4 Overview

2
The Flexim F601 Ultrasonic Liquid Flow Meter
measures liquid and energy flow in a pipe. It has
clamp-on sensors for non-intrusive installation and
measurement, without requiring probes be physically
inserted into the pipe. The F601 has data logging
capabilities and a digital display for instantaneous flow
measurements.

In mechanical systems, ultrasonic liquid flow meters

1 are most commonly used for HVAC chilled and hot
water applications but are also useful in industrial
2 processes. All applications require that no gas-phase
substance is present.

Applications
The F601 Flow Meter is often used for:
• liquid and/or thermal energy flow
3 • Water demand analysis, including leaks. The
portable flow meter can serve as a sub-meter to
2

measure cumulative amount of water used by a

Figure 1 Flexim F601 parts device or a sub-system of a larger metered
1) Control console system.
2) Ultrasonic transducers • Diagnosing system performance issues like
3) Magnetic transducer mounting rails variation in flow and flow direction
4) RTD temperature probes (PT100)

Thermal Flow Monitoring

Not shown:
The F601 kit includes two precision RTD temperature
5) Power supply probes whose outputs are integrated with flow
6) Pipe diameter tape measure measurements at the meter. Thus it is well suited for
7) Chain extensions energy flow measurements. Thermal flow is calculated
8) Pipe wall thickness gauge in the meter using the flow rate and the associated
supply and return fluid temperatures.

Note: All FUM citations in this document refer to the

Fluxus F601 User Manual (UMFLUXUS_F6V4-2EN
dated 2011-03-29) unless otherwise noted.
 Theory of transit-time flow measurement
How it Works (Figures 2a&b)
Flow Transducers The flow meter uses a pair of ultrasonic wave transducers, with each
transducer sending and receiving coded ultrasonic signals through
the fluid. In Transit time mode, when the fluid is flowing, signal
T1 transit time in the downstream direction (Figure 2a) is shorter than in
Direction of flow the upstream direction (Figure 2b). The flow meter measures this
time difference (ΔT), which is proportional to the flow velocity. It
Figure 2a The ultrasonic signal takes time T1 to travel
then calculates velocity based on ΔT and other conditions provided
downstream between transducers by the user including liquid temperature, pipe characteristics, and
fluid characteristics. See Fluxus F601 User Manual (FUM) chapter 3
page 15 for more information on theory of operation.
T2
Direction of flow If particulates or entrained bubbles prevent good transit time
measurements, the meter can be configured to use Flexim’s Doppler
Figure 2b The ultrasonic signal takes time T2 to travel technology (called NoiseTrek mode) instead of transit time. See FUM
upstream between transducers “3.2.2 Determination of the Volumetric Flow Rate in the NoiseTrek
Mode” on pages 17 – 18 for theory of operation.

HybridTrek is the same as NoiseTrek, but it automatically switches

between Transit time and Doppler. It is set in the SYSTEM
settings\Measuring branch of the menu system. See FUM “13.3
Settings of the HybridTrek Mode” on p.83-4 for details.

Figure 3a Locate sensors following the 2/3 – 1/3 rule with

a minimum distance of 15x pipe diameters between flow
obstructions (pipe fittings, probes, etc.)
Operation
Installation and Setup

1. If you plan to integrate the Flexim flow data with data from
other sources taken at the same time, you should synchronize all
data to a common clock. See Appendix C, Downloading data, for
more information before proceeding further.

2. Select pipe monitoring point for transducer mounting (FUM ch5

p23). See figure 3a.

3. Prepare the pipe surface at the monitoring point (FUM ch8.1

Figure3b Pipe mounting using magnetic attachments p51). Observe the 3 o’clock/9 o’clock orientation if mounting on
horizontal pipe runs.

index
4. Connect the flow transducer cable to the meter (FUM ch6.3 p30).
See figure 4.

5. Mount the flow transducer set on the pipe at the selected

monitoring point without couplant. See figure 3b. Observe the
correct positioning of the transducers by noting the embossed
Channel “A”
flow direction arrow (see figure 7 on page 4 of this document,
Figure 4 Insert transducer cable end into meter and FUM chs 8.2 and 8.3, p51-4).
channel “A”. Observe index key and conductor pins
during insertion.
 6. Review keypad operation before proceeding (FUM ch 4.4 p21). See
figure 5.

