Water meter with pulse output: device and principle of operation. Water meter with pulse output

The topic of energy efficiency of buildings and industrial enterprises is becoming more and more relevant every day. The use of a device called a pulse water flow meter - will modern solution, which will allow without human intervention to control the consumption of resources. The use of such measuring equipment will provide an opportunity to automate the process of calculating the spent water. In this article, we will analyze the design, advantages and disadvantages, the scope of the device in question.

Design and principle of operation of a water flow meter with a pulse output

An impulse water meter is a device for measuring the amount of water passing through a pipeline.

The mechanical design of this water meter is made in the same way as in a conventional flow meter. During operation, the flow of fluid turns the impeller. Through a magnetic coupling, rotation is transmitted to a system of plastic gears that rotate the arrows on the dial of the device.

Important! But unlike mechanical water meters, a water meter with pulse output has a small magnet attached to the moving hand and a sealed contact (reed switch) on the dial.

The principle of operation of the mechanism is that when a magnet passes over a reed switch, the latter generates an electrical signal to a low-current electrical network connected to the device. This pulse is used by the equipment to calculate the amount of water. By measuring the time interval between two signals, when the arrow on the dial makes a full turn, the electronic equipment counts the consumption of liquid passing through the pipeline.


This device can be connected automatic equipment, counting the amount of liquid that has passed through a pipe or water supply system, turning on and off the water supply valves depending on its flow rate.

Application of impulse counters

The use of meters that automatically calculate and transfer to a computer the amount of resources used is convenient for organizations. Water meters with a pulse output make it possible to eliminate human labor in monitoring the flow and automate the process of taking readings from the device.

Important! Signals from such meters can be transmitted via wireless or cable communication channels to the accounting point. Where the system independently enters into the database the amount of water spent by each consumer.

Remote display, on an electronic flow meter that converts pulses into cubic meters, and displays volume readings. This is convenient when access to the water meter dial is difficult (the measuring device is installed in the basement of a building or is underground).

Pulse water meters are used:

• management companies to exchange information on water consumption with resource-supplying organizations and during the construction of “smart home” water supply systems;
• on the industrial enterprises and in office buildings where large-scale networks of hot and cold water supply operate, and there is a need to centrally regulate the water pressure and control fluid consumption;
• in agriculture;
• in hotel business to obtain operational data;
• in any field of activity where remote, automatic control of the consumption of consumed water resources or access to the meter dial is difficult (the meter is buried in the ground).

Advantages and disadvantages of pulse water meters

The advantages of such accounting devices include:

• the ability to transfer meter readings to the water supply control scheme at agricultural and manufacturing enterprises;
• the ability to remotely, in real time, control the flow of water and transmit data to computer systems accounting for the use of resources;
• durability of the device;
• high accuracy of readings of the measuring device;
• does not require connection to a power source, since the reed switch itself generates electromagnetic pulse and causes a short circuit of low-current electronics;
• works equally well for horizontal and vertical installation on the pipeline.

Disadvantages of counters with pulse output:

• sealed contact may fail over time;
• high cost of the water meter together with electronic systems transfer of information;
• the flowmeter is blocked by a magnet.

How to connect a pulse water meter

Impulse meters for cold and hot water can be mounted on both horizontal and vertical pipes. After installation, the device is connected to a low-current cable, through which electrical signals will be transmitted to the reader. The meter itself generates an electrical impulse, so there is no need to connect the flow meter to the power supply.

Important! The supplied signals are recorded by the reader, and then transferred to the adder, which converts information from pulses to cubic meters. The totalizer on the digital screen shows the amount of liquid in cubic meters. Several flowmeters can be connected to one totalizer.

The totalizer, using a network cable or a GSM modem, transmits readings to a computer or to an automated system of a management company.

Conclusion

An impulse meter is a simple and convenient metering device for remote control of water consumption, performed in automatic mode. It allows you to transfer information automatic systems and can be used to control production processes. The meter has found application in agriculture, hotel business, water supply networks manufacturing enterprises and office centers, housing and communal services and other areas of activity.

