Development and Application of Coriolis Mass Flow Meter

Abstract: This article briefly reviewed the development process of Coriolis mass flow meter, summarized its development and application status and pointed out its development trends.

Direct mass flow measurement VS volumetric flow meter

The measurement of flow rate, temperature, and pressure together constitute the three major parameter measurements in the field of industrial measurement, among which flow rate measurement is the most complex and requires the highest accuracy. Its economic, reliable, and safe measurement play an important role in the production process. There are currently many types of instruments used for flow measurement, such as oval gear flow meters, differential pressure flow meters, electromagnetic flow meters, turbine flow meters, ultrasonic flow meters, etc., all of which belong to the type of volumetric flow meters.

Why Industries Need Direct Mass Flow Measurement Solutions

In the field of industrial production, due to reasons such as material balance, thermal balance, storage, and economic accounting, people are more concerned about measuring the mass of fluid flowing through. Although an indirect mass flowmeter can be composed of a volumetric flowmeter and a density meter, its structure is complex and is affected by pressure and temperature, resulting in large measurement errors. Therefore, for a long time, metrology technicians have hoped to develop a mass flow meter that can directly measure the mass flow rate of fluids in pipelines.

Coriolis Flow Meter vs Electromagnetic and Turbine Flow Meters Accuracy

Compared with other technologies such as electromagnetic or turbine flow meters, Coriolis flow meters provide higher accuracy and direct mass flow measurement .Coriolis mass flowmeter (hereinafter referred to as Coriolis flowmeter) is a new type of mass flowmeter developed by Micro Motion in 1977, which is based on the principle of Coriolis force proportional to the mass flow rate generated by a fluid in a rotating system during linear motion. It can directly and accurately measure the mass of the fluid and obtain the fluid density value at the same time. It is currently one of the fastest developing flow meters. After years of development, this new type of mass flowmeter has greatly improved its measurement performance and has become a leader in flow measurement.

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Coriolis Force Mass Flow Meter Working Principle and Formula

The basic principle of Coriolis flowmeter operation is Coriolis force. On a disk rotating at an angular velocity ω, there is a mass of m. The point moves at a speed of v, and at this point, the particle will experience a fictitious inertial force

Fc function, its size is:

In the formula:
Fc is the Coriolis force;
M is the mass of the measured particle;
ω is the angular velocity;
V is the radial velocity in a rotating or oscillating system.

U-Tube Coriolis Flow Meter Vibration and Torque Measurement

Fc force is the Coriolis force, which is perpendicular to the plane determined by ω and v. Taking the ordinary U-tube mass flowmeter as an example, the U-tube vibrates uniformly at a frequency of 80Hz under the action of an electronic driver. Due to the presence of Coriolis force, the fluid flows in opposite directions on both sides of the U-tube, and the resulting Coriolis force acts in opposite directions on the tube wall, as shown in Figure 1. Due to the opposite direction of force acting on the parallel tubes on both sides, the U-shaped tube is subjected to a torque M. At the same time as the U-shaped tube vibrates up and down, it appears to be alternately twisted from the side, as shown in Figure 2.

Coriolis Flow Meter Torsion Angle and Time Difference Calculation Method

The torque M is proportional to FC, and FC is proportional to mv. Therefore, as long as the torsion angle θ of the U-shaped tube is measured and the torque M is calculated, the mass flow rate m value can be obtained. Due to the difficulty in accurately measuring the torsion angle θ, the relationship between the θ angle and the time difference Δ t between the parallel straight pipes passing through the center equilibrium point at both ends of the U-shaped tube can be used to achieve the measurement of the θ angle, thereby realizing the measurement of mass flow rate.

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Global Coriolis Flow Meter Market

The representative manufacturers of foreign Koch flow meters are Rosemount and E+H, with market share of 65% and 25% respectively. Although Coriolis flowmeters only entered the market in the early 1980s, they have gradually become the dominant product of flow meters, with constantly improving technical performance indicators and intelligence levels. Authoritative experts have commented that the Coriolis flowmeter will replace other types of mass flowmeters and certain volumetric flowmeters as the mainstream technology for flow measurement.