7. Turn meter on (FUM ch 10.1 p61). See figure 5. The meter will
briefly display a message saying “CLAMPON DETECTED ON A:” (or B if
channel B is used for transducer input), followed by a brief meter ID
message. Then the main menu appears in the meter’s digital display
with one of 4 options selected: par (parameters), mea (measuring),
opt (output options), or sf (special functions). See figure 6.

Off 8. Note: If you plan to integrate flow data with data from other
(3x) On sources, please follow the steps in Appendix C: Synchronize F601 to
PC clock from the FluxData application and skip this step.
Otherwise, Using the keypad → and ← keys, move the cursor to the
SF branch and press [ENTER]. Press the ↑ or ↓ keys to select System
Figure 5 Turn meter on and off (UM10.1 p61). Settings [ENTER], then select Set Clock [ENTER]. Select OK to accept
or NEW to update the displayed time. Press [ENTER] to accept
MENU Navigation:
changes. Repeat this process for the Date value. Then press the
 #8 and #2 keys to scroll up and down
[BRK] key to return to the top menu.
 #4 and #6 keys to scroll left or right
 Press ENTER to make a selection
 Clear Key (“C”) to clear/delete an entered value
9. Unless you are logging at 5 second intervals or faster, set SF
 Break key (“BRK”) to interrupt measurement
menu\Special Function\System Settings\storing\Storage Mode =
OR Jump to Main Menu at any time during
Average (FUM ch 14.1.3 p95).
setup or operation
Refer to the laminated Quick Start (QS) Guide card to continue with
setup steps 10, 11, and 12 below. Begin with the Parameter Input menu
branch, then turn the card over and continue with Output Options and
Measuring branches.

10. Move cursor to the PAR branch (FUM ch 11.1 pp 65-70) and enter
parameter values indicated in the QS Guide at the prompts. As you
proceed, note the following:

 Measure outside pipe diameter with the pipe diameter tape

Figure 6 Meter’s Main Menu display with PAR selected. measure provided with the meter.
 If the pipe material is known, use the pipe materials data sheet
to look up wall thickness based on the pipe diameter for that
material. If pipe material is unknown, use the thickness gage to
measure the pipe wall thickness (see Appendix B in this
document).
 For pipe roughness value, use the meter’s default value, or see
FUM Appendix C-2, p234 (.0005” - .002” for carbon steel).
 After all values are entered, press the BRK key to return to the
main menu.

11. Follow QS guide for OPT values (FUM ch 12.1 p76). Data logging is
activated in this branch if desired (FUM ch 14 p93). If temperature
logging is desired, turn T1 and T2 on when prompted, and refer to
Appendix A for more information.
 12. If logging, go to SF/System settings/storing for additional settings such
as ringbuffer, storage mode and other logging parameters (FUM ch
14.1.3 p94-7). Pay particular attention to the storage mode parameter,
which should usually be set to “average” when logging at intervals of 5
seconds or more.

13. Follow QS guide for MEA values (FUM ch 11.4 p70). This is the branch
where measurements (and logging if selected) are initiated. If logging,
provide a value (e. g, “1”) for Measuring Points when prompted (FUM
ch 11.5 p71). Select “2” or “4” for the sound paths (number of
traverses) value (FUM ch 11.5 p71). If a negative value is displayed,
increase the number of traverses to the next even number (e.g., from
“2” to “4”).
Figure 7 Arrow indicates flow direction when transducers
are properly placed
14. Transducers should be oriented on the pipe observing the correct flow
direction indicated by the embossed arrow on top of the transducer.
See figure 7.

15. Transducer spacing should first be set to the value recommended by

the meter in the MEA menu. See figure 8. If the signal strength is
below 1 bar with no coupling paste, adjust the flow transducer spacing
to maximize signal strength (number of bars on the console display)
and achieve a constant green LED status indicator (FUM ch 11.6 p72
and QS guide). For adjusting transducer spacing for optimum accuracy
see Consistency Check (FUM ch 11.6.2 p73-4). Be sure to enter any
spacing changes into the meter as explained in the manual.

