Selection at a glance
- Ultrasonic velocity plus the supply-to-return temperature difference gives heat and cooling, for district heating and district cooling.
- Communications include Modbus (see the table), so the meter can join a heat-network SCADA or campus energy management.
- There is no impeller, pressure drop stays low, and the meter can sit in the flow for a long time when the solids load is moderate.
- SimtoLink can spell out the straight-pipe length, the mounting attitude, and how to vent the line.
Product overview and engineering role
The SimtoLink ultrasonic heat meter is for a heating utility, a campus plant, and central-air billing. Trade settlement and an internal efficiency comparison then share one set of numbers.
SimtoLink documents the integration interval and the density and enthalpy model. Volume jobs can share one clock and one reporting interval with the building meters and the electricity meters.
Reliability and field fit
Electrical safety and EMC follow the related IEC 61000-4 level-4 test items on this heat meter. Ports include surge and reverse-polarity protection. A reinforced earth and a partitioned layout cut ground loops and common-mode noise. Outdoor or coastal cabinets can take a higher ingress rating and a corrosion-resistant coating.
Tariff and threshold settings can be imported together, and models that include it can store event video or a waveform. Configuration and firmware update over the air. Acceptance on site is a power-on self-test, time sync, and a sample check. Because this is a metering instrument, SimtoLink helps with a submission to a third-party metrology institute and supplies the type-test file.
Key hardware parameters
The table is a typical build of this heat meter, for selection and for a technical clause in a tender. A wider range, redundant power, or an intrinsically safe version is quoted separately; ask SimtoLink for the hardware specification and the installation and commissioning guide. Order codes in the family can differ slightly. The nameplate and the papers shipped with the meter govern.
| Parameter | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage rating | 3×220/380V | Self-powered |
| Current rating | 1(120)A | Energy-theft protection |
| Accuracy class | Class B | IEC 62052 |
| Harmonics | 2～53 orders | THD analysis |
| Communications | Modbus | Dual port |
| Clock | GPS time-sync module | Time-of-use tariff |
| Pulse | Active/reactive pulse output | Optical isolation |
| Power | <3.1 W | Single-phase / three-phase |
| Operating temperature | -35～67 ℃ | Outdoor meter cabinet |
| Standard | IEC 62053 | Type approval |
Typical applications
These are the ways this heat meter is usually installed, so a buyer can select it and check commissioning:
District heating at the dwelling
Heat is metered for a stair or a flat, for the on-off time-area method and for a remote audit of the readings.
Campus chiller plant
Cooling is settled for trade and priced by zone, and a low Delta-T that wastes energy shows up.
Hospitals and cleanrooms
Heat on the secondary side of a steam or hot-water exchanger is watched, so facilities cost can be split.
Installation, grounding, and maintenance
- Confirm supply range and polarity before the meter is powered. If the rating is unclear, measure bus voltage and breaker capacity with a multimeter.
- Run communications on shielded twisted pair, ground the shield at one end, and do not lay a long run in the same bundle as high-power cable.
- Before the meter leaves the lab, prove bidirectional read and write and a threshold trip against the platform.
- An outdoor cabinet needs a drain path and a way to breathe. Recheck the seal face. Lightning-protection earth resistance has to meet the local code.
- While the meter stays in service, take a sample check and archive the logs every 6 months.
Ordering, documentation, and support
SimtoLink can issue the hardware specification, outline drawings, a wiring table, and a sample project for this heat meter. Volume orders can include a sample review and a factory inspection. Warranty and calibration follow the contract and the documents packed with the meter.
Further reading
Meter reading and flow metering: