, instead using ultrasonic sound waves. The four-pound sensor—the device that sends and receives ultrasonic waves—is readily attached to the outside of a pipe. Then the technician uses the companion Orcas app on an Android or Apple iPhone to setup the flowmeter. The all-in-one design makes the flow meter wireless eliminating the tangle of transducer wires required with conventional flow meters.

“The old way of metering hasn’t changed in 20 years. Standard flow meters can be a hassle to setup,” says SoundWater CEO Jeff Peery. “You have to shut your process down, cut pipe, weld flanges—it requires four hands to do it and is expensive. Then the programming process is typically an endless set of cryptic menu options—I knew there was a better way—it should be intuitive so users can get their job done quickly.”