Package from SwissFlow
 

I went to http://www.swissflow.com/ and used their online form to ask about getting a SF800 flow meter. This was on a Sunday. The next day they got back to me and asked what I was going to use it for. I replied and the next day they said they would send me a couple units to use. I asked if they had some BSP to NPT adapters and they did and threw them in as well which was excellent because BSP adapters are not easy to find around here.

I plan to use one on my test bench and the other I plan to do a review on and use it in a system build which will be an article or project log depending on how Joe has the new site setup.

I was actually surprised at how small it is. In the power point demonstration they e-mail me they say it can be installed in any position as well. The only drawback I see using it in a PC is the pressure drop.

Edit: Forgot to mention they shipped it on Oct. 5 via registered mail and I got it today. Would have been yesterday but mail service was shut down do to holiday. Not bad at all being shipped from the Netherlands.

Yeah, I found them a very helpful company too. And it works a treat in my PC.

Installed on my (drilled out) Aquatube res (and hooked to a fan header on the mobo):

http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL932...0/68986920.jpg

With a little Samurize magic, the l/min. flow displayed on my 5" TFT:

http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL932.../110812856.jpg

That looks good nexxo. I am going to hook mine in to my CrystalFontz CF633. Working on that right now. Trying to get my test bench operational with this new meter.

So any idea how to convert the SwissFlow readings to GPM or LPM? Do I leave the PPR on the CrystalFontz CF633 to 2? What math do I do to get a usable number?

6000 pulses = 1 L
so 100 Hz = 100 pulses/sec = 1 LPM , 200 Hz = 2 LPM, etc.

Excuse my complete ignorance but what is the value that the CF633 is showing me? Right now it reads 15350 with the PPR set to 2. What is the 15350 value? For a fan it would be RPM but I have no idea what it means with this meter.

If ratio = 1 then 15530=15530 pulses/minute -> 255 pulses/sec which is equal to 255Hz so flowrate = 2.55 LPM .

I don't know what PPR is but I assume PPR is ratio, isn't it? For fans, ratio is typically=2 (2 pulses per rev). If ratio=2 then real frequency is 255*2 so flowrate will be 5.10 LPM. Leave ratio=1 if you can, it's easier to calculate in mind.

Yes, I believe PPR is pulses per rev. Standard PPR for fans seems to be 2. So I guess this meter should be 1. That is certainly good news but still not what I was hoping for. This means that meter is very restrictive. That is 1.34GPM. I was getting 2GPM with the same block with the other flow meter with a lot more piping. Damn....

Thanks for your help!

The Swissflow IS very restrictive ! I can't go above ~450L/H with an AQX150 or 2 D5 in series when Swissflow is in the measurement loop (but 450L/h are enough anyway for tests)... Here's my measurement about its pressure drop :

http://membres.lycos.fr/roscool/forum/pdc_swiss.png

At least you have a good reading!

I just hooked up my other flowmeter to verify the math was right and it sure it. Both read 2.4GPM.

EDIT: Just to note the 2.4GPM reading was taken by taking the water block out of the loop and adding the other flow meter in the blocks place. That's why the GPM is higher than the previous 1.34GPM reading.

If the PPR = 1 and the reading is 15530 pulses/min then simply dividing 15530 by 6000 gives you 2.58lpm

setting the PPR to 6 in CF633 , should give you 2588
divide it by 1000, and there you go... 2.588lpm

or you can use Samurai like Nexxo(CF633 software works with MBM5, so it works with Samurai too) , and set it to "use thousand separators" as well.

on a side note, my SF800 is hooked up to a mobo fan header... and I'm using Fan Type /3 in MBM5... in case you'd like to give it a try...

[EDIT:] edited the values [/EDIT]

It was reading 15530 with PPR at 2. So it was 31060 set at 1. I don't have the CF633 hooked up to a computer so I can't use a mobo fan header. I have an old AT power supply giving it power with the USB cable plugged into my laptop with the CF633 wintest software running.

Today I got a system pretty much worked out. I will use 30,000 (5LPM), 24,000 (4LPM), 18,000 (3LPM), 12,000 (2LPM), 6000 (1LPM), and 3000 (.5LPM). Basically just adding 6000 at a time. For less restrictive blocks I will add 6000 at a time etc... That way I don't need to calculate anything.

I ran the MP05-SP #2 nozzle today just to get a feel for my current setup. I hooked the CF633 sensors back up and didn't use the Cole Parmer unit. I now remember why I gave up on the CF633 Dow sensors. :D. They are not bad at all but I don't like the resolution or response time for testing.

So I am going to build a new die sim with what I have and make due with the Cole Parmer YSI probes until I can afford some RTD's or small TC's and go the route Incoherent is taking.

I still have not received my Foxboro 823DP meter yet and will have to plump it into the loop and figure out how to get a reading off of it when it gets here.

All and all things are coming together. With any luck Joe will have the site upgraded by the time I am ready to start official testing. :)

Jayde, are you able to get a reading from the Swissflow at this flowrate?

I had difficulties with anything below ~0.8lpm, one of the reasons (along with restrictivity and inaccuracy, note that this was a different version with barbed ends, not the one you've got) that I stopped using it and went to my own calculation of flowrate using water temp delta, Cp. And that has it's own issues, namely resolution at high flowrates.

Yeah it works fine at .5lpm. That is the bottom end of the official specs though. It seemed to work fine lower than that aswell but I am going to stay within the official spec range with my testing results.