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One of the limitations of turbine flow meters is the fact that they have to be used only with clean, low-
viscosity, non-corrosive fluids. Generally, it is common practice to install a strainer upstream to a turbine
flow meter for protection against particulates.

Turbine flow meters have the ability to measure wide range of flows. Turndown ratio for turbine flow
meters (i.e. the ratio maximum flow / minimum flow that can be measured) can reach values up to 30:1
or even bigger, with good accuracy. Typical error levels can be as low as +- 0.5% of measured flow rate.
Accuracy flow measurement is maximized when operating under a turbulent flow profile (high Reynolds
number, typically bigger than 10,000).

Advantages of turbine flow meter

 Simple, durable structure

 Easy to install and maintain
 Turbine meters are able to operate under a wide range of temperatures and pressures
 Low pressure drop across the flow meter
 Most effective in applications with steady, high-speed flows

Disadvantages of turbine flow meters

 Require constant backpressure in order to avoid cavitation

 Accuracy adversely affected by bubbles in liquids
 Sensitive to changes in fluid viscosity
 A straight run of pipe upstream and downstream the turbine meter needs to be installed to
allow homogenisation of the flow pattern
 Significant bearing wear is another drawback of turbine flow meters. Some manufacturers have
developed a ''bearingless design'' in order to resolve this problem

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Turbine Meter Advantages

o Wide flow rangeability including low flow rates
o Turndown ratio is up to 35:1
o Good level of accuracy at an economic price
o Simple, durable construction
o Easy to install and maintain
o Flexible connection to flow instruments for flow control
o Wide variety of process connections
 o Turbine meters can operate over a wide range of temperatures and pressures
o Low pressure drop across the turbine
o Provides a convenient signal output

Turbine Meter Limitations

o Requires constant backpressure to prevent cavitation
o Accuracy adversely affected by bubbles in liquids
o Turbine meters can be used with clean liquids and gases only (may need to install a
strainer upstream to prevent damage from particulates)
o Not applicable for measuring corrosive fluids
o Requires a turbulent flow profile (consistent fluid velocity across the pipe diameter) for
accuracy
o Sensitive to changes in fluid viscosity
o Require a straight run of pipe before and after the turbine meter to allow swirl patterns
in the flow stream to dissipate
o May not function properly with high viscosity fluids where the flow profile is laminar

Turbine meters operate most effectively in applications with steady, high-speed flows.

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The advantages of turbine flow meters are given below:

 Simple well understood technology

 Suitable for gases and liquids
 Good performance
 Relatively wide operational envelope
 Low cost
 Easy to install and operate

The following are the drawbacks of turbine flow meters:

 Require clean fluids

 Installation must be done carefully to avoid errors
 Problems due to cavitations
 Accuracy is affected by bearing degradation
 Errors caused by viscosity changes
 Require frequent calibration checks

Applications of Turbine Flow Meters

Turbine flow meters find use in monitoring of clean liquid flows in chemical, petroleum and water
industries. The custody transfer of hydrocarbons is one of the petroleum applications of turbine flow
meters. In the water industry, turbine flow meters are used in distribution systems between and within
water districts. Turbine flow meters are also employed in the food and beverage industries.
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Application Cautions for Turbine Flowmeters

Turbine flowmeters are less accurate at low flow rates due to rotor/bearing drag that slows the rotor.
Make sure to operate these flowmeters above approximately 5 percent of maximum flow. Turbine
flowmeters should not be operated at high velocity because premature bearing wear and/or damage
can occur. Be careful when measuring fluids that are non-lubricating because bearing wear can cause
the flowmeter become inaccurate and fail. In some applications, bearing replacement may need to be
performed routinely and increase maintenance costs. Application in dirty fluids should generally be
avoided so as to reduce the possibility of flowmeter wear and bearing damage. In summary, turbine
flowmeters have moving parts that are subject to degradation with time and use.

Abrupt transitions from gas flow to liquid flow should be avoided because they can mechanically stress
the flowmeter, degrade accuracy, and/or damage the flowmeter. These conditions generally occur when
filling the pipe and under slug flow conditions. Two-phase flow conditions can also cause turbine
flowmeters to measure inaccurately.

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