Thermal Mass Flow Meters, also known as thermal dispersion, calorimetric or immersible mass flow meters, are ideal for measuring compressed air and gases. They have no moving parts and offer virtually no restriction to the flow. Thermal mass flow meters are a lower cost alternative to Coriolis meters and are available either as MGF-420 Series flow-through meters, for pipe bores from ½” to 2” or, for wider bore applications, as an MGF-400 Series insertion probe. The meters measure mass, so there is no need for temperature or pressure correction, and can be supplied with a pre-configured data logger.
If you are looking to purchase rather than hire, check out the range of Therma Mass Flow meters at our sister company, Flowquip (link: https://www.flowquip.co.uk/flowmetertechnologies/thermal-mass-flow-meters/
The majority of applications for Thermal Mass Flow Meters are for compressed air monitoring from compressors, or for leak detection, though they are also used for the measurement of clean gases, food and beverage manufacturing and chemical processing. They are usually used for measuring air, but can also be configured for other gases such as Argon, CO2, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Helium, Propane, Methane, Oxygen end even Biogas.
In principle, Thermal Mass Flow Meter operation is very simple. A surface is heated, and thermal energy is convected to the fluid flowing over it. In line with King’s Law, the amount of energy transferred, in other words the amount of cooling, allows the device to measure the mass velocity at that point in the flow. In practice, two sensors are mounted in the device and heated to a precise temperature. Gas flowing over one sensor cools it and the flowmeter measures the amount of energy required to increase its temperature to match the other, which is insulated from the gas flow.
For more information on Flowhire's Thermal Mass Flow Meters, call us on 01422 829920 or email [email protected]
