How is bulk fluid movement measured?

Flow measurement is the quantitative tracking of bulk fluid movement using specialized devices called flowmeters. Different methods distinguish between volumetric flow rates and mass flow rates, utilizing indirect forces, mechanical displacement, or optical techniques. For large-scale flows, tracer techniques involving dyes or radioisotopes can also deduce the rate.

What we know

• Flow measurement quantifies bulk fluid movement using devices called flowmeters. [1, 2]
• Volumetric flow meters quantity volumetric flow rate while mass flow meters quantify mass flow rates. [2]
• Positive-displacement flowmeters accumulate a fixed volume of fluid and count the number of times the volume is filled. [2]
• Tracer methods use changes in the concentration of a dye or radioisotope to deduce flow rates for very large flows. [2]

Where to go next

• a case in pointWhat is an electromagnetic flow meter?
• how it workedHow does particle image velocimetry work?
• the bigger pictureWhat are the broader applications of physical measurement?
• compared withHow is blood pressure measured in medical settings?
• what caused itWhat caused the development of modern industrial flowmeters?
• an unexpected connectionWhat is the psychological flow state?Although both share the concept of flowing movement or focus, physical flow measurement deals with industrial fluids whereas psychological flow describes complete mental absorption in an activity.

Sources

• [1]flow measurement (Wikidata Q10497232) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Flow measurement · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Flow (psychology) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Particle image velocimetry · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Blood pressure measurement · CC BY-SA 4.0