The use of a meter is justified if it is required to take readings several times a day or remotely control water consumption and to eliminate the human factor when drawing up an invoice for the resources used. Installing the device in an apartment is not advisable, since the owners take readings no more than once a month.

The use of various counters significantly reduces the use of resources and teaches them to treat them economically. Since there are no strict restrictions on the installation of the device to control water consumption, it is reasonable to get acquainted with the manufacturers' offers before choosing a water meter. And they offer quite a wide range of these devices.

What you need to know before going to the store

What must be taken into account in order for the device to work for a long time and reliably? The first step is to visit management company and get acquainted with the State Register of Measuring Instruments, which lists all devices allowed for installation. This document includes only those devices that comply with GOST R 50601 and GOST R 50193.

The main factors, the analysis of which will help determine the choice of a water meter:

• for which liquid, hot or cold, is purchased;
• the state of water according to the degree of contamination;
• price range;
• energy dependence;
• location.

The first factor is very important, since the hot water meter cannot be used for cold water, and vice versa. They have the same principle of operation, but the main difference lies in the material from which they are made. For hot water meters, manufacturers use materials that can withstand a temperature of about 150 0 C and the pressure at which the liquid is located. The material of devices for cold liquid is designed for maximum temperature 40 0 C.

A little advice! If funds allow, optimal solution will be the acquisition of a universal device that works equally reliably over the entire temperature range.

A factor that is not always paid attention to, but affecting the durability of the meter is the presence of impurities, dirt in the liquid. The service life and accuracy of readings of some types of instruments are drastically reduced in "dirty" water. For them, it is recommended to install an additional dirt filter.

Volatile devices work only if there is a power supply, which means that in its absence, accounting is no longer kept. Non-volatile meters are considered more autonomous. But you can also choose one that will work from an autonomous power source, for example, batteries.

Note! If purchased measuring device not included in the State Register, they do not give permission for its installation.

Classification of water meters

In terms of spatial orientation to pipes, manufacturers offer a horizontal and vertical type of device. Some companies produce a universal version that is installed in any position, and is considered the most convenient for installation in any, even hard-to-reach place.

The main classification divides devices according to the principle of operation. For industrial purposes, the following types of meters are used:

• vortex, having a special body, on which vortices arise when it is placed in a water stream. It is these vortices that are subject to registration, and according to the obtained indicators, a flow characteristic is obtained;
• ultrasonic, the action of which is based on the analysis of the acoustic effect that occurs during the passage of ultrasound through a time-varying flow of water.

For domestic use, mainly the following types are used:

• tachometric, based on the operation of a mechanical counting device;
• electromagnetic, in which the fluid flow rate is determined by the rate of formation magnetic field through this stream.

But such a division into household and industrial is conditional, since any of the listed types can be used both in everyday life and in production. They usually differ in the type of material used for production, the ability to take into account different volumes of liquid. But preferences for private households are given, all the same, to tachometric and electromagnetic ones, given the price-quality ratio, ease of installation and ease of maintenance and operation.

Electronic and impulse

Many brands offer electronic water meters for hot water. They have an independent power supply and the display can be mounted where it is convenient.

One of the most advanced options, today, is water meters with a pulse output. These devices read the electrical impulse that occurs when a fixed volume of liquid passes through the meter. All impulses are summed up and the result is the volume of water spent for a specific period of time. The summing block in production collects information not from one pipe, but from several and provides information both for individual consumers and for the entire full value consumption.

Due to the high cost impulse device, usually used in everyday life for hot water and equipped with a temperature sensor. It is convenient in that it will separately count cold water and hot water heated to the required temperature.

Proven tachometric water meters

Tachometric water meters are considered the best option for a house or apartment, provided that the pressure in the system does not exceed 1.6 MPa. There are several advantages that make them popular:

• convenient small size;
• during installation and dismantling;
• the life of the water meter without repair is very high and is about 12 years on average, which is due to its simple design;
• democratic price;
• independence from power supply;
• small error in readings.

