Flow sensor hunt.... with a few interesting links.

[QuietIce]

The catch is the ±1% accuracy. Anybody can throw a few parts together and stick a price tag on it but making a reliable and accurate product is a whole different ballgame ...

 

[Propaganda]

What % of accuracy would be sufficient for industrial usages?

Well, I guess it depends on the application....

It's tough to believe that a entrepreneur (belonging to the OC/WC communities) did not see this opportunity and commission a solution under $40. I would jump on it and crunch some numbers but I do not have the starting capital for such a endeavor.

-

 

[Graystar]

I've seen the Laing DDC pump for sale on industry websites for 180 dollars.

None of these items are priced at the consumer level. If they were they all would be a third of the price...maybe even less. But, of course, there's no consumer market for flow meters.

Personally, I like rotameters. I don't need a meter reading on my computer screen if I can just look at the meter on the box. And put an LED behind one of those acrylic Omega ones and it would look really cool!

http://www.omega.com/Green/pdf/FL2000.pdf

I think the FL-2066 is the one to get.

 

[QuietIce]

It's tough to believe that a entrepreneur (belonging to the OC/WC communities) did not see this opportunity and commission a solution under $40. I would jump on it and crunch some numbers but I do not have the starting capital for such a endeavor.

If there was enough of a demand at the right selling price SVC, Petra's, Frozen CPU, or (insert your favorite store) would have already jumped on the bandwagon ...

 

[voigts]

If there was enough of a demand at the right selling price SVC, Petra's, Frozen CPU, or (insert your favorite store) would have already jumped on the bandwagon ...

I don't think that is necessarily the case. Most watercooling retail stores don't make anything. They simply resell. Danger Den is the notable exception to this. If Innovatek can make on in 1/4", I fail to understand why no one can seem to make one for 1/2".

 

[billb]

I use this:
http://www.freshwatersystems.com/c-61-flow-meters.aspx
I have it on a valved by-pass loop so the 3/8 isn't an issue. Not real accurate, about +/-0.1gpm. The housing can be removed and the readout remotely mounted on a 5-1/4 inch bay cover.

The DigiFlow 8000T incorporates a microprocessor control circuit and a magnetic turbine sensor to calculate the flow rate and flow volume. The DigiFlow 8000T can monitor a single filter by flow rate or flow volume, which can be programmed by the user. The user can program it to either display the real flow rate or volume, or count down from the programmed flow rate or volume and generate a sound alert when it reaches the end.
Features:

* User can program the DigiFlow
* Monitors a single filter
* Power source is two AAA alkaline batteries which last for more than two years
* Status is automatically memorized when power is off
* Mainly for residential and industrial water treatment application

Specifications:

* Capacity counters: 1
* Flow rate reading: Yes
* Capacity setting range: 100-9900 gallons
* Timing setting range: 30-720 days
* Flow rate range: 0.3-3.5 gpm
* Accuracy: +/-5%
* Connection: 3/8" NPT
* Working temperature: 40-100°F
* Working pressure: 8-100 psi
* Unit: Gallon
* Power: 3 VDC, 2 x AAA Battery
* End of capacity buzzer alert: Yes
* Dimension: 74 W x 70 H x 52 T

Recommended Parts:

* 3/8" Straight, Elbow, or Swivel Elbow Male Connector

 

[Propaganda]

I use this:
http://www.freshwatersystems.com/c-61-flow-meters.aspx
I have it on a valved by-pass loop so the 3/8 isn't an issue. Not real accurate, about +/-0.1gpm. The housing can be removed and the readout remotely mounted on a 5-1/4 inch bay cover.

The DigiFlow 8000T incorporates a microprocessor control circuit and a magnetic turbine sensor to calculate the flow rate and flow volume. The DigiFlow 8000T can monitor a single filter by flow rate or flow volume, which can be programmed by the user. The user can program it to either display the real flow rate or volume, or count down from the programmed flow rate or volume and generate a sound alert when it reaches the end.
Features:

* User can program the DigiFlow
* Monitors a single filter
* Power source is two AAA alkaline batteries which last for more than two years
* Status is automatically memorized when power is off
* Mainly for residential and industrial water treatment application

Specifications:

* Capacity counters: 1
* Flow rate reading: Yes
* Capacity setting range: 100-9900 gallons
* Timing setting range: 30-720 days
* Flow rate range: 0.3-3.5 gpm
* Accuracy: +/-5%
* Connection: 3/8" NPT
* Working temperature: 40-100°F
* Working pressure: 8-100 psi
* Unit: Gallon
* Power: 3 VDC, 2 x AAA Battery
* End of capacity buzzer alert: Yes
* Dimension: 74 W x 70 H x 52 T

Recommended Parts:

* 3/8" Straight, Elbow, or Swivel Elbow Male Connector

That's neet.

