Flow Meters & Metering Systems
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Should You Choose a Flow Straightener or Straightening Vane?

In parallel with propeller meters, straightening vanes and flow straighteners have become a significant component of flow calculation in the agricultural industry, and with an important purpose. Flow straighteners and vanes, usually mounted close to flow disturbers or in short straight-run applications, minimize swirl and assist propeller meters in achieving a precise flow reading.

With that in mind, how does a flow straightener and vanes for straightening differ, and which is the right choice when it needs to be applied in an agriculture scenario? It’s based on your flow meter option and the demands of the application.

For about as long as the McPropeller® has been available for sale, McCrometer has provided straightening vanes. The most common type, bolt-in tri-vanes, is a cost-effective alternative. The tri-vanes are easy to mount and do not come with a hose, allowing them to be used with any cable. McCrometer also supplies pipes with hex vanes for consumers that want vanes immediately welded onto a pipe, a lot like individual tri-vanes.

In 2006, McCrometer started selling the FS100 Flow Straightener™, which cut down the straight-run specifications for various consumer applications substantially. The FS100 adopts its architecture from the V-Cone®, integrating the self-conditioning cone architecture with the current hex vanes, requiring a mere 1.5 diameters of upstream straight-run tubing.

Evaluate your application and pipe diameter when determining a flow straightening option. Such a solution may not even be necessary when distance and pipeline are sufficient. Nevertheless, flow straighteners and vanes are a vital element in assuring that your meter will read flow correctly if the pipeline is short or typical flow disruptors such as backflow prevention valves are factors.

The Avanti Company was founded in 1977 by Paul and Justine Devlin and is headquartered in Avon Park, FL. We provide water meters, metering systems, AMI support, on-site flow meter testing, sewer flow monitoring, inspection, and assessment services for the water, wastewater, agricultural, petroleum, and industrial marketplaces. Avanti represents products from McCrometer, Itron, Badger Industrial, Hach Flow, Honeywell/Elster, 64 seconds, Infosense, Nicor, Syrinix, and others. Please visit our website at www.avanticompany.com, email us at info@avanticompany.com, or call us at 863-453-5336 for assistance with all of your flow meter and metering system needs.

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