Product Overview
The VN2000 Compact Insertion meter is the lower-cost, lower-profile insertion meter in the Vortex line — a fixed-depth probe for pipes from 2 to 24 in that reads ±1.0% of reading. Instead of the live-tap hardware of the Hot-Tap meter, it drops into a welded mounting assembly and an alignment pin sets its depth, squares it to the flow, and retains it — so it is the economical choice when the line can be depressurized to install. The sensing element is the same welded one-piece stainless with dual piezo sensors that never touch the fluid: no moving parts, no recalibration after startup. It measures steam, gas, and liquids; the internal RTD adds mass flow and a second external RTD adds liquid BTU/energy. Outputs are 4–20 mA, scalable pulse, and Modbus RTU or BACnet MS/TP, and the digital build draws only about 1 W.
Other Vortex meters
VN2000 Hot-Tap Insertion — install & remove under pressure, 2–36 in
VN2000 Inline — full-bore, ±0.7%, 3/4–8 in
RVL Non-Metallic — PVDF/CPVC, liquid-only, 1/4–3 in
Key Features & Benefits
- The lower-cost way to meter a large line — a fixed-depth probe and a mounting assembly matched to the pipe size give insertion-meter reach without the cost of a full-bore meter or the live-tap hardware — the economical choice when the line can be taken down to install. Insertion reach at a lower price.
- An alignment pin sets the depth and locks it — after the mounting assembly is welded to the pipe, the meter drops in and a single pin fixes the insertion depth, squares the bar to the flow, and acts as a secondary retainer once the line is back up — so the install is repeatable and the meter cannot back out. One pin does depth, alignment, and retention.
- The same rugged element, lower profile — the welded one-piece stainless element with sealed piezo sensors that never touch the fluid carries over from the larger meters, in a lower-profile package — no moving parts, no recalibration after startup. Built for the same abusive service.
- Mass, energy, and a network output — add the internal RTD for temperature-compensated mass flow on steam or gas, the external RTD for liquid BTU/energy, and tie the 4–20 mA, pulse, Modbus RTU or BACnet MS/TP output into your system — and at 1 W on the digital build it runs lean. Full measurement on a small power budget.
Specifications
- Measurement principle
- Vortex shedding — dual ceramic piezoelectric sensors bonded inside a one-piece CNC-machined stainless element, press-fit to the insertion bar and fully welded, with no leak path to the sensors. No moving parts.
- Measured fluids
- Steam and gas (volumetric or mass flow), and liquids (volume or BTU/energy).
- Line sizes
- 2–24 in (50–600 mm) — the meter and its mounting assembly are matched to the specific pipe size.
- Accuracy
- ±1.0% of reading on volumetric, mass, and heat flow.
- Repeatability
- ±0.25% of reading.
- Velocity range
- Liquid 1.32–32 ft/s (0.4–9 m/s); gas from cube-root(140/ρ) up to 300 ft/s (91 m/s).
- Reynolds range
- 10,000–7,000,000, depending on fluid density.
- Process / fluid temperature
- −250 to 400°F (−120 to 204°C).
- Maximum pressure
- 1000 psi (68.9 bar). The line is depressurized to install or remove the meter.
- Straight-run requirement
- Upstream 10 pipe diameters, downstream 5; at most a single 90° elbow ahead of the inlet.
- Wetted materials
- Stainless steel 304L; O-ring-free welded element — the piezo and temperature sensors never touch the process fluid.
- Process connection
- 1-1/2 in NPT on a welded mounting assembly with an alignment pin; the mounting-assembly kit is available in standard carbon steel, 304L, or 316/316L stainless and includes the weldable outlet.
- Mass-flow option (internal RTD)
- Optional. An RTD embedded in the sensor (100 Ω, 3-wire) corrects for temperature so a steam or gas line reports true mass, not just volume.
- BTU / energy option (2nd external RTD)
- Optional. A second external 100 Ω RTD lets the meter total BTU/energy across a heat exchanger on a liquid line.
- Outputs
- One 4–20 mA (24-bit, 10–36 V max load) plus a scalable pulse (opto-isolated, max 12.5 Hz).
- Digital communication
- EIA-485 — Modbus RTU or BACnet MS/TP (one or the other, ordered with the meter).
- Display
- 2×16 reflective, rotatable; 6-digit rate with totalizer; 4-button membrane keypad.
- Transmitter / mounting
- On-meter (integral) or remote to 30 ft (10 m), pipe- or wall-mounted; multi-pole plug-in connector (no internal field wiring).
- Enclosure / rating
- General purpose.
