Ultrasonic Flow Sensor / Flow Meter Performance

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1.What is the reading accuracy (RD) of XY-TEK flow sensors / flow meters?
CG series and CM series clamp-on flow sensors / flow meters can achieve ±3% reading accuracy.
CS series and CPD series clamp-on flow sensors / flow meters can achieve ±2% reading accuracy.
TPD series in-line flow sensors / flow meters can achieve ±2% reading accuracy.
TGU series micro flow sensors / flow meters can achieve ±1% reading accuracy.
2.What is the repeatability accuracy of XY-TEK flow sensor / flow meters?
CS series, CPD series, TPD series, and TGU series flow sensors can achieve ±0.1% repeatability accuracy (Full Scale).
3.How does liquid temperature variation affect the flow rate measurement accuracy of CG, CM, and CPD series clamp-on flow sensors / flow meters?
Medium temperature variation affects the measurement accuracy of flow sensors, and the specific impact depends on the situation.
When the liquid temperature differs from the liquid temperature used during the flow sensor's factory calibration by within ±3°C, it does not affect the sensor's accuracy.
However, if the temperature change exceeds ±3°C, there will be some accuracy deviation, and the extent of deviation depends on the magnitude of the temperature change. The accuracy deviation can be compensated by adjusting the K-factor.
4.How does liquid temperature variation affect the accuracy of the TGU series flow sensors?
The accuracy of TGU flow sensors/flow meter is not affected by medium temperature variations.
5. What is the impact of liquid temperature changes on the accuracy of TPD/TPK in-line flow sensors / flow meters?
Temperature changes will affect the TPD/TPK in-line flow sensors / flow meters measurement accuracy. The degree of impact must be evaluated through testing based on the magnitude of the temperature change.
6. Is the measurement accuracy of an ultrasonic flow sensor / flow meter only valid if zero calibration (Set calibration point 0) is performed at the same medium temperature as the measurement?
Ideally, performing zero calibration at the customer’s measurement site—under the actual operating environment and medium temperature—achieves the highest measurement accuracy.
7. When should zero calibration (Set calibration point 0) be performed?
At the customer’s measurement site, after installing the flow sensor / flow meter into the system flow path and fixing its position, fill the tubing with liquid and make sure no air bubbles in the tubing. When the liquid is stationary (no flow), if the sensor output is not fluctuating around zero and the deviation is large, perform zero calibration to improve measurement accuracy.
8. During the service life of XY-TEK ultrasonic flow sensors / flow meters (with constant ambient temperature, humidity, and pressure), does the specified measurement error remain constant, or does it fluctuate randomly within the specified limits during operation?
Under ideal conditions (constant temperature, humidity, and pressure), the flow sensor measurement error may still exhibit small random fluctuations, mainly due to sensor zero drift. For clamp-on flow sensors / flow meters, the zero point may drift after reinstallation, but repeatability will not be affected.
9. When using a peristaltic pump, pulsating flow is generated. Will the XY-TEK flow sensor /flowmeter accuracy be affected? If so, to what extent?
Yes. Using a peristaltic pump can affect flow measurement accuracy. The extent depends on the pump’s pulsation intensity, the flow sensor / flowmeter type and performance, and whether the system includes any damping/buffering measures.
10. When using a peristaltic pump, how does the CM-series flow sensor / flow meter handle pulsating flow? Can it fully reflect pulsation?
The CM series flow sensor / flow meter can capture pulsating flow and track it in real time (instantaneous tracking).
11. Can XY-TEK calibrate the flow sensor / flow meter based on tubing samples provided by the customer?
Yes. Customers can send tubing samples to XY-TEK for application-specific calibration. This service is typically offered to OEM customers with larger purchase volumes.
12. Can CG and CM series flow sensors / flow meters be calibrated for different tubing, or must they be used with specific tubing only?
CG and CM series flow sensors / flow meters can be calibrated for different tubing. Customers can perform on-site calibration using XY-TEK PC software flowviewer.
CG and CM series flow sensors / flow meters support measuring flow rate in PVC, silicone, TPE, and other flexible tubing, and calibration parameters can be matched and optimized according to tubing characteristics.
13. When the customer changes the measured liquid, is recalibration required every time?
If the new liquid’s key physical properties (e.g., viscosity, density, gas content, acoustic properties) differ significantly from water, recalibration is generally required to achieve higher accuracy.
If the focus is on repeatability rather than absolute accuracy, recalibration is not necessary.
In most cases, customers can complete calibration themselves using the PC software Flowviewer without requiring XY-TEK tech support engineers to visit on-site each time.
If customers cannot do the recalibration, XY-TEK can provide after-sales support.
14. Does the CM series flow sensor / flow meter have fault detection? How is a fault indicated?
The CM series flow sensor / flow meter includes a software safety mechanism that performs periodic self-checks to diagnose faults without affecting flow rate measurement.
If a CM flow sensor / flow meter fails or cannot operate normally, the flow output will automatically return to zero.
15. What are the response time, delay time, and update rate of the CS series ultrasonic flow sensor / flow meter output?
The fastest response time of the CM series is 5 ms. The CM clamp on flow sensor / flow meter can also output filtered and stable results. In that case, the flow sensor / flow meter response time will be delayed accordingly (with multiple options from 1 to 60 seconds).
16. Can XY-TEK flow sensors / flow meters detect real-time flow changes instantaneously?
Yes. XY-TEK ultrasonic flow sensors / flowmeters can detect rapid changes in flow within milliseconds and output instantaneous flow measurements.
17. Do XY-TEK ultrasonic flow sensor / flow meter output an “average” flow value?
The XY-TEK ultrasonic flow sensor / flow meter can output instantaneous values, and can also output averaged (more stable) flow values.
18. Do all XY-TEK ultrasonic flow sensor / flow meter sensors support bidirectional flow rate measurement?
Yes. All XY-TEK ultrasonic flow sensor / flow meter support bidirectional flow rate measurement.