mäntämittarit

Mäntämittarit, often translated as piston meters or positive displacement meters, are a type of flow meter used to measure the volume of liquids. They operate by trapping a known, fixed volume of fluid in a chamber with a reciprocating piston. As the piston moves, it fills and empties the chamber, with each cycle representing a specific volume of flow. This mechanical action directly translates the flow into a rotational movement or a digital pulse, which can then be counted to determine the total volume of fluid that has passed through the meter.

There are several designs of piston meters, including oscillating piston meters and rotary piston meters. Oscillating piston meters typically have a single piston that pivots within a chamber, while rotary piston meters involve a piston that rotates. The accuracy of piston meters is generally very high, making them suitable for applications where precise measurement is critical, such as in domestic water metering, fuel dispensing, and chemical processing.

The operation of mäntämittarit is based on the principle of positive displacement, meaning that the fluid being measured is physically separated into discrete volumes. This makes them less susceptible to changes in fluid viscosity or pressure compared to some other types of flow meters. However, they can be prone to wear over time due to the moving parts, and are typically not suitable for measuring very high flow rates or fluids containing abrasive particles. Regular maintenance and calibration are important to ensure continued accuracy.