- Power
- 14–36 V DC; the 4–20 mA build draws ≤5 W, the Modbus or BACnet build ≤1 W.
Common Applications
- Plant steam, compressed-air, and process-gas lines from 2 to 24 in where a shutdown to install is acceptable
- Chilled-water and process-water lines, with optional BTU/energy on the loop
- Campus and building steam submetering on new or scheduled-outage piping
- Compressed-air auditing and distribution monitoring on larger headers
- Cost-sensitive retrofits where full-bore metering is not warranted
The Compact is the budget insertion meter for lines that can be depressurized. If the line must stay live, the Hot-Tap Insertion meter installs under pressure; for the tightest accuracy on an openable line, the full-bore Inline reads ±0.7%; and for a clean or aggressive liquid, the non-metallic RVL is the answer.
What to Pair It With
Mass-flow needs nothing extra — the RTD is embedded in the sensor. The BTU/energy option is what needs a companion: a second temperature point on the return side of the loop.
- Badger Meter External RTD probe (VNA-RTD) — the BTU/energy build reads the supply temperature from the RTD inside the VN2000 sensor and the return temperature from this insertion RTD, then totals heat from the ΔT and the mass flow. Order the matched VNA-RTD probe with the meter rather than sourcing a generic RTD, so the pair is calibrated and wired to the transmitter (manual VRX-UM-02292). Use the input form to tell us the loop and pipe size and we spec the probe and insertion length with the meter.
Design & Selection Considerations
- Pick the body by how the meter meets the pipe — the measurement principle is the same across the VN2000; the install is what differs. The Inline is a full-bore meter you bolt into the line (3/4–8 in) and it reads the tightest number, ±0.7% of reading; choose it when the line can be opened. The insertion meters tap one hole into a larger pipe at ±1.0%: the Hot-Tap goes in and comes out under pressure through an isolation valve, while the lower-cost Compact drops into a welded mounting assembly after the line is depressurized. For a clean or aggressive liquid that a stainless meter would contaminate or that would corrode it, the RVL is the non-metallic answer. Use the input form to tell us the pipe size, the fluid, and whether the line can be shut down and we point you to the right one.
- Give it a settled flow profile — like any meter that reads velocity, a vortex meter needs the flow profile to recover before it counts vortices — plan on 10 pipe diameters of straight run upstream and 5 downstream, with no more than one 90° elbow just before the meter. Short of that, accuracy drifts. Use the input form to send the piping layout around the meter location and we flag whether you need a flow conditioner or a different tap point.
- Keep it in the turbulent band — vortices only shed cleanly in turbulent flow, so the VN2000 holds its accuracy across a wide Reynolds band (roughly 10,000 to 7,000,000) but loses the bottom of its range at very low velocity, and a thick fluid that stays laminar will not register — the line is best on fluids under about 20 cP. The worst case is the low-flow / high-viscosity corner, not the high end. Use the input form to give us the minimum flow with the fluid viscosity and we confirm the meter still reads at your turndown.
- Mass flow and BTU are options — order them up front — the base VN2000 reads volumetric flow. Add the mass-flow option and an RTD embedded in the sensor temperature-compensates the reading to true mass flow for steam or gas; add the BTU/energy option and a second external RTD lets the meter total heat across a heat exchanger — the basis for campus and building steam submetering and chilled-water BTU. Neither is retrofit-friendly, so specify the measurement when you order. Use the input form to tell us whether you need volumetric, mass, or energy and we set the right configuration.
- Decide whether the line can come down to install — on a critical line that cannot be shut off, the Hot-Tap Insertion meter installs and is serviced live — it rides a stainless seal assembly on your isolation valve and, with the optional insertion/extraction tool, goes in and out under pressure (the element withstands 1000 psi, though insertion or removal is not recommended above 400 psi). When a shutdown is acceptable, the Compact Insertion meter is the lower-cost route, and a full-bore Inline meter needs the line open. Use the input form to tell us whether the process can be taken down and we steer the selection.
To size & select the right VN2000 Compact Insertion meter:
Use the input form to tell us the fluid (steam, gas, or liquid), the line size and schedule, the flow range, and the operating pressure and temperature, and we’ll size the meter on Badger Meter’s Vortex sizing software and confirm the measurement (volumetric, mass, or BTU/energy), the output and protocol, and the process connection — with programming and commissioning available as an optional, quoted service.
Flow Meter Application Sheet ›Talk to an engineer directly — Scott Prater, Principal · 917-580-0878 · scott@pratertechnical.com
Specifications compiled by Prater Technical Partners from Badger Meter Vortex product datasheets.