Diesel flow meters can accurately monitor fuel consumption in fuel systems and fuel quantities in trade settlements. Diesel fuel flow measurement is of great significance for resource conservation and environmental protection. Turbine flow meters, gear flow meters, ultrasonic flow meters, and mass flow meters, etc., can all measure diesel flow.
This article will provide a detailed introduction to diesel flow measurement. We hope you find it helpful.
What is a Diesel Flow Meter
A diesel flow meter is a general term for all types of flow meters capable of measuring diesel flow. Diesel flow meters can display real-time fuel consumption data. It can control fuel consumption and the management of industrial processes.
Diesel Flow Meter Types and Working Principle
Sino-Inst offers various types of flow meters. such as turbine flow meters, gear flow meters, mass flow meters, and ultrasonic flow meters.
Turbine flow meters utilize the flow of fluid to drive the turbine to rotate. The rotational speed of the turbine is directly proportional to the fluid flow rate, and the flow rate is calculated by detecting the rotational speed of the turbine. Although turbine flow meters are more commonly used for measuring low-viscosity media. But they can also achieve good results when measuring medium-viscosity liquids such as diesel fuel. Our custom-made turbine flow meters can be used for diesel fuel flow measurement up to a maximum of 40 MPa.
Gear flow meters, also known as positive displacement flow meters. It measures flow by using two meshing gears that rotate under the influence of the fluid. The number of rotations of the gears is directly proportional to the volume of fluid passing through the flow meter, thereby enabling flow measurement. This flow meter is particularly suitable for measuring high-viscosity media.
Coriolis mass flowmeter
The Coriolis mass flowmeter directly measures the mass flow rate of the fluid. It calculates the flow rate by measuring the Coriolis force generated when the fluid flows through a vibrating tube. Although the Coriolis mass flowmeter has high accuracy, it is also expensive. It is suitable for applications requiring high precision, such as diesel trade settlement.
Diesel Flow Meter Applications
Diesel flow meters have a wide range of uses. Diesel has unique characteristics, such as high viscosity and is occasionally exposed to high-temperature and high-pressure environments. Common applications include:
Petroleum and Energy Industry
- Monitoring the flow of diesel in and out of storage tanks.
- Monitoring diesel consumption in diesel generator sets.
- Controlling the fuel supply flow to oil-fired boiler burners.
Industrial Process Control
- Monitoring the flow of diesel or diesel-based hydraulic oil in the hydraulic systems of construction machinery and metallurgical equipment.
- Measuring diesel flow in systems where precise blending of diesel with other fuels (e.g., biodiesel, natural gas) is required.
- Monitoring the flow of branch pipes in long-distance diesel pipelines or factory pipe racks.
Agricultural and Construction Machinery
In construction machinery hydraulic systems: Measuring the flow of diesel (or diesel-based hydraulic oil) in the hydraulic systems of excavators, loaders, and other equipment.
Petrochemical Production:
- Measuring diesel flow in refining and blending processes.
- Environmental Monitoring and Pollution Control
- Identifying leak risks through abnormal flow variations (such as zero flow or over-limit flow) in diesel storage or transportation pipelines.
- In wastewater treatment plant biogas generators, it monitors fuel flow in diesel start-stop systems or backup power supplies.
- In laboratory and research environments, it accurately measures diesel flow in combustion and fluid dynamics experiments to analyze combustion efficiency or flow characteristics.
- It is used as a flow measurement tool to verify the performance of new fuels such as biodiesel and synthetic fuels.
Other applications:
- It is used as a flow measurement device in diesel fuel dispensers at gas stations.
- In maritime transport, it monitors fuel consumption in real time on diesel-powered ships’ main and auxiliary engines.
Digital Diesel Flow Meters VS Mechanical Diesel Flow Meters
Digital diesel flow meters utilize electronic technology based on mechanical principles to measure flow. Among these, turbine flow meters and Coriolis mass flow meters convert flow signals into corresponding readable electronic signals via circuits. Digital flow meters can record instantaneous flow and cumulative flow. They can also transmit signals to secondary instruments for data analysis and storage.
Mechanical diesel flow meters operate based on the mechanical principles of fluid flow to measure flow rates. When fluid flows, the mechanical components move with the fluid, and by calculating parameters such as rotational speed, the flow rate of diesel can be precisely measured. For example, mechanical flow meters like oval gear flow meters and turbine flow meters cannot measure the flow rate of diesel with high impurity content, as this would cause wear on the mechanical components.
How to Choose a Perfect Diesel Flow Meter
Consider the following five aspects:
| Specific circumstances/requirements | Recommended flow meter type | |
| Measurement requirements | High-precision metering (e.g., trade settlement) | Coriolis flow meter or oval gear flow meter |
| General metering (e.g., oil storage) | Turbine flow meter or gear flow meter | |
| Diesel characteristics | High-viscosity diesel fuel | Oval gear or positive displacement flow meter |
| Diesel fuel with high impurity content | Install a filter or select a dirt-resistant flow meter | |
| Installation environment | Small-diameter pipes | Gear flow meter |
| Large-diameter pipes | Ultrasonic flow meter | |
| Budget and maintenance costs | Low budget | Turbine or gear flow meter |
| Long-term high-precision requirements | Coriolis flow meter | |
| safety considerations | High-pressure environments or potentially explosive environments | Customized high-pressure flow meters or explosion-proof flow meters |
Sino-Inst Featured Diesel Flow Meter
Diesel Flow Meter Customized Case
We provided a suitable measurement solution based on the parameters provided by the customer. If your application is similar, you can refer to it.
The customer plans to measure the diesel flow rate for trade. As shown in the figure below:
Based on the parameters provided by the user and the accuracy requirements, we recommended an oval gear flow meter. Oval gear flow meters do not require straight pipe sections before and after installation, making them more versatile.
Oval gear flow meter
- Pipe diameter: DN50
- Measuring range: 4–24 m³/h
- Shell material: cast iron
- Pressure resistance: 1.6 MPa
- Accuracy: 0.5%
- Connection method: flange
- Output: 4–20 mA
- Communication method: RS-485
- Display: LCD
- Power: 24 VDC
What is the unit of diesel flow rate?
Common units for diesel flow rate include volumetric flow and mass flow:
Volumetric flow units
Liters per hour (L/h), cubic meters per hour (m³/h), gallons per minute (gal/min)
Mass flow units
Kilograms per hour (kg/h), tons per hour (t/h)
What is a fuel flow meter for a diesel engine?
The selection of a fuel flow meter for a diesel engine depends on various parameters such as engine size, diesel viscosity, temperature, pressure, and flow range. Available options include turbine flow meters, mass flow meters, and gear flow meters.
Selecting the appropriate flow meter is a complex issue; it is recommended to consult a professional.
How do you check fuel flow?
The simplest method is to directly install a flow meter. Select the appropriate flow meter based on different operating conditions.
In summary, diesel fuel typically has viscosity. It may occasionally be exposed to high-temperature and high-pressure environments. Therefore, multiple parameters must be considered when selecting a flow meter.
Sino-Inst has over 20 years of experience in flow measurement. Our products are of high quality and reliability. We are a supplier of diesel flow meters from China. Our products offer excellent cost-effectiveness. Please contact us, and we will recommend a suitable measurement solution for you.
