#Product Trends
Clamp-On vs Wetted Flow Transducers: Pipe Walls, Coupling and Acoustic Paths
Clamp-On vs Wetted Flow Transducers: Pipe Walls, Coupling and Acoustic Paths
Choose the acoustic interface before choosing the mounting method
For an OEM ultrasonic flow channel, “clamp-on or wetted” is more than a choice about avoiding a hole in a pipe. It changes the materials traversed by the useful sound, the mechanical interfaces that must remain stable, and the responsibilities of the pressure-containing assembly. Two transducers with the same nominal frequency are not interchangeable simply because both can be connected to a flow-measurement circuit.
A clamp-on arrangement sends sound through an external coupling interface and the pipe wall before it reaches the liquid. A wetted arrangement places an acoustic face in contact with the liquid, although matching layers, protective surfaces or reflectors can still be part of its design. Neither description establishes complete-meter accuracy. The decision begins with the actual pipe or flow-body drawing, liquid and operating envelope.
