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Monitoring liquid flow. — Parallax Forums

Monitoring liquid flow.

AgroAgro Posts: 2
edited 2006-10-03 16:59 in BASIC Stamp
Good Afternoon,

I want to use the basic stamp to monitor the flow of water past a certain point, and then
save the information to a laptop. My first challenge is to select a sensor that will work
with BS2. Any suggestions from anyone?

Thanks
Ken

Comments

  • Tracy AllenTracy Allen Posts: 6,667
    edited 2006-09-29 21:12
    Depends. is it an open channel or a closed pipe? Do you want a yes/no measure, or a quantitative measure?

    Some flow meters work with a little impellor that turns in the flow, and it gives out a pulse to the monitoring hardware. The Stamp can count pulses.

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    Tracy Allen
    www.emesystems.com
  • sam_sam_samsam_sam_sam Posts: 2,286
    edited 2006-10-01 15:26
    Tracy Allen

    Do you where i can buy a Flow Meters that will not cost an arm and a leg

    Some flow meters work with a little impellor that turns in the flow, and it gives out a pulse to the monitoring hardware. The Stamp can count pulses.

    Thanks For any help that you can give me in this matter

    Sam······································ idea.gif
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 1,023
    edited 2006-10-01 15:51
    Sam3,

    Here is a cheap solution, but·I don''t know if it will work for you as we don't know what your application is.

    When I was building my beer making machine (RIMS type, for any brewers out there) I wanted to be able to monitor the flow of wort through the system. Like you, I was shocked at the price of "real" flow sensors. ·I got what was called a "flow indicator". This is a clear plastic housing with a little impeller. As designed, it shows flow just by seeing the impeller turn. What I did was add a photodiode/led and count the turns. With a little experimentation I got it pretty accurate. The only disadvantage is that it doens't work when I make a stout or porter, as the wort is too dark. I could probably fix it with a switch and a lower value resistor for when I make a dark beer, but I haven't bothered.

    Anyway, it is a· pretty humpty solution, but if you are not doing a dark liquid, it might work for you. The "flow indicator" was < US $20 if I remember correctly.

    Jonathan



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    www.madlabs.info - Home of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Robot
  • Larry~Larry~ Posts: 242
    edited 2006-10-01 18:30
    I was unfortunate to have to work on a friend’s espresso machine they use some nice flow sensors made of brass and stainless. They have duel magnets with a single pickup at around $50.00

  • Tracy AllenTracy Allen Posts: 6,667
    edited 2006-10-02 19:56
    sam,

    I don't have a specific suggestion on the arm and leg issue ($200 up, up for industrial quality). And I agree, it depends on the application, and a clever workaround might do the trick. Vernier has a nice little open channel flow probe for $129.

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    Tracy Allen
    www.emesystems.com
  • metron9metron9 Posts: 1,100
    edited 2006-10-02 20:31
    I dont know how much flow you have or how accurate of reading you need or if you just want to know if the water is or is not flowing but I have some flow meters that use a small sphere, the water flows in the bottom and out the top, the sphere rides in the water, the higher the flow the higher the ball is in the chamber.

    Using a clear PVC or acrylic tube you could place a ball the correct diameter (to be determined by flow rate and tube size), use a stainless steel bal and place sensors on the outside of the tube to read the level of the ball. An array of LED's on the side of the tube could be used to see the ball at various levels.

    Course I don't even know if the water is under pressure in your application or even if the water is clear so that's my idea.

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    Think outside the BOX!
  • AgroAgro Posts: 2
    edited 2006-10-02 21:07
    Thanks for all the suggestions. I asked for a little more specific information, and was told they wanted
    to Monitor the flow of water, and if it dropped below a certain level. It isn't in a Channel exactly, but I
    suspect that once I see it, I'll be able to place the impeller where I need.

    Thanks for all the advice
    Ken
  • sam_sam_samsam_sam_sam Posts: 2,286
    edited 2006-10-03 01:14
    Hi, EveryOne

    I want to Thank All of you that Reply to my post i had look in Kele parts book but they want alot of money for them
    The reason i am asking all of this i have some projects that i would like to do but·unless i can find a low cost way of
    of doing them they will not get built

    L_Gaminde

    Do you have a part ## for this part

    I was unfortunate to have to work on a friend’s espresso machine they use some nice flow sensors made of brass and stainless. They have duel magnets with a single pickup at around $50.00

    Thanks for you post· do you have a web page where i can order one

    metron9


    Do have any pictures of these flow meters

    I have some flow meters that use a small sphere, the water flows in the bottom and out the top, the sphere rides in the water, the higher the flow the higher the ball is in the chamber.


    Tracy Allen

    Do you a web page for them where i can look at them

    Vernier has a nice little open channel flow probe for $129.

    Jonathan

    Do have any pictures of these little impeller and where i can order these from

    This is a clear plastic housing with a little impeller. As designed, it shows flow just by seeing the impeller turn. What I did was add a photodiode/led and count the turns. With a little experimentation I got it pretty accurate.

    ·Anyway, it is a· pretty humpty solution, but if you are not doing a dark liquid, it might work for you. The "flow indicator" was < US $20 if I remember correctly.

    Sam
  • metron9metron9 Posts: 1,100
    edited 2006-10-03 02:02
    I do ya one better here is a link to the flow meter I am talking about. It doesnt have a ball its a small metal gizmo on a thin wire inside the tube.

    http://www.bluwhite.com/

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    Think outside the BOX!
  • sam_sam_samsam_sam_sam Posts: 2,286
    edited 2006-10-03 03:06
    metron9

    Thanks for the web page that helps alot

    Sam
  • Tracy AllenTracy Allen Posts: 6,667
    edited 2006-10-03 05:04
    http://www.vernier.com/probes/flo-bta.html

    That is an open channel flow meter. Vernier makes products for educational use.

    The principle of these flow sensors is basic stuff. Say, a paddlewheel in the stream. The expense of industrial models comes from special materials, precision machining, care for hydrodynamics, and calibration. As usual, the technical pages at Omega.com have a lot of information about the gamut of different technologies that are used for flow metering.

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    Tracy Allen
    www.emesystems.com
  • metron9metron9 Posts: 1,100
    edited 2006-10-03 08:40
    Here is a surplus link for blue-white flow meters as well as repaired units and some new some are #39.00, I cant seem to cross ref the part number though and they dont have a picture so i don't have a clue what model the F40500LN actually is.

    http://www.plccenter.com/buy/BLUE+WHITE/F40500LN

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Think outside the BOX!
  • JonathanJonathan Posts: 1,023
    edited 2006-10-03 14:56
    Sam,

    Sorry, I don't have a picture. My beer machine is residing at a friends house at the moment. You mention "open channel", if that is the case, a small DC motor with a paddlewheel connected to an ADC or even RCTIME could indicate flow.

    Jonathan

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    www.madlabs.info - Home of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Robot
  • Larry~Larry~ Posts: 242
    edited 2006-10-03 15:11
    look at these click on more info to see picture

    http://www.cafeparts.com/listCategoriesAndProducts.asp
  • sam_sam_samsam_sam_sam Posts: 2,286
    edited 2006-10-03 16:59
    Hi, EveryOne

    I would like to Thank You·all· for the help that you have given me in find a Flow Meter that would not cost me an arm and a leg



    Sam····smile.gif·······················





    ···········These Guys are having to much FUN·······hop.gif·············· jumpin.gif·· ·They can not help it
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