PTFM 1.0 Portable Flowmeter

Recommended for fluids like water, glycol, oils and chemicals. Use it for calibrations, troubleshooting, flow surveys and as a temporary transmitter to replace inline flowmeters.

The PTFM 1.0 ultrasonic transducers strap-on the outside of pipes from ½" to 48" (12 to 1200 mm) diameter. The ultrasonic signal works through common pipe materials including carbon steel, stainless steel, ductile iron, cast iron, PVC, PVDF, fiberglass, copper, brass, aluminum and pipes with bonded liners including epoxy, rubber and Teflon. Transducers can be mounted without shutting down flow and there is no obstruction or pressure drop. It measures and totalizes forward and reverse flow.

The PTFM 1.0 Portable Transit Time Flow Meter operates by measuring the “transit time” or “time of flight” for ultrasonic sound pulses transmitted from one transducer to another. Depending on the mounting configuration the signal may cross the pipe once, twice or four times. To measure flow the transit time is compared between ultrasonic signals travelling upstream and downstream.

User-Friendly Operating System

Calibration is easy with the onscreen menu system. Just enter the pipe diameter, wall thickness and pipe material. The PTFM 1.0 is powered by an internal, rechargeable NiMH battery or can be operated continuously with AC power adapter. Each PTFM 1.0 includes a watertight carry case, transducer set, cables and mounting clamps.

Built-in Data Logger with Windows Software Included

Set up the 300,000 point data logger to store time and date-stamped flow readings from 10 second to 5 minute intervals. View the convenient on-screen 'Flow Report' where total, minimum, maximum and average flow rates are stored in a 24 hour daily summary.

Transfer flow logs to your PC or laptop through the PTFM 1.0's USB output. Greyline Logger software (included) displays data in both graph and table formats with one-click export to Microsoft Excel®, images or CSV files for use in other programs.

SCOPE: This specification covers a portable, ultrasonic Transit Time flow meter by Greyline Instruments, Massena, New York / Long Sault, Ontario. This portable instrument shall provide for non-intrusive flow measurement, indication, totalizing and transmitting of the flow rate in a full pipe.

GENERAL:

Each portable Transit Time flow meter shall have the following design features and engineering specifications:

A. PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

1. The ultrasonic flow meter shall have an accuracy of ±1% of reading or 0.1 ft/sec (0.03 m/sec), whichever is greater. Have repeatability and linearity of ±0.25%.
2. Shall operate on clean liquids in full pipes with less than 2% solids or gas bubbles at flow velocities from ±0.07 to 39 ft/sec (±0.02 to 12 m/sec).
3. Operate on the following pipe materials: carbon steel, stainless steel, PVC, PVDF, fiberglass, galvanized steel, mild steel, ductile iron, glass, copper, brass and pipes with bonded liners including cement, epoxy, rubber and Teflon.
4. Operate on AC power or from internal, rechargeable batteries.

B. TRANSDUCERS

1. The flow meter shall have a dual transmitting/receiving, clamp-on transducers operating at 1.28MHz.
2. The transducers shall operate continuously at temperatures from -40°F to 300°F (-40°C to 150°C).
3. The standard transducer pair shall be designed to install on pipes with nominal diameter ranging from 1/2" to 48" (12 mm to 1200 mm).
4. Have 12 ft (3.4 m) length coaxial cables from the electronics with BNC connectors to transducers.
5. Shall include manufacturer's recommended transducer coupling compound. Shall include stainless steel mounting hardware, pipe clamps and aluminum alignment bar.
6. Shall include BNC seal jackets for transducer operation in wet or submerged conditions.

C. ELECTRONICS

1. Have a portable ABS electronics enclosure with a padded, watertight IP67 carrying case. Total weight shall be less than 15 lbs (7 kg).
2. Electronics shall be designed for continuous operation at temperatures from -5° to 140°F (-20° to 60°C).
3. Have a built-in 5-key calibration keypad with operator selection of parameters through visual prompts from a menu calibration system. Systems requiring calibration by Parameter codes or external calibrators shall not be accepted.
4. Have user-selectable menu languages including English, French and Spanish.
5. Have a white, backlit matrix display indicating flow in user-selected engineering units, totalized flow, units of calibration, and signal strength.
6. Have display backlight brightness adjustment for reduced power consumption.
7. Have flow proportional 4-20mA output rated to maximum resistive load of 500 ohms.
8. Have a built-in 300,000 point data logger, USB output and connecting cables. Data logger shall support time and date-stamped logging and generate formatted flow reports including total, average, minimum, maximum and times of occurrence.
9. Include Windows software for data log retrieval, graphing and export.
10. Have automatic signal strength and signal confidence monitoring.
11. Have keypad adjustable minimum flow rate cutoff.
12. Shall include an external with CE/UL approved charger with 100-240VAC 50/60Hz input.
13. Shall include an internal NiMH rechargeable battery with minimum capacity for 18 hours continuous battery operation.
14. Have a battery status indicator with automatic low battery shut off and battery overcharge protection.
15. Have user-selectable "sleep mode" synchronized to data logger sample rate for reduced battery power consumption.

D. OPTIONAL FEATURES FOR INSERTION IN SPECIFICATION AS REQUIRED:

1. Include additional 150 g. manufacturer's recommended ultrasonic sensor coupling compound.
2. Include 50 ft (15 m) length Sensor Cable extension complete with connecting plugs.

E. MANUFACTURER

The instrument shall be a Model PTFM 1.0 Portable Transit Time Flow Meter as manufactured by Greyline Instruments Inc., and warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for one year.