Typical Turndown Ratio of Various Meter Types

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Turndown ratio
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'Turndown ratio' is a flow measurement term that indicates the range a specific flow meter, or
meter type, is able to measure with acceptable accuracy. It is also known as rangeability. It is
important when choosing a flow meter technology for a specific application. If a gas flow to be
measured is expected to vary between 100,000 m³ per day and 1,000,000 m³ per day, the specific
application has a turndown ratio of at 10:1. Therefore the meter requires a turndown ratio of at
least 10:1. For example: if the meter had an advertised maximum flow of 2,000,000 m³ per day
then the required turndown ratio would be 20:1.
The turndown ratio of each type of meter is limited by theoretical considerations and by practical
considerations. For example, orifice meters create a pressure drop in the measured fluid
proportional to the square of the velocity. Therefore the range of differential pressure can
become too large and compromise accuracy. It can also create process problems such as hydrate
formation, and in the case of measuring the discharge of a compressor, there is a limit to how
much pressure loss is acceptable.
Turndown ratio is one of a number of considerations in choosing a meter type for an application.
Some other considerations are price, maintenance cost, accuracy, the fluid type and the velocity
of the flowing fluid.
[edit] Typical turndown ratio of various meter types

The examples here are for gas flow, but the same meter types can be used on liquids as well,
with similar turndown ratios. Note that meter manufacturers state their products' turndown ratios
-- a specific product may have a turndown ratio that varies from the list below.
An orifice plate meter has a practical turndown ratio of 3:1. This means that if an orifice meter
with a design flow rate of 200,000 m³ per day is installed, the flow range that the meter can
measure accurately will be between 100,000 m³ per day and 300,000 m³ per day.
A turbine meter has a turndown ratio of 10:1. In the above application, the flow range that can be
measured will widen to 60,000 m³ per day on the low side and 600,000 m³ per day on the high
side.
Rotary displacement meters have a rangeability of between 10:1 and 80:1, depending on the
manufacturer and the application. Diaphragm meters are considered to have a turndown ratio of
80:1.
Multipath ultrasonic meters often have a stated turndown ratio of 50:1. In our example
application, the flow range expands to 28,300 m³ per day on the low side and 1,414,000 m³ per
day on the high side.
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from sahli ruzaini & fyrd_ost..
ASME MFC-1M-1991 Glossary of Terms Used in the Measurement of Fluid Flow in Pipes
(reaffirmed 1997) defines rangeability as "the ratio of the maximum flow to the minimum
flow of a meter. Accuracy tolerance limits must be specified" (paragraph 3.8). Turndown is
nowhere to be found in MFC-1M, but I vaguely remember reading (an ASME document?) where
turndown and rangeablitiy were terms that could be used interchangeably.
The definition of rangeability in the on-line ISA Comprehensive Dictionary of Measurement and
Control effectively agrees with the ASME definition above. The definition for turndown is the
"ratio of maximum plant design for flow rate to the minimum plant design flow rate".
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turndown_ratio"

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Turndown ratio is often used to compare the span - the range - of flow measurement devices.
Turndown Ratio
Turndown ratio can be expressed as:
TR = qmax / qmin (1)
where
TR = Turndown Ratio
qmax = maximum flow
qmin = minimum flow
Maximum and minimum flow is stated within a specified accuracy and repeatability for the device.
Example - Turndown Ratio for an Orifice Meter

The turndown ratio - TR - for an orifice meter with maximum flow of 12 kg/s and a minimum flow of 3 kg/s
can be calculated as:
TR = (12 kg/s) / (3 kg/s)
= 4
- normally expressed as turndown ratio of 4:1
This is a typical turndown ratio for a orifice plate. In general a orifice plates has turndown ratio between
3:1 and 5:1.
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Turndown Ratio and Measured Signal
In a flow meter based on the orifice or venturi principle, the differential pressure upstream and
downstream of an obstruction in the flow is used to indicate the flow. According the Bernoulli Equation the
differential pressure increases with the square of flow velocity. A large turndown ratio will cramp the
measurement signal at low flow rate.

Typical Turndown Ratio of Various Meter Types

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Typical Turndown Ratio of Various Meter Types

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[edit] Typical turndown ratio of various meter types

from sahli ruzaini & fyrd_ost..

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turndown_ratio"

TR = qmax / qmin (1)

qmax = maximum flow

qmin = minimum flow

Example - Turndown Ratio for an Orifice Meter

TR = (12 kg/s) / (3 kg/s)

- normally expressed as turndown ratio of 4:1

Turndown Ratio and Measured Signal

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