The Permaflow® is a fixed, clamp-on, ultrasonic transit time flow and heat meter that is non-invasive for measuring the flow rates of liquids containing less than 10% of gas/solid contents. It is mains powered, designed for 24/7 monitoring and is accurate to +/- 0.5% of measured value under ideal conditions.
P/N: 3578010-FLOW
CAGE Code: KD983 – COLTRACO LIMITED
The Permaflow® fixed ultrasonic transit time flow meter has been tested and calibrated at an ISO 17025 laboratory, capable of meeting accuracies of +/- 0.5% of the true flow rate. We strive to offer the highest quality instruments, built with exceptional quality materials in the UK and remain competitively priced in the market worldwide through our unique R&D position.
The different types of flow measured by the Permaflow are:
All measured values can be individually totalised giving you the total flow rate that has been measured during a particular measurement session.
The system accepts PT100 thermometer inputs, allowing temperature of your liquid to be monitored simultaneously. Two PT100 thermometers can be installed in order to monitor supply and return temperatures, commonly used in heating and chilling efficiency calculations. The system displays the measurements in various measurement units (metric and imperial options available), such as litres per hour (l/h) and gallons per minute (gpm) for flow rate, kilowatt hour (kWh) and British Thermal Unit (BTU) for energy and heat quantity.
The system is built with modular I/O modules, with a range of different options available, allowing you to choose only what you need to save you cost and money. It comes with USB and RS232 as standard for serial communications and 16MB internal memory that is capable of logging over 90,000 measurements. It is capable of saving measurements internally, to be exported later to a PC, or data stream directly from the system to the PC. To help to achieve reliable measurements, the system comes with built-in oscilloscope for signal diagnostics that assists you in performing a reliable measurement as part of the setting up process.
Some of the key advantages of Permaflow® over our competitors:
BUILD QUALITY: Our ultrasonic flow sensors are made using a special composite material to optimise ultrasound transmission.
BUILT-IN OSCILLOSCOPE: All units come with built-in oscilloscope for signal diagnostics that assists you in performing a reliable measurement as part of the setting up process
PT100 THERMOMETER INPUTS: It has a unique ability to incorporate PT100 thermometer inputs so heat quantity measurement can be monitored alongside volumetric flow rates.
HEAT-METERING CAPABILITIES: Due to its PT100 thermometer input integration, when Permaflow® is installed in heat networks or buildings for example, it is able to help comply with regulations by recording heated or chilled water flow rates, supply and return temperatures and calculate the thermal energy involved in heating and cooling the fluid to give an idea of energy consumption (for example in kWh or BTU units etc.)
DATALOGGING & COMMUNICATIONS READY: Connection to PC is available as standard using both built-in USB and RS232, all measurements can be logged in its 16 MB built-in memory
ISO 17025 CALIBRATION: Option to include ISO 17025 calibration certificate to verify the accuracy of your unit, we work closely with an established ISO 17025 flow laboratory in the UK to ensure our equipment meets your requirements
Some of our main specifications (please see technical specifications below for full breakdown):
Main benefits of choosing non-invasive ultrasonic transit time technology over inline flow measurement technology:
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| Pipe Diameter Range | Standard Sensor (Model No. DM10): |
| Liquid Types | Most clean liquids with gas/solids less than 10% volume (built-in database over 19+ liquids) |
| Accuracy | +/- 0.5% of measured value under ideal conditions |
| Flow Velocity | 0.01m/s – 25 m/s |
| Resolution | 0.25 mm/s |
| Repeatability | 0.15% of measured value |
| Turn Down Ratio | 1/100 |
| Measurement Rate | 1 Hz as standard |
| Measurement Units | Flow Velocity (m/s), Volumetric Flow Rate, Mass Flow Rate, Energy Flow Rate / Heat Quantity, Volume, Mass, Energy – also suitable for heat metering applications |
| Display | Full 240 x 160 pixel graphics with backlight |
| Additional Features | Signal oscilloscope for sensor positing and diagnostics |
| Datalogging and Communication |
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| Optional Plug-in Modules |
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| Power Supply | 2V – 36V DC configurations at 10W, DC PSU supplied as standard (suitable for mains AC power 100V – 240V) |
