Meter Linearity Turbine Meter Perspective
The accuracy of turbine flow meter is expressed in term of linearity and repeatability.
Linearity of turbine flow meter means that the K factor (pulse/m3) isn’t too varied within
a specified range, for example at time A the K factors is 6000 pulse/m3 but at time B it
could be 6006 pulse/m3. This variation (deviation) is something that needs to be kept at
minimum variation. K factors it self is a pulse generated by a blade rotation in contact
with a pick-up coil.
Repeatability of turbine flow meter means that K factor (pulse/m3) is consistent within
a specified value for the same flow rate. The turbine flow meter manufacturer usually
has different way to present this linearity & repeatability term. Some of them specified
linearity & repeatability in form +/- ….% of the reading, some of them specified +/-
….% only. So how actually it should be presented and what is the physical meaning of
this linearity & repeatability?
The straight answer is, we can specify as below:
Linearity = x %
Repeatability = y%
Please take a note that the above linearity and repeatability doesn’t have +/- sign or x%
of reading, full scale etc. It just x% and y%, for example linearity = 0.5% and
repeatability = 0.02%.
Why it isn’t specified as +/- x% of reading, full scale etc? Cause the physical meaning
of the linearity and repeatability didn’t shows that +/-. We can know that reason from
the equation of the linearity and repeatability from a certain calibration data as below:
Linearity = (Maximum K factor – Minimum K factor) / Mean K factor * 100%
For example if we have the following calibration data:
K – Factor (pulse/m3) Flow Rate (m3/h)
5950 0
6006.5 2
6021.5 4
6019 6
6017 8
6015.5 10
6015.5 12
6016 14
6016 16
6016 18
6016 20
Then we could calculate the linearity as follow:
Max K factor = 6021.5
Min K factor = 6006.5
Mean K factor = ((6021.5-6006.5) /2 ) + 6006.5 = 6014
Linearity = (6021.5-6006.5)/6014*100% = 0.25%
Repeatability Calculation
Repeatability = (Maximum K factor – Minimum K factor) / Minimum K factor *
100%
Take a note that the maximum and minimum K factor for the repeatability is taken
from the number of run per flow rate range.
For example if we have the following calibration data:
First Run Second Run
K – FactorFlow K – FactorFlow
(pulse/m3)Rate (pulse/m3)Rate
(m3/h) (m3/h)
5950 0 5950 0
6007.7 2 6006.6 2
6022.7 4 6021.55 4
6020.2 6 6019.3 6
6018.2 8 6017.2 8
6016.7 10 6015.57 10
6016.7 12 6015.58 12
6017.2 14 6016.5 14
6017.2 16 6016.55 16
6017.2 18 6016.25 18
6017.2 20 6016.6 20
Then we could calculate the repeatability as follow:
Repeatability@2m3/h = (6007.7. – 6006.6)/6006.6 *100% = 0.02%
With the same method, we can get repeatability for all point (from 2m3/h to 20m3/h).
From above calculation example of linearity and repeatability, we can understand
that the linearity is doesn’t have relationship with the reading. For example, if we
say the linearity of turbine meter is +/- 0.25% of reading, what does it mean? Lets
say our reading is 10m3/h then at this reading the linearity is 0.25%*10m3/h = +/-
0.025 m3/h. While at 20 m3/h it will have 0.25%*20m3/h = +/- 0.05 m3/h. What is
the meaning of this???? No one can explain.
On the other hand if we use or specify the linearity as above (just x%) we could say
(for above example) that the meter error (or accuracy) is mean K factor – min K
factor = 6014 – 6006.5 = +/- 7.5 pulse/m3. If 6014 pulse is proportional to 1 m3, then
7.5 pulse is proportional to 7.5/6014 = 0.001247 m3. The meaning of this, if the
turbine meter reading is 10 m3/h then the error (or accuracy) is +/- 0.001247 m3. It’s
quite big difference from the one that specify linearity as +/- 0.25% of reading right?
So once again, we better specify clearly that the turbine meter linearity and or
repeatability is x% and y% only without any attribute (+/- of reading etc).
