ISA Interchange

AutoQuiz: Which Type of Flowmeter Measures Flow By Measuring Volume Directly?

Written by Joel Don | May 8, 2015 1:00:32 PM

AutoQuiz is edited by Joel Don, ISA's social media community manager.

This automation industry quiz question comes from the ISA Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST) program. Certified Control System Technicians calibrate, document, troubleshoot, and repair/replace instrumentation for systems that measure and control level, temperature, pressure, flow, and other process variables. Click this link for more information about the CCST program.

Which type of flowmeter measures flow by measuring volume directly?

A) Coriolis
B) Magnetic
C) Positive displacement
D) Differential pressure
E) None of the above

The positive displacement flowmeter measures the flow by breaking it into discrete segments of known volume and returning it to the stream. A Coriolis meter measures the stream's mass flow directly. A magnetic flowmeter calculates the flow by measuring the voltage generated by conductive material in the flow as it passes through a magnetic field set up around the stream. The differential pressure flowmeter works by placing an obstruction in the stream that causes an upstream and downstream pressure difference.

The answer is C.

About the Editor
Joel Don is the community manager for ISA and is an independent content marketing, social media and public relations consultant. Prior to his work in marketing and PR, Joel served as an editor for regional newspapers and national magazines throughout the U.S. He earned a master's degree from the Medill School at Northwestern University with a focus on science, engineering and biomedical marketing communications, and a bachelor of science degree from UC San Diego.

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