Main cons:

• special susceptibility to the influence of the magnetic field of a moving fluid;
• deterioration in the accuracy of readings due to contamination of the liquid.

The principle of operation is based on the torsion of a small turbine or impeller when a fluid flow passes through them. The greatest difference between tachometric instruments is manifested in two various options counting mechanism.

The first option is single-jet meters, in which the impulse from the rotation of the impeller during the passage of a liquid flow is counted. For conversion rotational movements a magnetic clutch is used in the impulse, and it is already a transmitter of information to the indicator. The indicator is located on the body. The long and guaranteed reliable service life of the water meter is due to the fact that the main mechanism does not come into contact with the water flow.

The second option is multi-jet counters and it is clear from the name that it rotates rotary mechanism multiple threads at once. From the design point of view, the difference of this device is that the blade that rotates is set in motion by several fluid flows at once, and not by one. This approach improves the accuracy of the readings. It is convenient to carry out a planned removal on these models to check the serviceability, so only the upper part is dismantled.

Expert opinion! It is structurally possible to install a module with a pulse output on any modifications of these devices and protect it from demagnetization, and remotely record the flow of liquid.

As for the choice of turbine or impeller, the main difference concerns the diameter of the connected pipes. The restriction on the diameter of the pipes to which the device with winged blades is connected is up to 40 mm, and for the turbine - between 50 mm and 200 mm.

On the market for water meters, devices are offered with a submerged part of the counting mechanism in the flow and dry ones, in which it does not come into contact with the liquid. In the first case, the durability of work is affected by water pollution and its chemical composition. To offset this drawback, an additional filter is installed.

Electromagnetic water meter

Who is giving Special attention accuracy of readings and is ready to fork out, it is worth choosing an electromagnetic meter. The main advantage is that the temperature, viscosity, density of water do not affect the readings. In these devices, the flow rate and its average area are determined. The downsides are the following:

• requirements for water quality: it must not have pollution and not purified. Sediment will cause malfunctions in a year, and clean water will lead to interruptions in work;
• power dependency.

Overview of the market for water meters

There are several manufacturers on the market that have proven themselves to produce quality products. Among domestic trademarks you can select water meters betar, arzamas. They have the following indicators:

• betar products are produced for cold and hot water in systems with a pressure of 1 MPa. Temperature Range: cold water- 5-400 0 С, hot - 5-900 0 С;
• The Arzamas brand allows you to measure water flow with an error not exceeding 6% at a pressure of 1 MPa. The brass body increases the service life of the device up to 12 years.

Among foreign devices, it is worth paying attention to valtec water meters from Italian manufacturers and itelma, produced under license from Germany.

Having considered some aspects of the design and features of water meters, it is possible to foresee all the pros and cons in the installation of each. When determining the type of fluid control equipment, the following considerations should be taken into account:

• type and installation data of the water supply system, diameter and brand of the network;
• volume and throughput pipelines, the amount and speed of flow;
• the presence of an electrical network;
• system pressure parameters;
• the principle of reading instrument readings.

The use of mechanical water meters is justified with a small amount of consumption. These are simple and reliable devices with good performance properties. They work autonomously. The positive advantages include their extensive range and low price.

Devices with a pulse output require a permanent power supply. Electronics justifies itself due to its advantages - the increased quality of equipment, measurement accuracy and work with powerful flows. The possibility of remote reading adds advantages to the properties of this type.

Electromagnetic and acoustic water meters are used in pipelines with high flow water, where high pressure is maintained and constant monitoring of resource consumption is required.

Vortex flowmeters are often used in a wide variety of pipelines where precise control of the flow rate of a particular liquid is required. These devices can measure not only liquids, but also vapors and gases. They are often embedded in technological lines food and other production processes. It is not advisable to use them as ordinary water meters.