| Operating Temperature |
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| IP Rating |
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| Sensor Dimensions |
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| Sensor Material |
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| Cable Length | 3.0m as standard (additional lengths available upon request) |
| Certifications | CE, Coltraco is ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001 approved |
| Warranty |
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The Permaflow® works on a variety of different fluid types, as long as the speed of sound in the fluid is known. There is a built-in database of over 19+ fluids ranging from: water, sea water, kerosene, petrol, fuel oil, crude oil, Freon R134a, Freon R22, diesel oil, castor oil, F-76 fuel oil, Novec™ 1230, glycol/water, etc. There is an option to input custom fluid types as long as you know the speed of sound in the fluid – this can be found from online databases The Permaflow® will also work on a variety of pipe material, as long as the speed of sound in the pipe material is known. There is a built-in database of over 12+ pipe material ranging from: carbon steel, stainless steel 304, stainless steel 316, cast iron, ductile iron, copper, PVC, lead, nylon, PE, aluminium, asbestos, fibre glass, etc. There is an option to input custom pipe materials as long as you know the speed of sound in the pipe material – this can be found from online databases
The Permaflow® will work on pipes ranging from DN15 – DN2500 (1/2” – 98”). It is recommended that you notify us with the range of pipes you will be testing so we can allocate the appropriate sensor type for your application The Standard Sensors (Model No. DM10) will work from DN15 – DN700 (1/2” – 27”) The Large Sensors (Model No. DS10) will work from DN25 – DN2500 (1” – 28”)
The Permaflow® has 16MB of internal storage and it is capable of storing about 90,000 measurements. This is roughly equivalent to storing one measurement every second for just over one full day The logging interval can be set between 1 and 255 seconds Once the internal memory is full, the logging process continues but will begin replacing the oldest measurement first At its longest logging interval i.e. 255 seconds, the internal storage will be full in about 9 months before it will begin replacing the oldest measurement
Internal saved data can be transferred to a PC using the supplied USB cable and a serial terminal software. There are a range of different serial terminal software available online and Coltraco are able to recommend a few options if you are unfamiliar with this The Permaflow® is capable of transferring data directly to a PC via the USB port. Data can be streamed out of the Permaflow® using a serial terminal software which is freely available online
The Permaflow®The Permaflow® is capable of measuring energy consumption by monitoring the temperature of your fluid and measuring the flow rate of the fluid. The PT100 thermometer integration capability of the Permaflow® enables you to monitor the supply and return temperatures, together with the volumetric flow rate to calculate energy consumption. The values can be displayed in suitable units such as kilowatt-hour (kWh) and British Thermal Units (BTU). These data can be logged internally and downloaded to a PC. There are also other communication options available such as 4 – 20 mA, that can be customised to suit your requirements.
The accuracy and reliability of the Permaflow®’s flow measurement is dependent on your flow profile and how full the pipe is with your fluid To achieve maximum accuracy and reliability, the pipe needs to be full with the fluid during measurement The Permaflow® will work in fluids with up to 10% of gas or solid content. If your fluid contains a larger amount of solid content, a Doppler ultrasonic flow meter may be more suited for the application
If the paint layer is thin and in good condition, the Permaflow® will work well on the painted surface If the surface of the pipe is corroded, or the paint layer is thick, it is generally recommended to remove the paint layer before measurement is taken
The Permaflow® clamps on the pipe and and is non-invasive which means there are no installation costs such as drilling into pipes and no downtime to the pipe network is present As there is no contact with the fluid being measured, there is no risk of pressure loss throughout your pipe network As with above, the fluid cannot damage the flowmeter, which could contribute to a longer lifespan and lower maintenance cost compared to inline flowmeters which are in contact with the fluid and risk being damaged by the pressurised flowing fluid
