Positive Displacement Flowmeter Principle

How Positive Displacement Flowmeters Work

Positive displacement flowmeter technology is the only flow measurement technology that directly measures the volume of the fluid passing through the flowmeter. Positive displacement flowmeters achieve this by repeatedly entrapping fluid in order to measure its flow. This process can be thought of as repeatedly filling a bucket with fluid before dumping the contents downstream. The number of times that the bucket is filled and emptied is indicative of the flow through the flowmeter. Many positive displacement flowmeter geometries are available.

Entrapment is usually accomplished using rotating parts that form moving seals between each other and/or the flowmeter body. In most designs, the rotating parts have tight tolerances so these seals can prevent fluid from going through the flowmeter without being measured (slippage). In some positive displacement flowmeter designs, bearings are used to support the rotating parts. Rotation can be sensed mechanically or by detecting the movement of a rotating part. When more fluid is flowing, the rotating parts turn proportionally faster. The transmitter processes the signal generated by the rotation to determine the flow of the fluid. Some positive displacement flowmeters have mechanical registers that show the total flow on a local display. Other positive displacement flowmeters output pulses that can be used by a secondary electronic device to determine the flow rate.