Compu-Flow C6 User manual

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
™
Compu-Flow™ Doppler Ultrasonic Flow Meter
Compu-Flow
C6 Quick Start Guide
www.advancedflow.com
1-800-649-5331

INTRODUCTION:
Compu-Flow™ Doppler
When you need a reliable flow meter the Compu-Flow™ is the ri ht choice. We have been
manufacturin for the flow meter markets for the last 35 years.
The Compu-Flow™ Doppler ultrasonic flow meter provides an accurate and easy-to-use
measurin system for hi h-solid fluid flow throu h pipes 1.00 inch to 999 inches (inside
diameter). The Doppler flow meter is well suited for flow measurement applications such
as slud es, slurries, aerated liquids, sewa e, dred es, pulp, plastics, and activated slud es.
C6 Quick Start Guide
The Doppler flow meter features clamp-on transducers and a ru ed NEMA 4X enclosure,
and is a lon -term, maintenance-free solution for your hi h-solid flow measurement
requirements. Enclosure IP65, Sensor IP68.
2

INTRODUCTION:
Compu-Flow™ Doppler
Components of the Compu-Flow™
Doppler Ultrasonic Flow Meter System
A typical Doppler flow meter system is
comprised of an electronics enclosure, with a
display panel, and two clamp-on transducers.
The Doppler flow meter is confi ured with clamp-on transducers. When installed,
the sensors ather fluid flow data throu h a pipe and send this information to the
system electronics. The electronics then convert, transmit, and display the received
data
.
ELECTRONICS ENCLOSURE AND DISPLAY PANEL
The display panel in the electronics enclosure
TRANSDUCTORS AND CABLING
features an easy-to-read LCD screen, a keypad, and LEDs to interface with the flow
meter. The Doppler flow meter can be wall mounted for permanent installation or a
portable option is also available.
data
.
The clamp-on transducers allow you to install the Doppler flow meter without
shuttin down flow and are ideal for smooth, clean pipe walls. The transducers are
NEMA 6-rated and fully submersible. Contact “Compu-Flow Systems Support” for
information on confi urin your meter for continuous submersion.
3
THEORY OF OPERATION
The Compu-Flow™ Doppler ultrasonic flow meter measures flow velocity by
sensin si nals from reflective materials within a liquid and measurin the
frequency shift due to the motion of these reflective materials. The Doppler effect
states that the received frequency is a function of the transmitted frequency and
the relative motion between transmitter and the receiver. The clamp-on
transducers allow you to install the Doppler flow meter without shuttin down flow
and are ideal for smooth, clean pipe walls. The transducers are NEMA 6-rated and
fully submersible.
The classic example of the Doppler effect is the train whistle increasin in pitch to
the listener at the station as the train approaches, then decreasin in pitch as the
train moves away from the station. To the person ridin on the train, the pitch
remains the same.

INTRODUCTION:
Compu-Flow™ Doppler
The increasin pitch is due to phase-front compression and the decreasin pitch is
due to phase-front expansion. The Doppler flow meter uses this effect to measure
the velocity of a liquid throu h a pipe wall.
Sonic Reflectors
The Doppler flow meter requires sonic reflectors in order to operate. These
reflectors may consist of particles or air bubbles within the flow to be measured.
Your readin s may vary sli htly with chan es in concentration or size of these
reflectors as well as the pipe condition and size.
Note: Glycerin is the only known industrial liquid today that is not sonically
conductive.
The Doppler flow meter uses two similar transducers to sense flow in a pipe. These
transducers are mounted on the outside of a pipe. This confi uration presents no
obstruction to flow, and will not cause associated pressure drops.
Accuracy
The
Doppler
flow
meter
output
si nal
is
linear
(as
opposed
to
square
root),
which
4
The
Doppler
flow
meter
output
si nal
is
linear
(as
opposed
to
square
root),
which
means that accuracy is not a function of flow rate. Within certain application limits,
the meter is ideal because it is not affected by chan es of pressure within the
process nor by chan es of viscosity, temperature, specific ravity, sound velocity, or
electrical conductivity.
Summary
The Doppler flow meter is a non-intrusive flow meter system which operates by
sensin the frequency shifts of si nals reflected from particles, air bubbles, or
density differences within a liquid, producin a linear si nal proportional to the
flow of the liquid within the pipe.
• No pipe section is required to install the meter.
• The meter is not affected by chan es in temperature, viscosity, specific ravity, or
the speed of sound within the liquid.
• The liquid does not have to be electronically conductive.
• A minimum particle concentration of 35 ppm @ 40 micron of suspended solids or
air bubbles is required.
• The reflector must have at least a 0.2% density difference than the liquid
medium.
• For accurate volumetric measurement the pipe must be full at all times.
• The transducers are normally coupled to the outer pipe wall with reaser, sonic
el or epoxy.