16. When proper spacing is achieved, remove the transducers to apply the
coupling paste then re-install the transducers. Using fingers only,
tighten them snugly against the pipe but NOT “gorilla tight”. DO NOT
USE TOOLS TO TIGHTEN. Only 3-5 bars of signal strength are needed
for a reliable signal. Trying for more than 5 bars has no effect on
accuracy and has no other benefit.
Figure 8 magnetic rail mounted transducers. Spacing is
indicated by distance “A”, and is provided by the meter. 17. If recording a running total flow is desired, set Totalizers with the “8”
key after measurements have begun (FUM ch 13.2 p80). Press “8” 1
time to set totalizers, or 3 times to reset them. Press “2” 3 times to turn
off totalizer.

18. Measurement (flow, velocity, etc.) is in progress when the active

channel’s LED is green. However, it is NOT necessarily logging! In its
default configuration the meter also beeps each time data is logged to
signify that logging is in progress (SYSTEM settings\Storing\Beep on
Storage = on). The channel LED must be green for logging to
continue. Please note that hitting the BRK key halts logging and real
time flow display.

19. Press the “3” and “9” keys to cycle through selected measurement and
diagnostic values such as volume, flow, totalizers, temperature, sound
speed, log file fill date, measurement status values (S, Q, c, RT, F), and
battery level (FUM ch 12.3, 12.4 and 12.5, p78-9).

20. Note the F601 batteries will support up to 11 hours of logging,

depending on logging interval and battery condition. For longer logging
periods, use the power supply to provide reliable operation for the
duration of the logging period.
 Appendix A: temperature monitoring with 100ῼ RTD probes

Refer to FUM ch20 p138 for more information on thermal flow

measurement setup.
T2/T4
Connect the RTD temperature transducers to the meter (FUM
T1/T3 ch 6.3 p30). See figures 9a and 9b.

Mount the probes at properly selected prepared temperature

monitoring points (FUM ch 9.3 and 9.4, p57-58). Use
temperature conductive paste (“heat sink compound”) if
available for the most accurate temperature data.

As noted in Operation step 10 on page 3 of this document,

temperature logging is activated by turning T1 and T2 on in the
Figure 9a (Optional) Insert RTD sensor cable ends into OPT branch (FUM ch 14 p93). Using the ↑ or ↓ and [ENTER]
meter T1 and T2 inputs. These are threaded keys, select the desired channel (typically “A”)
connections.
From the special functions (SF) menu, use the arrow keys to
navigate to Special Funct.\SYSTEM settings\Proc.
Inputs. Using the ↑ or ↓ and [ENTER] keys, select Link
Temperature then configure the following parameters:
 Link temperature = heat or chill
 thermal energy = heat or chill
 transducer location = return or supply
 thermal energy = absolute or sign
 T-Supply = Input T1 (typical)
 T-Return = Input T2 (typical)
 T(3) and T(4) = no measuring
Return to the Proc. inputs menu option above. Using
arrow and ENTER keys, select PT100 / PT1000 and
configure the following parameters:
 Input T1 = pt100
Figure 9b (Optional) Properly mounted RTD sensor with  Input T2 = pt100
insulating pad and chain clamp
Select T-Supply = T1 and T-Return = T2 (be sure the RTD
placement is reflected in your selections).

For more information on temperature Inputs see FUM ch21

p148-153.
 Appendix B: Using the Thickness Gage

If the pipe wall thickness is unknown and cannot be determined by

look up charts, use the ultrasonic thickness gage provided to measure
its thickness. More information on the thickness gauge can be found
in the F601 User Manual (FUM ch 19 p133).
1. Plug the gage in the console’s B channel and watch for the
message identifying the device.
2. Push BRK key to go to top menu if necessary
Pipe thickness gage 3. Go to PAR menu [ENTER]
4. Select Channel B [ENTER]
5. Select Pipe material [ENTER]
6. Write down C-long value if desired [ENTER]
7. Hit BRK, then go to MEA menu [ENTER]
8. At “wall T-inch?” prompt, make measurement (e.g., .211 for
steel pipe)
9. Confirm measurement and record for later use [ENTER]. You
may wish to compare the measurement with values found in
the pipe size data sheet for comparable pipe material.
10. At “Transfer Data?” select yes [ENTER], but note that the
value transfers only to current B channel and must be re-
entered in the A channel PAR values (see below).
Close-up of probe’s acoustic
11. Remove thickness gage probe from channel B (to avoid
partition boundary
damage, do NOT pull on the cable, and pull only on the LEMO
style connector!)
12. Hit BRK, then go to PAR menu [ENTER]
13. Select channel A [ENTER]
14. Find wall thickness parm and enter value recorded in step 9
above [ENTER]
15. Hit BRK, then go to MEA menu [ENTER] and begin
measurements.