Coriolis Flow Meter Market Growth Rate and Sales Statistics 1991-2004

The fact of market sales also proves this point: many traditional flow meters are experiencing a significant decline in market share, while only Koch flow meters are growing at an average annual growth rate of 16%. According to statistics, the estimated installed capacity worldwide was 110000 to 130000 units in 1991. In 1995, the global sales of flow meters amounted to 3 billion US dollars, of which the Coriolis flow meters accounted for 235 million US dollars, approximately 8%. In the past five years, the average annual sales revenue of various flow meters worldwide has been 2.2 billion US dollars, of which the share of Coriolis flow meters is 420 million US dollars, accounting for 19%, while other types of flow meters account for less than 8%.

Industrial Automation and Coriolis Flow Meter Technology Research Trends

But with the increasing demand for automated information detection and processing technology in industrial production, industrial parameters and situations that could not be measured due to the complexity and difficulty of fluids have now put forward monitoring and measurement requirements for mass flow rate. Therefore, countries such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan are conducting technological research on new Coriolis flow meters. Due to the vast market prospects and high profits of these new instruments, countries have invested heavily and are eager to seize the pinnacle of this technology.

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China Coriolis flow meter Development Status

China started relatively late in the research and application of Coriolis flow meters. Since the mid-1980s, Coriolis flow meters have been applied in some imported complete sets of equipment. By 1992, about 2000 units had been put into use, mainly in the petroleum and chemical industries. In recent years, with the increasing understanding of Coriolis flow meters, the number of installed Coriolis flow meters in China has continued to increase, and their application scope has become more extensive. However, the vast majority of them are imported from abroad.

The SH-CMF and SH-CMD series coriolis flowmeter from silverinstruments.com have nearly 40 years of production experience. We strive for excellence in production processes and 40 years of application experience have enabled our quality flow meters to have stable and excellent applications in various industries. For some special industry applications, we have made breakthroughs, such as high pressure Coriolis flow meter of 1000 bar, ultra-low temperature of -260 degrees Celsius, ultra-high temperature Coriolis flow meter of 400 degrees Celsius, and special mass flow sensor materials such as tantalum and titanium. Monel and others, we have all achieved technological breakthroughs.


Related article: [ China Coriolis Flow meter Development ]

Small Diameter Gas Mass Flow Meters in Chinese Chemical Industry

Small sizes gas mass flow meters are widely installed in China, mainly used in small and medium-sized experimental equipment, online analysis and detection devices, and semiconductor industry production in the chemical and petrochemical industries. Large size gas mass flow meters are mainly used for measuring natural gas and coal gas. Although the quantity is not large, the prospects are promising. In recent years, the development of small and medium-sized gas mass flow meters in China has been rapid. Taking 1999 as an example, a total of 2785 units were installed in China, including 2150 domestically produced units (mainly from manufacturers such as Beijing Chemical Research Institute of the Ministry of Chemical Industry, Jianzhong Instrument Factory, and Shengye Company), and imported instruments mainly from companies such as Brooks UN. Due to the limitations of calibration devices, there are currently very few manufacturers of large-diameter gas mass flow meters in China, but silverinstruments.com can offer max 12” Coriolis mass flow meter which can measure around 918 lb/s flow.

Chinese Liquid Mass Flow Meter Development Challenges and Market Growth

Due to the high technical difficulty and long benefit cycle, the progress of liquid mass flow meters is relatively slow. Although many research institutions and universities have carried out the development of this product, the number of manufacturers is extremely limited and the output is not large (mainly including the Beijing Chemical Research Institute of the Ministry of Chemical Industry, Shanxi Taihang Instrument Factory, etc.), mainly relying on imports, but the demand is increasing year by year.

Micro Motion Coriolis Flow Meter Sales Growth in China 1992-2004

According to data from Micro Motion (MM) Company in the United States, the company's total sales in China were 600 units by 1992, with a sales volume of 1000 units in 1992. By 1997, the installed quantity of Coriolis flow meters was approximately 3500-4500 units, and by 2004, it had reached 7500 units. These instruments are widely used in the measurement and control of petrochemical, chemical, building materials glass factories, and industrial kilns.