INTRODUCTION:
Compu-Flow™ Doppler
• In order to obtain accurate measurements adequate upstream and downstream
pipe runs are required. Recommended strai ht-run requirements from any
disturbance of flow are 10 diameters upstream and 20 diameters downstream.
Assessin Particles or Air Bubbles
The ultrasonic beam from the transducer is transmitted throu h the pipe wall into
the liquid. The particles, air bubbles suspended in the liquid, have to be lar e
enou h to act as reflectors to return the si nal back to the transducer so that a
measurement may be taken. It is important to understand that the ultrasonic beam
from the Doppler flow meter does not penetrate air very well. A few bubbles will
not affect flow meter performance, but too many bubbles may cause the meter to
malfunction.
The flow to be measured must always have a sufficient number of sonic reflectors
of ample size in order to provide reflection of the transmitted sound. If the
reflectors do not have sufficient density difference they will neither rise nor fall in
the solution but remain suspended. The specific ravity will also affect the ability of
a particle to reflect sound. A ood example of a reflector is a sand particle or an air
bubble. A poor example is al ae or onion skins.
Note
:
At
a
frequency
of
rou hly
650
kHz,
the
minimum
particle
which
can
be
5
Note
:
At
a
frequency
of
rou hly
650
kHz,
the
minimum
particle
which
can
be
sensed is 40 microns @ 35 parts per million (ppm) and at least 0.2% density
difference from the liquid.
Assessin Pipe Material and Condition
Doppler flow meter performance is best maximized by usin pipin that is sonically
conductive. The Doppler flow meter assumes that the path by which the ultrasonic
beam enters the pipe and returns to the transducer is ultrasonically homo enous,
which means that you must use your flow meter with pipes with non-porous
smooth pipe walls. Concrete-lined pipes, old or crystallized cast iron pipes, hand-
wrapped fiber lass pipe, and old pipin with air inclusions do not exhibit the
required homo eneity. Avoid usin the Doppler flow meter for flow measurement
on these pipes unless proper operation is proven by the manufacturer throu h
demonstration.
Contact “Compu-Flow Systems Support” for more information on an alternate
meter if your application is not suitable for the Doppler flow meter.

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
INSTALLATION:
Pipe Vibration
Moderate pipe vibration does not usually adversely affect the Doppler flow meter,
since the vibration of the pipin is at a si nificantly lower frequency than the
ultrasonic beam used to measure flow. However, in situations where the transducer
si nal stren th is low because of fluid, pipin , or other environmental factors,
measurement accuracy may be further decreased by pipe vibration. In these
situations your display panel may re ister flow when there is none due to the
vibration. If you can not bracket the pipe to reduce vibration, you may be able to
rectify the problem by relocatin the transducer to a pipe location with less
vibration.
Assessin Flow Profile
STRAIGHT RUN REQUIREMENTS
As with other flow meters such as vortex or ma netic flow meters, the Doppler
flow meter needs a well-developed flow profile to ensure accurate flow
measurement. To assure a well-developed profile, choose a measurement point on
a lon run of pipe well away from elbows, valves, pumps, flan es, and other
possible
sources
of
turbulence
.
NO
NO
Air could be trapped
Pipe must be full
Down flows
must have
back pressure
>= 10Ø >= 5Ø
Fig. 1. Best recommended ) spots to install
flow meters:
6
possible
sources
of
turbulence
.
The ideal placement of the Doppler flow meter is with 20 diameters of strai ht run
upstream and 10 diameters of strai ht run downstream between the transducers
and any disturbance of the flow. Most typical flow meter applications use 10
diameters of strai ht run upstream and 5 diameters downstream from any
disturbance of the flow.

