Anyone can multitask when it’s easy. Doing it in hot, noisy, cramped, and other problematic and distracting locations is more difficult—and more valuable if accomplished. So, while it’s still logical to assume that measuring media like gases, liquids and steam requires multiple components, at least one new device can take on all of them.  

Emerson’s Flexim Fluxus 631 portable, non-intrusive, clamp-on, ultrasonic flowmeters provide flexible, precise and reliable measurement of liquids, gases and steam in a single platform. The five-model series performs quick, temporary, on-demand flow measurement without interrupting operations, and supports flowmeter and equipment verification, condition monitoring, leak detection and energy-performance analyses.

“Fluxus 631 gives users full flow transparency everywhere in their plants. They can configure, operate, monitor and control each line, and it doesn’t matter if they’re measuring gases, steam or liquids because this flowmeter can handle all of them,” says Eike Schwede, industry manager for Flexim at Emerson. “This is a big difference because 95% of regular, portable, clamp-on, ultrasonic flowmeters can only measure liquids, while previous meters that measure gases couldn’t measure steam.”

By eliminating measurement blind spots and avoiding unplanned downtime, Fluxus 631 series maintains operational continuity, lets users independently verify flow installations, and assess the performance of pumps, compressors and other equipment under actual operating conditions. This allows highly accurate flow measurements when permanent meters are unavailable, which increases maintenance and energy efficiency, and improves plant performance.

Fluxus 631’s flow measurement capabilities are presented via its simple, consistent, intuitive and quick-to-setup, human-machine interface (HMI), which includes a large, integrated display with installation graphics, live values and trend visualizations. Advanced compensation mechanisms enable accurate measurements in disturbed flows, and even in constrained installation conditions with limited, straight-pipe runs.

“Since they were introduced in 1990-91, clamp-on, ultrasonic flowmeters have pushed forward with new capabilities. Now, we’re extending them to measure high-temperature steam, up to 630 °C, which is approximately 1,166 °F,” explains Schwede. “We also worked with Germany’s national metrology institute, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), to research and implement computational flow dynamics (CFD) corrections in Fluxus 631, which enable flowmeter installations, even in very short inlet conditions.”

Different measuring principles combined with advanced electronics enable Fluxus 631 to make precise, repeatable measurements of diverse media types, such as low-pressure gases, liquids with entrained gas or solid contents, high-viscosity liquids, and saturated and high-temperature steam. Its integrated Dynamic Gas Meter feature also ensures reliable flow measurement despite varied gas compositions, and determines gas density and concentration without a chromatograph.

“If a user’s line has a double or single bend out of plane within 20 cm of a location that needs to be measured, the meter can apply corrections of the flow that will allow accurate measurements,” adds Schwede. “Likewise, reducing or extending lines can also impact readings, and CFD can address those conditions with corrections, and help read any oil and gas, water/wastewater or chemical flow in any location.”

Schwede reports Fluxus 631’s measurement and HMI functions are supported by its durability, which is exemplified by its IP65/67-rated enclosure, which is also NEMA 4X compliant. The series also offers dual measurement channels and fast update rates up to 20 milliseconds. Its networking options include Modbus RTU, digital and current outputs, and USB-C for data transfer and configuration. In addition, its high-capacity, lithium-ion battery enables more than 25 hours of autonomous operation, while its low-power mode extends operating time up to 80 days for long-term monitoring.

“Clamp-on, ultrasonic flowmeters typically need a lot of power to penetrate pipe walls, but Fluxus 631’s long-term mode lets it run for 80 days without being switched out,” adds Schwede. “This lets users come back later, collect its data, and recharge it. This isn’t something you can usually do in a refinery. In this case, it works more like a flowmeter in a water/wastewater plant that can be left in the field.

“This allows Fluxus 631 to gather all the information about a plant, and gain full transparency into its processes. Traditionally, many of these devices and measurements were inaccessible, and it was too costly to reach them anyway. Now they can. Users can get quick-shot measurements around their plant because Fluxus 631 only take 5 minutes to set up. Now, they can find out if pumps, compressors and heat exchangers are still working without having to cut a line.”

For more information, visit www.Emerson.com/FLUXUS631