Back Pressure in Flowmeters: Causes and Solutions

If you use a flowmeter to measure flow rate, you must consider the effect of back pressure. In some processes, sufficient back pressure will exceed maximum operating pressure causing some component of the process to fail. This translates to undesirable downtime and potential cost implications.

Anything connected to the flowmeter, including valves, elbows, and other structural elements, will create back pressure. In many cases, this is fine as long as the pressure generated does not exceed the maximum. For some low-pressure applications, such as an in-house air flow supply or a cylinder tank, back pressure may be minimal. For higher pressure uses in process control and research, such as in a reaction vessel pressurized system, the lines could burst from additional back pressure unless there is a relief valve. To determine what your back pressure is or will be, use a pressure gauge.