CiDRA Minerals Processing Inc. has entered the dredging market with its SONARtrac® volumetric flow meter that uses passive sonar to measure slurry flow in a pipeline. Because the system is non-contact, installed on the outside of a pipe, it is not subject to wear and requires no maintenance.

Joseph Poplawski, North America Regional sales manager explained that the sensors consist of piezoelectric sensor elements bonded to a monolithic stainless-steel structure that can be wrapped around a pipe. The sensors are strain sensitive and detect the strain created on the pipe wall by passing vortices in the slurry, converting the readings to velocity.