How Does a Flow Meter Work?

If you are looking to learn about how flow meters work, the answer is probably not as simple or straightforward as you would like it to be. A very over-generalized answer is that they work by employing one of many technological principles of operation to measure how much flow of a liquid, gas, or steam is moving through something, generally a pipe. To know exactly how a particular flow meter works, you would need to know the measurement principle, or technology type, of the flow meter.

Flow meters measure by mass or volume. Each of the different flow meter technology types will fall under one of these two category types. Listed below are some of the more common flow meter technologies. For an in-depth explanation of how each flow meter technology operates, visit one of our educational flow meter technology pages by clicking on technology-type link below.

• Magnetic Flow Meters (Magnetic-Inductive, Electromagnetic, Magmeter)
• Rotameters (Variable Area Flow Meters)
• Positive Displacement Flow Meters (Gear Meters)
• Ultrasonic Flow Meters
• Differential Pressure Flow Meters (Orifice, Venturi, Pitot, Annubar, etc)
• Paddle Wheel Flow Meters
• Turbine Flow Meters
• Vortex Flow Meters
• Coriolis Flow Meters
• Thermal Mass Flow Meters (Thermal Dispersion, Calorimetric)
• Paddle/Flap/Vane/Target Flow Meters
• Oscillation Flow Meters
• Open Channel Flow Measurement (Ultrasonic Level Sensors)