A water flow sensor is a device used to measure the flow speed and volume of liquids, mainly water. It is widely applied in water supply systems, industrial control, irrigation, and household appliances such as water purifiers and water heaters. The core principle is to detect the changes in water flow through physical or electronic means and convert them into measurable signals (such as electrical pulses, currents or digital signals).

Main types and working principles:

1.Turbine water flow sensor:

• Principle:Water flow drives an internal turbine to rotate, with the turbine’s rotational speed maintaining direct proportionality to the flow velocity.
• Features:Simple structure, suitable for clean water quality, but easily affected by impurities.

2.Hall effect type (impeller type):

• Principle:Water flow drives the impeller to rotate, and the magnet on the impeller triggers the Hall element to generate electrical pulses.
• Features:Low cost, commonly used in household water purifiers, coffee machines and other small devices.

3.Ultrasonic type:

• Principle:The sensor measures ultrasonic wave propagation time differences between co-current and counter-current directions to calculate flow velocity.
• Features:No moving parts, not prone to clogging, suitable for large pipe diameters or sewage measurement.

4.Electromagnetic type:

• Principle:Applying Faraday’s electromagnetic induction, the system generates an induced voltage when conductive liquids (like tap water) pass through a magnetic field, with voltage magnitude correlating to flow rate.
• Features:High precision, suitable for industrial water supply and sewage treatment, but with relatively high cost.

5.Thermal type (mass flow type):

• Principle:Heating elements and temperature sensors measure heat dissipation by water flow to calculate flow rate.
• Features:Suitable for small flow measurement (such as in medical devices), but with a relatively slow response.

Water flow sensors are mainly classified into types such as turbine type, Hall type, ultrasonic type, electromagnetic type and thermal type according to their measurement principles. When making a choice, factors such as water quality, flow range and cost should be comprehensively considered to meet the measurement requirements of different scenarios.

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