Low cost flow meter?

[Dunno]

Had an idea while reading this...
Typed Bicycle speedometer into Google and the first site I found was:

THIS!

Which leaves me with nothing more to say!
Except maybe put a small one in a cowling; For the really un-imaginative.

What you-all think?

[jaydee]

I have been trying to get more info on the SwiddFlow800 for months now. They never answer e-mails. Can't find a USA distributor either.

[starbuck3733t]

a friend of mine is working on this:

http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/showthre...ight=flowmeter

The paddle design is available in 1/2" and 1/4" barbed units. He's working on the support electronics (nothing complex) and a board to handle 4 meters at a time. while it doesn't have the fancy-fancy calibration of the swissflow (which if it was 20 euros each I'd be all over it - I need 4 or 5 of them and can't justify 250 euro for it!)

Anyway , check out the specs on the swissflow SF800: http://www.swissflow.com/html/800_5.htm

Originally Posted by Read the link!

liquid type*** : clear or translucent liquids capable
of transmitting IR light

so no paddle or moving parts - all done optically. I wish I knew how the hell they did it.

[Arivaldo]

Originally Posted by swissflow

The basis for the SwissFlow liquid flow sensors is a unique, patented technology. A lightweight rotor is placed in a housing with a special geometry. The radial liquid flow caused by the rotor-housing makes
the rotor float. In this condition there is virtually no mechanical resistance, which ensures a long lifetime, a high accuracy and linearity. The 3 vane rotor interrupts an infrared signal that is generated on the integrated electronics and is converted into a pulse output signal. The materials used are 316 Stainless Steel and Vectra for the rotor; this special plastic has been selected for its excellent chemical and thermal resistance. Application in almost any food and non-food is possible with these materials. The electronics are SMD technology, ensuring low power usage and high reliability.

http://www.swissflow.com/html/swissflow_1500_model.htm

SF800 - Normal 0,3 - 20 ltr/min.
flow range* : 0,3 – 20 liter/min
accuracy : ± 1.00 %
output : 100 to 2000 Hz;
square wave on – off
sensitivity K : aprox. 6000 pulses
temperature range : -20°C to 90°C
operating pressure : 16 bar
max. pressure : 40 bar at 20°C
excitation : 5 to 24 VDC, 12 to 24 mA
power consumption : 12 – 36 mA
liquid type*** : clear or translucent liquids capable of transmitting IR light
liquids : water, chemicals, oil (up to 1000 Cst) etc.
process connections : 3/8” hose barb; 3/8”BSP Male
electrical termination’s : 3-wire flat cable sealed in housing, 15 cm
wetted parts : PVDF, Vectra and Viton or EPDM


-----

[Razor6]

I think some experimentation with optical mice is in order.

[nexxo]

Originally Posted by starbuck3733t

Anyway , check out the specs on the swissflow SF800: http://www.swissflow.com/html/800_5.htm

so no paddle or moving parts - all done optically. I wish I knew how the hell they did it.

As Arrivaldo states, it does have one moving part --a simple impellor-- which interrupts the IR light beam when spinning. The impellor is suspended in the chamber in such a manner that, when there is flow, it floats in the liquid and spins in place. The inside of the chamber has channeling fins causing a small vortex in the liquid, that keeps the impellor centred right in the middle of the chamber. As such while spinning there is no physical contact between the impellor and the chamber, so no friction and no wear or tear.

[JSimmons]

Originally Posted by jaydee116

I have been trying to get more info on the SwiddFlow800 for months now. They never answer e-mails. Can't find a USA distributor either.

This info was good as of October 2004:

SwissFlow UK Rep:

Dave Pleasants
david@dap-uk.freeserve.co.uk
Tel:+44 115 9413 878
Fax:+44 115 8457525

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by JSimmons

This info was good as of October 2004:

SwissFlow UK Rep:

Dave Pleasants
david@dap-uk.freeserve.co.uk
Tel:+44 115 9413 878
Fax:+44 115 8457525

:shrug: I gave up on it. If there is no US distributors then I am not going to bother anyway.

[nexxo]

The UK distributor was useless. I just spoke straight to the company in Holland.

BTW as it simply connects to a mobo fan connector, it returns a value to MBM, and hence, to Samurize (see top left crescent: three temps, and the white needle is flow: 1.7 l/min):



Nice, huh?

[Dave]

^ Sweet, where did you get this app?

It is just what I am looking for !

Dave

[MadHacker]

Originally Posted by Dave

^ Sweet, where did you get this app?

It is just what I am looking for !

Dave

this is Samurize
it itself doesn't do HW monitoring but useing values from programs such as motherboad monitor

Samurize is just a nice GUI skin to show stats of your system

[Dave]

Yes, but it seems adaptable so we can do an RPM to Flow conversion.

I will email them about some kind of license, link or something.

[MadHacker]

the values are being pulled out of Motherboard Monitor(MBM)
that is where the actual data processing is done...
unfortunatly MBM is no longer being supported

[Little Erve]

I can't see why a pressure sensor with a Y-piece wouldn't work.

