New Solid-State Meter Designed for Commercial Applications

by Mark Patiience

In today’s industry, water conservation is of increasing importance among many utilities and local governments. The need to account for every drop of water has made the accuracy and versatility of today’s water meter more critical than ever. Utilities are demanding commercial water meters that are reliable, precise, and durable, with the technology and capability of reducing operating expenses and increasing revenue while also providing optimum water resource management.

The Elster evoQ₄

To address that need, Elster AMCO Water recently introduced the evoQ4, a single metering system that can be used in place of all turbine, compound, single jet, or electromagnetic meter applications. Revolutionary in its design and technology, the new meter is battery powered, lightweight and fully submersible.

The evoQ4 is designed for any commercial or bulk metering application that requires a meter than can accurately measure water over a wide flow range. Using Faraday’s law of Electromagnetic Induction, two magnets provide a magnetic field within the pipe that measures the flow of the conductive water. The meter can register at more than 95% accuracy at traditional compound meter low flows. It is suited for use in all potable, cold water commercial applications.

The solid-state meter has no moving parts, making regular maintenance unnecessary. A 10 year battery life is one of many value-added features. Utilities no longer have to invest in time consuming regular battery maintenance change-outs or calibration that is required with traditional mechanical and electromagnetic meters.

The high resolution sampling rate of 0.5 seconds tracks and delivers more data for higher accuracy and flow measurement, helping identify peaks and valleys of the flow rate. The unrestricted flow tube allows debris to pass through without damaging the meter, and ensures minimal pressure losses even at high flow rates, preventing the chance of pipe bursts and reducing the pressure placed on pumping stations.

The advanced design includes AWWA turbine meter lay lengths to ease the installation process by eliminating the need for an added spool piece. The ANSI B16.1 Class 125 flanges are epoxy coated cast iron and able to fit directly to existing piping in the field.

Stainless steel construction delivers a meter that has a lightweight, corrosion resistant body. Anti-corrosive electrodes ensure that accuracy is maintained for the life of the meter. Combined with a submersible, IP68 rating, the evoQ4 is the most accurate battery powered commercial metering solution in the water meter market.

The available bi-directional pulse output allows utilities to connect to critical water management billing systems through Elster AMCO’s own evolution AMR/AMI system or many other available AMR/AMI devices, SCADA systems and often used data-logging systems, making it a revenue meter and an effective tool for distribution management.

For more information on the meter, visit www.elsteramcowater.com.

About the Author: Mark Patience is Senior Product Manager for Elster AMCO Water and manages the life cycle and marketing plans for the Commercial product lines. He holds an MBA from St Leo University and is a member of AWWA Meter Standards Committee and the American Society for Quality.