Fuel flow meter
Looking for recommendations for a fuel flow meter for the single 120 Lehman on our MT34. I am not looking for anything that needs to integrate to my systems or run on my computer. Just a system that will show me the fuel flow under whatever RPMs we are running. Simple is better. Thanks, Chuck
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This might work with a Lehman that returns little fuel. The specific
gravity calibration will not be exactly that of diesel, but it should be
close enough. It is a McMaster Part. THe price is $150. If it were to
fail and shut off the fuel the engine would die. I don't know what the
possible failure modes are of this part.
The scale for this part is: 1.2 to 12 gallons per hour. It is the
smallest unit that I am aware that THEY carry. I have thought for some
years that this might be an excellent solution for engines that return
very little fuel.
The SG of diesel fuel oil (20 to 60) at 15 degress Celsius is 820 to
950 kg/m3. In other words, it has from 82 to 95 percent the density
of water.
4263K16 Versa-Mnt HI-Pressure Hydraulic Oil Flowmeter 1/4" NPTF
Dryseal Female, .02 -.2 GPM/.1 -.75 Lpm In stock at $150.75 Each
- Maximum Pressure: 3500 psi @ 2400 F * Maximum Temperature: 2400 F *
Accuracy: 12%
These flowmeters have a direct-reading scale that's calibrated for
oil and other petroleum-based liquids with a specific gravity of
0.876 @ 1050 F. Scale rotates 3600 for easy viewing and is protected
by a polycarbonate shield. Flowmeters have an anodized aluminum body,
Viton seals, a Ryton/ceramic magnet, and additional wetted parts made
of Types 302 and 316 stainless steel and carbon steel. Connections
are NPTF (Dryseal) female. Flowmeters with test kit detect worn
components and verify flow and pressure control settings. Kit
includes a flowmeter, pressure gauge, and load valve. The pressure
gauge is glycerin filled with an aluminum case and a plastic dial
cover; valve is carbon steel.
Mike
Capt. Mike Maurice
Tigard Oregon(Near Portland)
Looking for recommendations for a fuel flow meter for the single 120
Lehman on our MT34. I am not looking for anything that needs to integrate
to my systems or run on my computer. Just a system that will show me the
fuel flow under whatever RPMs we are running. Simple is better. Thanks,
Chuck
The simplest is to log your engine hours at every fill and calculate
consumption to run time. You wind up with a number like 1.7 gal/hr. Only a
small amount of record keeping will show you that this is a near constant
number. After that simply do the math before fill-up and expect to take on x
amount and compare with actual.
Ok I have been following your posts and know that you don't really mean keep
it simple.
So add a dip stick carved in hours of operation on one end and gallons on
the other.
Still too simple?
Make a fuel consumption chart on top of your RPM/speed curve (actually darn
near a straight line) by adding the info from above or from the consumption
curve in your manual.
Still not simple enough?
OK, search the last two months of T&T for flow meters.
Richard
I have read the suggestions of dipsticks and using fuel usage to hours run to come up with consumption and that is fairly simple and I do understand that. But those option will not tell me what my fuel usage is at any given RPM and that is the numbers I would be interested in. If I run for a couple of days and some of the time is at 1200 RPMs and sometimes at 2000 RPMs and somtimes at 1800 RPMs, measuring my fuel usage based on hours run and what is added to the tank does not do me much good since it is only an average. I am interested in knowing when I am running most efficiently for fuel consumption and then tell me if something is amiss during a cruise that I am using excess fuel and prior to filling up which could be not for days or a week. Dipsticks and measuring fuel fills won't tell me this. Those are my reasons for considering a flowmeter. Thanks, Chuck
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