Microstructured flow meter
Introduction
A hardware solution capable of simultaneously acquiring the pressure and flow rate of a fluid at the same time. The meter has a built-in electronic board that makes it compatible with a software capable of collecting data in real time, which can be integrated into a monitoring network. Low power consumption and versatility make it an alternative solution on the smart meter market.

Technical features
A measuring device capable of simultaneously acquiring the pressure and flow rate data of fluids is presented as an innovation in the field of smart meters. The experiments carried out during the prototyping ensure a remarkable precision, all without the presence of moving parts, contrary to many water meters on the market today.
The invention was born from the idea of inserting it into a smart-meter, able to acquire water pressure and flow rates, replacing the current ones that are analog, they only measure the flow rate and are subject to strong measurement errors especially in the long run. The acquired data can be aggregated and, through a special analysis software that uses machine learning algorithms, analyzed in order to search for leaks on the network and a more informed management of city water networks.
Possible Applications
- City’s water network Smart-metering;
- Precise fluids measurement;
- Consumer electronics measurement;
- Fluid circuits;
- Gas pipelines.
Advantages
- Pressure and flow in a single measurement;
- No moving parts;
- Decreased pressure losses due to the meter;
- Several liquids and gases;
- Easy replacement;
- Accurate at high and low flow rates.