[MadHacker]

Originally Posted by Little Erve

I can't see why a pressure sensor with a Y-piece wouldn't work.

I think it would be hard to calibrate from system to system..

[Marci]

Definitely love the idea.... currently using the mCubed flowmeters and they themselves cripple flow. An alternative that'd work with the same hardware would be invaluable...

[nexxo]

Originally Posted by Dave

Yes, but it seems adaptable so we can do an RPM to Flow conversion.

I will email them about some kind of license, link or something.

It's simple. The SF800 produces a 100Hz signal per litre per minute flow. So interpreted as an RPM value by the mobo, and by MBM, it produces 6000 RPM per litre flow. In MBM you can divide the RPM value by 6. You then get, effectively, ml per minute flow. You just display this in Samurize using the 1000 decimal dot. Presto.

[Rezistor]

This is a Proteus Industries 200 Series flow meter . The spinning impeller contains magnets at the tips, which generate a current in the coil that is located in the housing of the meter, separated from the chamber. The current, generated in the coil by the Hall effect, is directly proportional to the rotational speed of the impeller, thus being linearly indicative of the flow through the meter. The second half of the flow meter contains all the electronics that interpret the current and convert it to a 0-5VDC analog output. It also contains a relay with an adjustable trip point.

I connected the Red Lion DC voltmeter to read the analog output from the flow meter. Also, this model of the meter can be set to scale the readout, and this is how I calibrated the meter to display 100 under normal circamstances. The buzzer is connected externally and is activated when the relay inside the flow meter senses flow that is below a set point.

The flow meter is able to output analog voltage signal that is proportional (very linearly) to the flow, and I have calibrated the panel meter to show 100, as in 100 percent, under normal conditions. I can adjust the voltage supplied to the pump through a pot, and the meter mirrors the reduced flow quite nicely, bottoming out at 36%, at which point the relay inside the flow meter trips off another relay that is connected to a loud buzzer, giving a nice warning signal.

[jaydee]

[quote=Rezistor]

This is a Proteus Industries 200 Series flow meter
Looks nice, but they want $250+ for it... Not exactly low cost.

[Rezistor]

[quote=jaydee]

Originally Posted by Rezistor

This is a Proteus Industries 200 Series flow meter
Looks nice, but they want $250+ for it... Not exactly low cost.

Ebay hooked me up with this one. I do agree wholeheartedly about the MSRP, the only explanation I can come up with that could start to explain the excessive price is the original intent for industrial application, along with the installation, callibration, maintenance, and tech support. But honestly, building the circuit board inside probably won't cost more than $20, and milling out a piece of 1/2" thick plastic should be even cheaper.

[jaydee]

[quote=Rezistor]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Ebay hooked me up with this one. I do agree wholeheartedly about the MSRP, the only explanation I can come up with that could start to explain the excessive price is the original intent for industrial application, along with the installation, callibration, maintenance, and tech support. But honestly, building the circuit board inside probably won't cost more than $20, and milling out a piece of 1/2" thick plastic should be even cheaper.

Yeah, it is an interesting idea. I would probably use delrin or even brass for the housing. I like the idea of seeing the flow aswell.

[Rezistor]

[quote=jaydee]

Originally Posted by Rezistor

brass for the housing

I've got Proteus 100 Series flow meter with brass housing, and I would not recommend a brass housing for computer use. It weighs 2 pounds! It needs some serious support, you can't just let it hang on the hose, it'll put immense stress on the barb that's attached to that piece of hose.

[jaydee]

[quote=Rezistor]

Originally Posted by jaydee

I've got Proteus 100 Series flow meter with brass housing, and I would not recommend a brass housing for computer use. It weighs 2 pounds! It needs some serious support, you can't just let it hang on the hose, it'll put immense stress on the barb that's attached to that piece of hose.

2 pounds of brass shouldn't be needed for this application. :shrug: IMO the meter should be as small as possible to fit in all cases not just monster cases. It should be no larger than 2" x 2" x 1.5" thick and preferably smaller. Shouldn't weigh more than 1/2 pound. Delrin would probably be the thing to use. Anything larger than a MCP350 pump would be to big and take up to much room in mid to small cases. If they want to sell a lot of these then they need to make them fit in as many variety of cases possible. Seeing the flow isn't necessary either but would be nice.

[Marci]

And as for that link to wizd forums... ( http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/showthre...ight=flowmeter )

What he's trying to do has already been done and is commercially available already at low cost... and has been for... er... about 4 years I think (as long as the Innovatek Rev3 waterblock hsa been in existence) - See http://www.webshop-innovatek.de/0000...3e0eac52f.html

They also do this one - http://www.webshop-innovatek.de/0000...3b0dc5e17.html
and this one - http://www.webshop-innovatek.de/0000...3e0e2802b.html

All in the region of 20 euros... ish... and all can be gotten in the US from http://www.highspeedpc.com/

[Jag]

Jaydee,

Don't know if you gave up on the idea of buying a Swissflow flowmeter or not, but Elfa (www.elfa.se), a European distributor sells it.
As for the shipping costs, it's the same story as when i want to buy something from the U.S.