The transition of supporting materials for turbine flow meters from traditional metal materials to composite and polymer materials is an important trend in technological development!
Turbine flowmeter is a velocity type flow meter widely used in the field of flow measurement. Here are some new materials applied in turbine flow meters:
1、 High performance plastic materials
Application of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) in turbine flowmeter impeller
Background: Traditional metal impellers have limitations in certain corrosive media or applications that require weight. PEEK is a high-performance thermoplastic material with excellent mechanical properties, chemical corrosion resistance, and high temperature resistance.
Details: PEEK impellers can withstand high pressure and speed, and will not corrode like metal impellers when measuring the flow rate of corrosive liquids (such as acid and alkali solutions) in industries such as chemical engineering. Its relatively low density reduces the overall weight of the turbine flowmeter, making it more advantageous for installation environments that are sensitive to equipment weight, such as in small aircraft fuel flow measurement. For example, in some chemical injection systems of offshore oil platforms, PEEK impeller turbine flow meters can accurately measure the flow rate of liquids containing corrosive additives, and their service life is several times longer than traditional metal impeller turbine flow meters.
Application of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) in flowmeter casing
Background: The flowmeter casing needs to protect the internal measuring components and adapt to different working environments. PPS is a crystalline high-performance thermoplastic engineering plastic with good rigidity, dimensional stability, and chemical resistance.
Details: PPS casing can resist corrosion from various chemicals, including organic solvents and some corrosive gases. In industries such as chemical and pharmaceutical, various chemical substances are often present in the environment. PPS casing can effectively prevent damage to the casing due to chemical corrosion, ensuring the normal operation of turbine flow meters. At the same time, PPS material has good flame retardancy and can provide additional safety protection in situations with fire prevention requirements, such as explosion-proof areas in petrochemical plants.
2、 New alloy materials
Application of Titanium Alloy in Key Components of Turbine Flowmeters
Background: In some measurement environments with highly corrosive fluids (such as seawater, perchlorate solutions) or high-temperature and high-pressure fluids, traditional stainless steel materials may not meet the requirements. Titanium alloys have excellent corrosion resistance, high strength to weight ratio, and good high temperature resistance.
Details: When titanium alloy is used for key components such as turbine blades and shafts in turbine flow meters, it can ensure the accuracy and reliability of the flow meter in harsh environments. For example, in ocean engineering, turbine flow meters used to measure seawater flow have titanium alloy components that can resist corrosion from seawater and maintain stable performance in pressure and temperature fluctuations caused by tidal changes. The strength of titanium alloy enables the blades to withstand higher flow velocity impacts, increasing the measurement limit of the flowmeter.
Application of Nickel based Alloys in High Temperature Environments
Background: In high-temperature cracking units in the petrochemical industry and cooling systems in high-temperature furnaces in the metallurgical industry, it is necessary to measure the flow rate of high-temperature fluids. Nickel based alloys have excellent high-temperature strength, oxidation resistance, and thermal fatigue resistance.
Details: When the turbine flowmeter uses nickel based alloys to manufacture key components such as impellers, bearings, etc., it can operate stably in high temperature environments up to 1000 ℃ or above. For example, in the catalytic cracking unit of a refinery, the nickel based alloy components of the turbine flowmeter used to measure high-temperature oil and gas flow can effectively avoid component deformation and material performance degradation caused by high temperatures, ensuring the accuracy and long-term stability of flow measurement.
3、 Composite materials
Application of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite Materials in the Support Structure of Turbine Flowmeters
Background: In some high-precision measurement scenarios, it is necessary to reduce the impact of external vibrations on turbine flow meters, while requiring the supporting structure to have high strength and low thermal expansion coefficient. Carbon fiber reinforced composite materials have advantages such as high strength, high modulus, low density, and low thermal expansion coefficient.
Details: The use of carbon fiber reinforced composite materials in the support frame of turbine flow meters can effectively isolate external vibrations and improve the flow meter's anti-interference ability. For example, in semiconductor manufacturing processes, extremely high precision is required for measuring the flow rate of ultra pure liquids. The use of carbon fiber reinforced composite materials to support turbine flow meters can reduce vibration interference caused by equipment operation and ensure the accuracy of flow measurement. Moreover, the low-density characteristics of this composite material also contribute to its application in situations where weight is limited, such as fluid measurement in space experimental equipment.
Application of Ceramic Metal Composite Materials in Wear resistant Components
Background: In the measurement of fluids containing solid particles (such as mud, slurry, etc.), the components of turbine flow meters are prone to wear and tear. Ceramic metal composite materials combine the high hardness and wear resistance of ceramics with the toughness of metals.
Details: Using this composite material on the impeller edge or bearing surface of turbine flow meters, which are prone to wear, can significantly improve the wear resistance of the components. In the mining industry, turbine flow meters used to measure slurry flow rate use ceramic metal composite material impellers and bearings that can effectively resist the erosion of ore particles, extend the service life of the flow meter, and reduce maintenance costs.