INSTALLATION:
Compu-Flow™ Doppler
However, when the measured fluid is too clean to provide the proper number of
reflective particles, one may position the transducer near the pump or source of
turbulence in such a manner as to obtain stable readin s in a continuous flow full
pipe situation. Usin a transit time meter may be another viable option if the
Doppler flow meter is not performin ideally. A point to remember is that
turbulence is a non-linear function of flow, so turbulence can create reflected
si nals. Interpret readin s near turbulent flows with caution.
Sources of turbulence are elbows, flan es, valves, orifices, wed es, pumps, pipe
openin s, and pipe irre ularities (rust, corrosion, and buildup). Try to avoid vertical
pipe runs (especially downhill pipe runs).
Table 1. Transducer distance from turbulence and readin accuracy
Upstream Downstream % Accuracy
20 Diameters 10 Diameters ±1% to 3% of full scale
10 Diameters 5 Diameters ±3% to 5% of full scale
7
5 Diameters 2 Diameters ±5% to 10% of full scale
Accuracy is dependant on flow profile, and is related to the percenta e of sound
reflectors and their size variation and distribution.
Fi ure 1 provides strai ht run examples.
INSTALLATION PROCEDURES
After you have performed the pre-install check and determined that the Doppler
flow meter will work for your application, follow these steps to install your meter.
To Install the Compu-Flow™ Doppler Ultrasonic Flow Meter:
1. Mount and connect the transducers
2. Mount and connect power to the electronics enclosure (see pa e 10)
3. Turn on power to the electronics enclosure usin the motherboard rear panel

INSTALLATION:
Compu-Flow™ Doppler
switch on the (front panel for portable) and follow display panel for meter set up
(see “Pro rammin ” pa es, for more information on confi urin your meter for
operation).
The clamp-on transducers are NEMA 6-rated and fully submersible. (For continuous
submersion secure sensors to pipe with approved epoxy.)
To Mount the Clamp-On Transducers to the Pipe:
1. Ensure the pipe surface is clean. Use sandpaper to remove all paint and
scale from the pipe surface if necessary.
2. Apply sonic el to the transducer lenses. For best results in most weather
conditions and heat, use Dow Cornin ® Hi h Vacuum Grease or the
supplied Nova ard® rease G661™.
Mountin and Connectin the Transducers
Attention
:

8
3. PLace the transducers side by side between 7 o’clock and 10 o’clock
on the pipe as shown in Fi ure 2. Place the transducers flush to the
pipe, facin the same direction. See Fi ure 3 for an example.
Note: Be careful with transducer placement. Air bubbles near the top of the
pipe or sediment on the bottom of the pipe can hinder successful
flow readin s. Place the transducers as shown in Fi ure 2.
Attention
:
Always apply sonic el to the transducer lenses before placin on the pipe.
The sonic el must be used to transmit the ener y from the transducer
crystals throu h the pipe wall and into the flow to be measured.

!

INSTALLATION:
Compu-Flow™ Doppler
4
.
Use
the
supplied
chain
and
bun ee
cord
to
strap
the
transducers
in
place,
Figure 2. Clamp-on transducer placement
Flow
Transducers
12 o’clock position
6 o’clock position
Cross-section of pipe with mounted
transducers
Electronics enclosure
9
4
.
Use
the
supplied
chain
and
bun ee
cord
to
strap
the
transducers
in
place,
securin them ti htly to the pipe. Fi ure 3 provides an example of two
properly mounted clamp-on transducers.
5. Small pipes below 2” do not permit side by side mountin .
Pipes 2”-1” diameter – mount sensors 90° apart
Pipes below 1” diameter – mount sensors 180° apart
Fi ure 3. Clamp-on transducers secured with a SS ½” ear clamp band

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
ELECTRICAL CONNNECTIONS:
Transducer wiring:
If your Doppler sensors are not yet connected to the electronics control
panel, open the panel, and use fi ure 4 as a uide to make the proper wirin
for the 4 transducer cables: Black (-12VDC), Red (+12VDC), Green (Echo),
White (Si nal).
Fi ure 4.
To Connect Input Power to the Electronics Enclosure:
Note: You can either use AC power or DC/ battery power to operate your
Doppler flow meter.
1. If you are usin AC power: (wall module only)
If not already connected, supply input power to the electronics
enclosure by routin the power cable throu h the appropriate
enclosure base openin .
□ Use a Nema 4Xcable land and a cable backin nut to securely fasten
the input power cable to the electronics enclosure.
Plu AC Power Module into the appropriate outlet.
10

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
ELECTRICAL CONNNECTIONS:
2. If you are usin DC/ battery power:
□ If not already connected, supply input power to the electronics
enclosure by routin the power cable throu h the appropriate openin .
□ If needed, connect the DC power cable wires to the 12 VDC PWR section
of the processor board usin Fi ure 4 as a uide.
□ Use a Nema 4X cable land and a cable backin nut to securely fasten
the input power cable to the electronics enclosure.
Attention:
If you are switchin from AC (DC) power to battery power, your battery
may need char in .