Meters of hot and cold components have the same principle of operation. Their fundamental difference is in the use of materials that are used in production. Meters for hot in their design contain high temperature resistant materials that can withstand up to 100 degrees Celsius. In the readings of cold and hot water meters, there may be different errors when reading the readings, which is recorded in their technical data sheets.

Features of installation and operation

Meters are installed in a variety of water supply systems: in apartments, private houses, public and production organizations. Expense accounting has become not only a desirable practice, but also obligatory element communal activities. Consumption is growing, and accordingly, the range of water metering equipment for its constant monitoring is increasing.

Water meters are mounted on horizontal and vertical sections pipeline. Filters and screens are often placed at the inlet to prepare the liquid and its uniform distribution by pipe diameter for better flow measurement as well as clogging protection. To carry out the installation of measuring equipment, various ones are used.

On the issue of energy saving, the Government of the Russian Federation has set a task for public utilities, which is to reliably account for the consumption of energy resources: electricity, heat, gas and water supply.

Systems of accurate automated remote water metering with the possibility of real-time monitoring are becoming relevant. This makes it possible to completely exclude human influence on the reliability of indicators. Such devices can be controlled using special devices that have access to telecommunications networks. These include a pulse water meter.

What is it, its pros and cons

The impulse meter for hot and cold water is perfect not only for industrial purposes, but also for the population of the Russian Federation. Its main purpose is to record the exact amount of consumed resources, and in real time. Over a relatively recent period of implementation, it has established itself as a reliable device for automated control of water costs.

Management organizations and RCOs see in pulse metering devices effective application, which allows to ensure high accuracy of the calculated indicators with the possibility of their further sending to public utilities through an automated system.

Basically a water meter with pulse output and standard device practically do not differ from each other. The basis of their work lies in the classical scheme, in which the reading mechanism is started by an impeller under the available water pressure. At the same time, the impulse device allows not only to set the volumes of water consumption, but also to transfer the values ​​to an external storage medium.

• transfer of information regarding water consumption remotely in automatic mode;
• can be connected to complex systems data processing. For example, you can easily connect to ASKUV;
• low prices, which allows it to be attributed to the budget class;
• high level of reliability;
• resistance to various temperature influences, which makes it one of the best metering devices.

If we talk about the shortcomings, then they are:

• the device has a certain service life, after which it should be replaced, otherwise the readings will be inaccurate;
• all information from the device can be transmitted only when it is connected to a radio or digital signal;
• in without fail it is necessary to use anti-magnetic protection, since without it it is possible to stop the water metering forcibly without much effort.

Despite the existing shortcomings, the impulse meter is popular among the population of the Russian Federation.

Design

From a constructive point of view, the impulse meter circuit is no different from the device of standard flange or vane room water meters. The mechanical part remained unchanged. It is based on a pointer indicator of water consumption, in which a full turnover is equated to a specific consumption.

Operating principle

The standard design scheme for cold or hot water is based on a counting mechanism, which calculates the volume of consumption. Pulse meters calculate the amount of flow and transmit information to certain system points.

So, let's look at everything in more detail:

1. The output flow affects the impeller, which is located in the pipeline.
2. Then the connection is made directly to the operation of the clutch, which processes and then transmits information to the indicator.
3. In it, with a full turn, the magnet contacts the sensor, and after that the indicator is indicated on a digital indicator.
4. Information is received not only on the screen, but is also transmitted to the meter itself, which determines the flow of cold and hot water for a specific time period.
5. Upon completion of the calculations, the information is transmitted to the network for further reporting to the utilities.

It is important to pay attention to the fact that 1 pulse can equate, for example, to 10, 100 or 1000 liters of water - the value directly depends on the diameter of the pipeline.

Controlling a pulse meter does not entail any difficulties and does not require professional skills and abilities from the owners. The device, like the sensor itself, makes calculations automatically. Moreover, it does not require connection to electricity, which makes it a budget option.

It is important to remember: in the future, it is planned to operate exclusively impulse meters.

How to connect it?

The connection of the water meter is carried out by a utility service specialist.

