A water flow sensor is an instrument that measures the rate of water. It helps control the amount of water supplied and used in industrial plants and commercial and residential buildings. There is a place at the pipe where the water source supply in these areas and the public water supply is usually the solution to this challenge.
One needs to install the water flow sensor at the pipe or a water source to measure the flow rate and calculate the amount of flowing water inside the tube. You should measure the flowing water rate in cubic meters or liters per hour.
Premier Control Technologies Ltd is one of the best companies in the UK that one can always rely on for water flow, pressure, and temperature measurement. This article will discuss some features of water flow sensors, and they work, and their applications in different areas.
Features of a water flow sensor
The main features of a water flow sensor include;
1. A water flow sensor usually has a high-quality hall effect sensor.
2. It is usually compact and straightforward to install.
3. A water flow sensor has a high performance of sealing.
4. It is usually RoHS compliant.
The working principle of the water flow sensor
To understand how water flow sensors work, we first of all need to know their components. A water flow sensor has got a plastic valve where the water flows. Also, it has a hall effect sensor and a rotor available to measure and sense the water flowing in the channel.
The rotor gets rotated by the flowing water through the valve, and its speed usually helps in the motor’s speed identification. The hall effect sensor then calculates the output change as a pulse signal to measure the water flow rate.
The hall effect is usually the primary component that helps in the working principle of the water flow sensor. The regulation states an introduction of voltage difference in the conductor at the sensor because of the rotor’s rotation. The voltage difference is usually horizontal to the electric current.
The main function of the water flow sensor
When the flowing water rotates the moving fan, and the rotor also gets rotated, producing a voltage. The hall effect sensor measures the voltage and displays it on the LCD. The water flow sensor is usually essential to different kinds of water, such as cold, hot, warm, dirty, and clean waters.
You can get a water flow sensor with different flow rate ranges and diameters to choose the best for your application. A microcontroller like Arduino can interface with a water flow sensor easily. Therefore, an Arduino microcontroller board for a water flow sensor process is usually 16×2 LCD.
There is usually the need for a breadboard to join the wires. It would be best to put the water flow sensor at the source of water inside or where there is a pipe opening end. It has got three wires; black, yellow, and red wires.
The black wire is for the ground connection, the yellow wire is for the output collection from the hall effect, and the red wire is for the voltage supply connection. There is usually a requirement of a voltage supply of 15V to 18V on display.
Applications of a water flow sensor
A water flow sensor usually measures the water flow rate by calculating its displacement or velocity. It is also used in measuring the water flow rate present in fluids and use in dairy milk industries.
A paddlewheel sensor is one of the various types of water flow sensor available depending on the method of measuring and the diameter. It is usually an expected, and cost-effective water flows sensor and can measure water flow rate like fluids.
The positive displacement flow meter is also a water flow sensor that can measure the flow rate of viscous liquids and is suitable for applications where there is no straight pipe for the inlet flow of water. Ultrasonic flow meters help measure flow rate in sewage water applications, dirty liquids, and slurries.
In applying conductive dirty water and wastewater, magnetic flow meters are usually the best water flow sensors in determining the flow rate of water present. The LCD usually displays the flow rate measurements and readings.
The magnetic water flow sensor brings out the rotor’s pulse revolution. The hall effect sensor in the device gets the sealing effect from the water for its dryness and safety.
A water flow sensor example
An excellent water flow sensor is the YFS201 hall effect sensor, which usually requires a measurement display. It is generally cost-effective and straightforward to use.
Conclusion
A water flow sensor is essential in industrial plants, residential and commercial building applications. It helps in the flow rate measurement of various liquids and displays the results for people to read.