!
11

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
PROGRAMMING
To Operate Your Doppler Flow Meter for the First Time:
1. Complete all the steps in “Installation” pa es.
2. Turn on power and observe the display panel LCD. The display will show the
model name and number of the unit.
3. Followin the prompts presented by the display panel LCD, and makin your
entries usin the keypad, confi ure your unit for operation for En lish or
Metric
.
Metric
.
□The LCD screen displays SELECT RATE. Select the unit of measure for
rate display: All rate selections may be displayed in seconds, minutes,
hours, days. Time elements: (1=Sec 2=Min 3=Hr 4=Day)
Table 2. Rate selection - En lish
Key Selection Definition
1FPS Feet per second
2GAL Gallon
3CF Cubic feet
4MG Million Gallons
5AF Acre Feet
6BL Barrel 42 gal
7MPS Meters per second
8LT Liter
9CM Cubic meter
12

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
PROGRAMMING
If you select FPS, the flow meter will automatically be in measurin flow in
feet per second. If you select keys 1 throu h 6, the LCD screen will ask that
you enter your pipe ID in inches. If you select keys 7 throu h 9, the LCD
screen will ask that you enter your pipe ID in millimeters.
After you enter your rate time element, the LCD screen will then display
SELECT TOTALIZER. Select the unit of measure for totalizer display:
Table 3. Totalizer selection
Key Selection Definition
1GAL Gallons
2CF Cubic feet
3MG Millions of gallons
4AF Acre feet
5BL Barrels 42 gal
6LT Liters
7CM Cubic meters
Your flow meter is now confi ured to measure the flow parameters you have
set. After you set the flow readin parameters you need for your system, you
can secure these settin s so they are saved in the event of power loss to the
electronics enclosure.
Note: To clear the rate and totalizer parameters you have set, select “0”
reset or switch the power off usin the on/ off switch on the display panel.
Until settin s are saved usin Key # 8, “Secure On”, the security switch,
turnin off power clears all previously set parameters. When you turn on
power a ain, the LCD screen will prompt you to restart pro rammin .
After you enter your totalizer selection, the LCD screen will then display
Enter Pipe ID. If you select keys 1 throu h 5, the LCD screen will ask that you
enter your pipe ID in inches. If you select keys 6 throu h 7, the LCD screen
will ask that you enter your pipe ID in millimeters.
13

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
PROGRAMMING
To Save Your Pro rammed Flow Readin Settin s Usin the Secure Function:
1. Complete settin the flow readin parameters.
2. Press and hold key # 8 for 5 seconds until “Secure On” appears on the
LCD display.
Note: If you need to chan e your pro rammin , press and hold key # 8
“Secure” until “Secure Off” appears on the LCD display.
If you wish to further customize your flow meter system for operation in
your process, continue on to “Advanced Confi uration Options”.
Advanced Confi uration Options
The display panel keypad has a secondary menu for advanced confi uration
options (the keypad to le menu). You may want to use this menu to set 4-
20mA analo output, set up bar raph, select HI/LO alarm set points, and
confi ure batch control. To access the secondary menu, press appropriate
key until the display chan es. To exit, press the key a ain.
•Fi ure 5 provides a visual representation of the to le menu.
•Table 4 lists the advanced confi uration options accessible from the
display panel keypad.
Fi ure 5. Display unit keypad
Bar raph
K factor reset (1 to 256)FPS/PWR clear
4-20 mA
MPS/PWR clear
Hi h / Low alarm
Low flow cutoff
(Maximum = 2.5 fps)
Set update time
(1sec,10sec,auto av.)
Totalizer reset
14

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
PROGRAMMING
Key Selection Functional Specifications
1FPS Feet per second/ clear pwr
2Bar Graph Analog 16 pt bar graph (n/a with batch)
3K Factor Select K factor while running
44-20 mA Set up 4-20 mA analog output
5Vel Sim Velocity Simulator for systems test
6Low Flow Cut Off Set low flow cut off (maximum = 2.5 fps)
7MPS Meters per second/ clear pwr
8Secure Secure parameters On / Off
9Update Time Set update time (0 to 99 sec)
0Reset / Recall Pipe ID Recall pipe ID/ configure batch/ system reset
HI / LO ALARM Set up HI/LO limit alarms/ reset cursor
TOT RESET Reset totalizer while running/ reset cursor
Table 4. Keyboard Toggle Menu
The default settin for secondary keyboard functions is feet per second (fps),
or meters per second (mps) if the flow meter is confi ured for metric units.
Once the flow meter is operational and you wish to activate the analo bar
raph, 4-20 mA output, batch control, hi h or low alarm, or low flow cut-off
options, consult advanced parameter settin .
Before Setting Advanced Parameters
Sample parameter setting:
You have a velocity of 5 fps and you would like the 4-20 mA output to be 12
mA or 50% of scale. Push and hold the MA/4 key until the screen chan es
and then release the key. Enter a scale value of 10 fps via the keypad. The
screen will automatically return the display to volumetric indication. The 4-
20 mA output will read 12 mA at the terminal strip located on the ri ht side
of the main electronics circuit board. You may check your 4-20mA output
settin via the bar raph.
15

