A current meter used for the estimation of water flow rate in the upwelling pipe

Considerable interests in recent years have been directed towards the study of various mechanical devices to draw up deep ocean water (DOW), particularly the air-lift artificial upwelling devices. However, one of the obstacles which limit their application in open ocean mariculture is the difficulty in estimating the flow rate in the upwelling pipe. Conventionally, the water flow rate in the upwelling pipe is measured by a electromagnetic flowmeter (EMF). However, the EMF can not withstand the pressure under the sea. In this study, a current meter based on accelerometer is designed. It aims to obtain relatively precise data of flow rate in pipe, which enables artificial upwelling devices to perform better in mariculture.