As municipal budgets have tightened over the last decade, operators are constantly on the hunt for infrastructure to fit both their performance needs and budgets. The FPI Mag meter from McCrometer is in that wheelhouse, as the magnetic flowmeter employs a configuration where the coils and electrodes are assembled in a tube that inserts into a pipe perpendicular to the full flow profile of the pipe. The advantages of this configuration are numerous in a wide variety of applications.

“The FPI Mag’s ability to be installed and removed under pressure translates to real cost and productivity savings for plant operators,” says Barry Spiegel, director of municipal sales at McCrometer. “The cost savings at installation are clear. Installation takes a fraction of the labor and the time, due to being hot-tappable, versus a full-bore mag meter. There is never the need to shut down the flow.”

The FPI Mag is comparable to a full-bore mag, though, in terms of specifications. It achieves this by measuring flow at various points within the pipe diameter using a multielectrode sensor design. The ability for a utility to install and remove the flowmeter under pressure means significant cost savings, and it provides greater budget flexibility. If it is being installed for the first time, a cost savings of up to 45% will result from not needing to shut the service processes down during installation, as well as a reduction in manpower, materials and equipment.

Additionally, flanges are not required, pipes do not have to be cut and welding is generally not necessary. This makes installation simple and easy, making it suitable for retrofits, upgrades and maintenance projects, as well as sites never metered before.

“In addition, the cost savings continues for the life of the product, as the FPI Mag can be easily removed for inspection, cleaning or calibration, if that is mandated by the applicable regulatory authority,” Spiegel says.

The flowmeter features ISO and CSA certification, covers pipe sizes from 4 to 138 inches and is available in both forward and bidirectional configurations. A signal converter, standard with all McCrometer mag meters, offers many features, including built-in dual 4-20mA outputs for communication flexibility, additional programmable outputs to support SCADA systems and a simplified menu structure for ease of use. The unit comes precalibrated, requiring no recalibration in the field. 

800-220-2279; www.mccrometer.com