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
PROGRAMMING
Note: Never adjust any of the potentiometers on the main processor board.
These settin s are to be performed by authorized personnel only.
SETTING ADVANCED PARAMETERS
Bar Graph
To Set the Analo Bar Graph of Flow Rate: (n/a with batch)
1. Press the Bar Graph/2 key. Enter the desired full-scale flow rate
in the indicated en ineerin unit.
2. To return to the rate and totalizer flow readin , press the
Graph/2 key a ain.
3. To return to the raph, press the Graph/2 key a ain and select OK.
This section explains how to set advanced parameters usin the keyboard on
the front panel of the unit.
Batch Control
K Factor Correction Factor)
The default K Factor on the flow meter is set at 60 hZ/ fps for our Sensors.
For nearly all applications, this default K Factor settin should be adequate.
There are only a few circumstances that mi ht merit adjustin the K Factor
settin on your Electroma netic flow meter. “K=100”.
1. To confi ure batch control press “0” key and select Batch.
2. Select Enable and choose 1=Pulse, 2=Batch.
3. Select Batch volume in preselected en ineerin units.
Analog Output:
To Set the Analo Output:
1. Press the MA/4 key Enter the full scale preselected
en ineerin unit.
2. After the output level has been set, the LCD screen will
return to the rate and totalizer flow readin .
16

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
PROGRAMMING
Low Flow Cutoff
To Set the Low Flow Cutoff:
1. Press the FPS/1 or MPS/7 key to obtain the current readin in feet
per second or meters per second. Press the key a ain to return to
the flow readin parameters previously shown.
2. Press the LFC/6 key. Enter the cutoff in feet per second or meters
per second. If you enter a parameter that is too hi h, the LCD
screen will display the maximum allowable cutoff settin and then
will return to the prompt for cutoff in feet per second.
Meters per Second/ Power Clear
3. After the low flow cutoff is set, the LCD screen will return to the rate
and totalizer flow readin .
To Read Meters Per Second:
1. Press the MPS/7 key. The LCD will show the flow readin in meters
per second on the upper line of the LCD screen, replacin the rate
parameter previously on the screen. The totalizer readin remains
the same parameter.
2. To return to the previous flow rate, press the MPS/7 key a ain.
Update Time
To Set Update Time:
1. Press the UT/9 key. To enter the selection screen.
1 = 1 sec 2 = 10 sec 3 = auto; “Auto” mode will update every
second when the velocity chan e is >5%. When the flow stabilizes
to < 5% chan e, the update time resets to a 10 second runnin avera e.
2. Enter the update time in 1 second, 10 seconds , or Auto.
3. After the update time is set, the LCD screen will return to the rate
and totalizer flow readin .
17

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
PROGRAMMING
Hi/Low Alarms
Totalizer Reset
To Set the Hi h/ Low Alarms:
1. Press the HI/LO ALARM key. Select Hi, Lo, or Both.
You may chan e the alarms one at a time without
affectin anythin else.
2. Next enter the hi h limit alarm in your preselected
en ineerin unit.
3. Now enter the low limit alarm in your preselected
en ineerin unit.
4. After the hi h and low alarm parameters are set, the LCD
screen will return to the rate and totalizer flow readin .
To Reset the Totalizer While the Unit is Runnin :
1. Press the TOT RESET key. The totalizer readin will return to zero.
2. The meter will be in takin totalizer readin s from zero.
The rate readin remains unchan ed.
18

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
Data Logger
Terminal
LCD Contrast
21T Turn Pot
RS232 Out
DB9 Port
LCD
Back Light
20 mA
21T Adjust
4 mA
21T Adjust
Inputs Outputs
Not Used
19
12 VDC
Power Input
For Main Board
Transducer Input :
-12 VDC -Black
+12 VDC –Red
Echo –Green
Signal -White
Batch Control
Pulse To Relay
50 mA 12 VDC
Alarms :
Low Alarm 50 mA 12 VDC
Hi Alarm 50 mA 12 VDC
Power Out
For Aux. Drive
4-20 mA
Output
Fi . 6. Main electronics board connections
ON-OFF
Switch

Compu-Flow™ Doppler
20
Fi ure 7. Wall mountin of the electronics enclosure