Boundary should be perpendicular

to pipe axis when measuring
thickness
Appendix C: Downloading data

Please note:
Historically, the Tool Lending Library has seen instability in the Fluxdata application.
Recent releases appear stable, nevertheless we recommend saving files and
closing applications before downloading Flexim data as a precaution to
safeguard any work-in-progress in other applications.

Synchronize F601 to PC clock from the FluxData application (optional):

If you plan to integrate the Flexim flow data with data from other sources taken
at the same time, you should synchronize all data to a common clock. This is
best accomplished from the FluxData application instead of the console keypad,
but in either case must be done BEFORE logging is started for any data source
you intend to synchronize. Follow the first 3 steps below. Then, in the FluxData
application, select menu option DUT / Date & Time, and click “Select Actual
Time”, then OK. The meter and PC clocks now agree, and data from any other
loggers also synchronized to the same PC will be easily integrated using
spreadsheet or database software.

1. Install FluxData software on your PC from the software diskette provided.

2. Connect meter to your PC with RS232 cable into a COM port or a USB RS232
serial port adapter (e.g., Keyspan). If using a USB adapter, make a note of
the COM port assigned to the connection.
3. Start FluxData.exe
4. Confirm the proper COM port from step 2 is set in the application
(options/serial interface, select COM port in dropdown listbox). Click Save
(BTW, “Abbrechen” is German for “Cancel”), then OK (FUP 14.2.7 p101-2)
5. The Protocol button displays the connection parameters and will match the
meter’s default values (9600 baud/8 bits/even parity/2 stop bits). Leave
them and block size at their default values (FUP p99 sect 14.2.4). These
values must agree with the PC’s Device Manager COM port settings.
6. To assure that all logged data is downloaded at the end of the logging period,
stop logging with the BRK key before downloading. If you only need a data
sample to verify operation, you may leave the meter logging and avoid
interrupting the log file.
7. Click File/Receive to download data (or the leftmost icon in the toolbar).
8. Downloading data during data logging interrupts but does not stop logging.
Logging resumes after download is complete (1 or more minutes).
9. Neither downloading data nor interrupting logging deletes previously logged
data. To delete stored records set Special Funct.\Delete Meas. Values\Really
Delete = yes (FUP p97 sect 14.1.5).
10. By default, totalizers do not reset between logging sessions. Set Special
Funct.\SYSTEM settings\Measuring\Quantity recall=OFF to reset totalizers on
any interruption. During logging the totalizers can be reset by pressing C
three times (FUP p131 sect 18.8).
Other interesting and helpful information
 See HotCodes handout for more information on HotCodes p63 sect
10.3
 For imperial/SI units selection go to sf\system settings\dialogs menus\
 For more imperial/SI units selection use HotCode 007020
 If setting display contrast and display goes blank, reset with HotCode
555000 (system settings\miscellaneous\contrast)
 For programming tree see p62 sect 10.2.2
 For BTU Mode p143 sect 20.3
 If medium temperature varies more than +/- 20 degrees, consider RTD
input p69 sect 10.3
 Memory capacity: When logging only one physical quantity (e.g.,
GPM) on one measuring channel, use the following table to estimate
logging duration based on logging interval and use of totalizers:
1 sec 10 sec 1 min
no totalizers 31 hrs 13 days 78 days
one totalizer 13 hrs 5.4 days 31 days
 To review remaining memory (for log files), see p97 sect 14.1.6
(sf\special functions\instrument inform.\free=112493)
 To reset the meter to factory inputs, restart the meter and enter
HotCode 909000 at the home screen immediately after turning on the
meter. Follow the prompts. Next, simultaneously press the ENTER,
BRK and C keys, releasing first the ENTER key, then the BRK key one
second later, then finally the C key. Follow the prompts.

If signal strength is good at zero flow but diminishes when flow is present, it
may be a sign of entrained air bubbles preventing a good signal. Consider
configuring the meter for direct (one traverse) measurement.