The best think I've found so far (for the price) is the Honeywell C7195A/B... Besides the Swissflow.

C7195A PDF

The problem with the Honeywell C7195A is that they don't really exist in the US from what I gathered from talking to a half dozen companies.

Here is one UK distributer...Catalog page.

"Honeywell C7195A- 1011 £ 14.00"

"1011" is for the wire out type.

Not a bad price.

Anyone from the UK that can call the # on the linked PDF for a price inquiry?

~Prop

 

[UmHelp]

check ebay for proteus flow switches. I got a Proteus 350C on ebay for 20 bucks. It may be an older model but for WCing purposes it works.

It used 1/2" NPT fittings.

http://proteusind.com/300/300_sensors1.html

I haven't figured out how to hook it up to any kind of external display to get a read out. If anyone knows how to do it i would greatly apreciate it . PM me or something.

 

[Propaganda]

Good deal... but ridiculously too large and expensive to buy new. EBay has two used for $20 atm.

 

[Graystar]

Anyone have any experience with this one?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=14681&N=2004+113778

Measures 50 to 250 GPH (0.83 to 4.1 GPM.) I'd like something that start at 0.25 GPM, but for 6 bucks this might be worth playing with.

 

[UmHelp]

:edited:

pretty cheap though and has 3/4in fittings if you got it would would have to get some comverters.

 

[QuietIce]

that is a really high flow rate. It probably wouldn't even read anything at all in a watercooling situation with a normal pump.

 

[Graystar]

that is a really high flow rate. It probably wouldn't even read anything at all in a watercooling situation with a normal pump. pretty cheap though and has 3/4in fittings if you got it would would have to get some comverters.

If you think 0.83 GPM is really high then may I suggest you upgrade your pump?

I've see garden hose->1/2" barb fittings. I wouldn't be surprised if Home Depot or Loews had them.

 

[UmHelp]

opps didnt see per hour. If it was 50-250 gpm then it would be different story. doh my bad

50-250gpm is alot and it would be hard to believe that that little plastic thing could actually handle that much volume. Maybe I should have thought about the numbers a bit more, even though I thought it was gpm logically those numbers would never hold up.

After actually reading the stats in depth:

Measuring Range: 50 to 250 gallons per hour
Maximum Pressure: 210 pounds per square inch
Temperature Range: 50° to 95°F (10° to 35°C)
Connection: PT 3/4" (standard piping thread) 3/4" flexible water hose/tubing
Aquarium Style: Fresh or Saltwater

It might be worth a try but the temp range seems a bit low, shouldn't be much of a problem though. For 6 bucks plus all the converters it would make for a good experiment.

 

[QuietIce]

35°C for water shouldn't be a problem - mine runs 26°C at most (ambient +~4). I thought it was a little low at first too but we're not talking CPU temps ...

 

[Pf.Farnsworth]

marci's post on the topic if of interest:

"Flow METERS or flow INDICATORS? Indicators visually show flow. Meters measure the flow and give readout via rpm cable.

Indicators - all out there restrict flow by up to 50%.
Meters - all restrict flow, the best restricting by around 5 to 10%.

Their use generally reduces performance. Swissflow SF800 is the only METER I'd ever recommend. Flow indicators - no good ones out there that I know of that don't shaft flowrates down the pan.

Basically, if using flowmeters or indicators, better to use 3/8" ID tubing. Inner jet of all flow meters and indicators out there is at best 8mm afaik, which is 2mm below 3/8" ID."

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=124854&highlight="flow+meter"

 

[Graystar]

Well I got one and played with it a bit. First, I'm astonished that my standard DDC+ recorded 130 GPH. Routing was simple:

1 ft hose > pump > 1 ft hose > flowmeter > 1 ft hose

130 GPH is 492 liters...just 8 liters off of the 500 liter per hour freeflow rate that is listed in the Laing documentation for the DDC+. That works out to 2.17 GPM.

What this all means is that the Friction Head for this flowmeter is tiny.

But it's not all good news. That said, 130 is just less than half of the range. I would get that you'd get very little indication if your flow is close to 1 GPM. I'm going to try to modify the float so that the full force of a DDC+ pushes it to the top of the meter. After that you just need to recalibrate the lines and it should be good.

This the cap at the top and the float.

Water goes up the outer tube and down the center tube.

This is the 3/8" X garden hose connector I got at Loews. It cost more than the friggin flowmeter!

 

[QuietIce]

Nice - you've convinced me! This will give me two meters so I have some kind of a cross-check ...