What's the Right Flow Technology for Your Application?

Need help figuring out which flow measurement instrumentation to use in your process? Start with the reference charts below.
Depending on your application, there may be more than one technology for you.

| Rating Technology for Media Types | Comparing Specifications Side by Side |

Key
Excellent. Recommended. Excellent! Recommended Works, but Other Technologies are Better Fair. Works, but others are better. Poor! Do not use. Poor. Do not use.

Rating Technology for Media Types

Media Properties Clean Liquid Dirty Liquid Viscous Liquid Corrosives Slurries Clean Gas Dirty Gas Steam Cryogenics
Coriolis Flowmeter Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Fair Fair Fair Fair
DP Mass Flowmeter Excellent Excellent Excellent Fair Fair Excellent Excellent Excellent Poor. Do Not Use.
DP Orifice Plate Excellent Fair Fair Excellent Poor. Do Not Use. Excellent Fair Excellent Excellent
DP Pitot Tube Excellent Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use. Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Excellent Fair Excellent Poor. Do Not Use.
DP Wedge Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Poor. Do Not Use.
DP Venturi Excellent Excellent Fair Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Fair Fair Excellent Poor. Do Not Use.
Fluidic Oscillatory Excellent Fair Excellent Fair Excellent Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use. Excellent
Magnetic Flowmeter Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use.
Paddlewheel Excellent Poor. Do Not Use. Fair Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Fair Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use.
Positive Displacement Excellent Excellent Excellent Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Excellent Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Fair
Rotameter Excellent Poor. Do Not Use. Fair Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Excellent Poor. Do Not Use. Fair Poor. Do Not Use.
Thermal Dispersion Excellent Fair Fair Fair Fair Excellent Excellent Poor. Do Not Use. Fair
Turbine Flowmeter Excellent Poor. Do Not Use. Fair Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Excellent Fair Excellent Fair
V-Notch Excellent Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Fair Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use.
Vortex Flowmeter Excellent Fair Fair Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Excellent Fair Excellent Poor. Do Not Use.
Weir Excellent Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Fair Fair Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use. Poor. Do Not Use.
Key
H High M Medium L Low

Comparing Specifications Side by Side

Technology/Spec. Turndown Ratio Sizes Accuracy
(%FS)		 Repeatability
(%)		 Upstream Pipe
Diameter		 Permanent
PSI Drop		 Relative Cost
Coriolis Flowmeter 25:1 0.1-6" 0.15% 0.1% 0 L H
DP Mass Flowmeter 40:1 -- 0.1% 0.1% -- -- H
DP Orifice Plate 4:1 >1" 1% 0.1% 10-30 H L
DP Pitot Tube 4:1 0.5-72" 0.75% 0.1% 10 L L
DP Venturi 10:1 0.5-72" 1% 0.1% 10 M L
DP Wedge 10:1 0.5-30" 3% 0.5% 12 H H
Fluidic Oscillatory 15:1 1-3" 1.5% 0.2% 10 L H
Magnetic Flowmeter 10:1 >0.1" 0.5% 0.2% 5 L M
Paddlewheel 3:1 0.1-1.5" 2.5% 1% 0 H L
Positive Displacement 20:1 0.5-6" 1% 0.3% 0 H M
Rotameter 5:1 0.2-3" 4-8% 2% 0 M L
Thermal Dispersion 100:1 0.2-72" 0.5% 0.2% 10 L H
Turbine Flowmeter 10:1
50:1		 >0.25" 0.5% 0.1% 10-20 H H
V-Notch 300:1 -- 2-5% 2% 4H 0 L
Vortex Flowmeter H >1" 1% 0.2% 20-30 M L
Wier 300:1 -- 2-5% 2% 4H 0 L

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If you're still not sure what technology to use for flow, Call Lesman at (800)953-7626 to schedule a visit with our application specialist.