The flow measurement accuracy of Rubicon’s 2ft Sonaray Pipe Meter has received official certification from the Australian Government’s National Measurement Institute (NMI). The certification demonstrates compliance with the NMI M 10 non-urban water meter standard, which is closely related to the international OIML R 49 standard.
The Sonaray Pipe Meter, which has an internal diameter of 2ft, is a remotely managed flow meter for measuring flow in gravity-fed rural water applications.
In achieving certification, the Sonaray Pipe Meter had to undergo a rigorous pattern approval process over several months to demonstrate accuracy within ±2.5% in all of the test conditions. It was tested across a range of flow rates and environmental conditions, including endurance testing, which required the meter to maintain accuracy after months of operation.
The Sonaray Pipe Meter is available with three different couplings, enabling installation onto concrete headwalls, inline and with an integrated control valve (BladeMeter). The NMI certification covers all coupling arrangements.
The meter uses Rubicon’s Sonaray technology, which measures flow across five planes using 20 ultrasonic transducers. An additional sensor checks that the meter is full and sends an alert if this requirement is not met. Unlike similar meters, it only requires two diameters of pipe upstream and zero downstream, enabling it to be installed without the need for extensive civil infrastructure.
Testing was undertaken at The Australian Flow Management Group’s specialist test facility, which is part of the University of South Australia.
Sonaray technology is also used by the BladeMeter™, SlipMeter™, FlumeMeter™ and PikoMeter™. The SlipMeter is currently undergoing pattern approval testing, with open canal flow measurement certification expected in the coming months.