This is due to the fact that in order to establish automatic dispatching of information from a pulse metering device, it is necessary to connect to it network cable or a modem-translator, with the help of which the signal is transmitted over the GCM or LPWAN channel.

Without fail, the meter must be connected by wires to the collection network necessary information. Further, the readings will be transferred to a specialized settlement center, where they will be entered in a receipt for payment. In other words, there is no need to transfer evidence to the owners of the property.

Taking readings

As noted above, owners of impulse meters should not worry about the need to take and transmit readings, since the device does this automatically.

At the same time, in practice, there are often situations when, for some reason, the device did not transmit information, which leads to misunderstandings with utilities.

One of the effective options for water meters is a water meter with a pulse output. Such devices can be used both in home use and in industrial scale or agriculture. Especially important is the use of the device for measuring the consumption of hot water - in this case, it is recommended to use a meter equipped with a temperature sensor.

The principle of operation and the device of a pulse water meter

In order to answer the question: “impulse water meters, what is it?”, You will need to carefully consider the principle of operation of these devices. Structurally, such a counter does not differ from the traditional one. It is equipped with a dial indicator of flow, in which a full turn means a certain amount of water consumed.

An impulse water meter can be used to accurately measure both hot water and hot water: for this, devices with blue and red cases are used, respectively. There is also a specialized series of devices that have the ability to remotely transmit indicators.

In the classic version, the meter is equipped with a specialized counting device that determines the volume of fluid consumed. The mechanical part of the design does not change - it contains an impeller that rotates at the moment the water flows through it. with a pulse output is equipped with a small magnet and a hermetic contact, or reed switch, which closes when it enters the magnetic field. The principle of operation of a water meter with a pulse output is as follows: if the reed switch is installed at the starting point of the dial, and a magnet is attached to the arrow, then at the moment of making a full revolution, the reed switch gives an electrical signal. What's this? Pulse output of the water meter.

Advantages and features of using impulse meters

The main advantage of this type of device is receiving information about water consumption automatically and remotely - this is what allows you to make an impulse. Also, it is worth highlighting the following important features:

1. In order to increase the convenience and reading of readings, the water meter is equipped with an outer ring, a protective cover and a panel that can be rotated 360 degrees.
2. The water flow meter with pulse output is equipped with a fully sealed mechanism, so that there is no possibility of moisture appearing on the measuring scale.
3. An additional protection is installed, which excludes the influence of an external magnetic field.
4. Water meters with pulse output are made of cast iron, brass or steel. The impeller and the counting mechanism are separated using a specialized brass partition, which performs an additional protective function.
5. Can be mounted on both vertical and horizontal pipes.
6. Elements of the device made of metal and prone to rust are additionally coated with a specialized anti-corrosion solution.
7. Additional advantages that a cold water meter with a pulse output has are its small weight and dimensions, a simple and understandable ergonomic design, and are equipped with protection against mechanical damage. The devices have different mounting lengths.

Apart from home use, pulse is important to use in production, where it is required to comply with the exact proportions of the liquid supply. The device is mounted on the supply pipes. As soon as the quantity of the required volume is met, a signal is given to the electric valve, after which the water supply is stopped.

Using impulse water meters

What is a pulse water meter? This is a promising solution for centralized consumption metering points, which will be designed to automatically calculate both the amount of fluid consumed and the cost of the volume presented for a specified period. The impulse of water meters is effective solutions many problems!

The impulse output of a water meter can be one of the components of a "smart home", where information is supplied and managed via global networks.

• when working with cold water operates within temperatures from 5 to 40 degrees Celsius. The maximum possible pressure in this case is 1.5 MPa;
• when working with hot water the meter operates within temperatures from 40 to 90 degrees Celsius. The maximum possible pressure in this case is 1.6 MPa.

On the modern market multi-tariff models are presented, in which cold water is calculated in a separate order, heated and hot - separately. With the help of such a water meter, the consumer has a significant opportunity to save! You can order a pulse in our company: just call or write a request using email address. Place orders with us - this is a profitable solution for your home or company.