Chinese vs International Coriolis Flow Meter Performance Comparison

Although the production of liquid mass flow meters is very difficult, we have now made certain technological breakthroughs. According to a sampling comparison conducted by the national metrology department in 2004 on the products produced by MM Company, E+H Company, and Beijing Chemical Research Institute of the Ministry of Chemical Industry, the results showed that the technical indicators and performance of the three products were basically equivalent.

Coriolis Mass Flow Meter Applications Across Multiple Industries

Due to its high accuracy, wear resistance, wide measurement medium range, and multi parameter measurement, Coriolis mass flow meters have been widely used in industries such as petroleum, chemical, aerospace, power, papermaking, food, and pharmaceuticals.

TiO2 Slurry Measurement in Paper Industry Using Coriolis Flow Meters

TiO2, which is used to adjust the opacity and brightness of advanced paper in papermaking production, is a very expensive material. It is added as a suspended slurry in water and is usually measured by an electromagnetic flowmeter to measure the flow rate. Many factors can cause changes in the content of TiO2 powder in pipelines, and operators must add excessive TiO2 to meet the minimum brightness and opacity requirements of the paper. The use of Coriolis flowmeter can solve the problem of TiO2 content control, ensuring product quality without wasting materials and improving economic benefits.

Resin and hardener flow measurement

In the chemical industry, many processes require continuous control of two components mixed in a fixed ratio, such as the mixing of resin and hardener. Two Coriolis flow meters are selected in the control system, and two converters are used to control the speed regulating pumps of the two components respectively. The converters have PID regulators, and the entire system implements ratio control of the two components.

Coriolis Flow Meters in Polypropylene Production with Solid Catalysts

During the production process of polypropylene, turbine or volumetric flow meters are susceptible to damage due to the use of solid catalysts; Due to the non-conductive nature of solvents, electromagnetic flow meters are also not suitable; Additives heated to 100-150 ℃ will also form coatings on differential pressure sensors due to temperature changes, affecting measurement accuracy, and the flow rate of additives will directly affect product quality. The use of Coriolis flowmeter is not limited by the various factors mentioned above, and achieves accurate measurement.

Coriolis Flow Meter Applications in Beer and Whiskey Production

In the beer production process, sugar and water need to be mixed, and a Coriolis flowmeter is used. The density output can tell the operator the degree of sugar dissolution. Once the density output is stable, it proves that the dissolution is uniform, and the batch and quality can be effectively controlled. Used for controlling the percentage of starch in the production process of whiskey and other alcoholic beverages to save distillation time, increase production, and improve the efficiency of the entire manufacturing process.

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Coriolis Flow Meter Advantages and Limitations in Industrial Applications

The principle of Coriolis flowmeter determines its outstanding advantages such as high accuracy and large measurement range, but it also has disadvantages such as high pressure loss, high requirements for manufacturing and installation processes, and susceptibility to external vibration. In the past decade, the technological level of Coriolis flowmeters has greatly improved, and their application scope has become increasingly widespread. It can be foreseen that the Coriolis flowmeter will have even faster development in the future.

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Future Development Trends of Coriolis Mass Flow Meter Technology

From the current status of research and application of Coriolis flowmeter, its main development direction is:

Large Diameter Coriolis Flow Meter Development for Industrial Applications

Development of a new series (large diameter) mass flow meter. In order to expand the application field of instruments, various companies have developed large caliber, even ultra large caliber products based on the original small and medium-sized products to meet the needs of different users.

Multi-Parameter Coriolis Flow Meters: Mass Flow and Density Measurement
Developing a versatile approach to a single table. The Coriolis flowmeter is mainly used to measure the mass flow rate of liquids, but according to its principle, it can also measure the density of liquids. This meter can also be used to measure the mass flow rate of gases flowing under high pressure due to their increased density.Coriolis flow meter from silverinstruments.com can measure density of liquid.

Coriolis Flow Meter Manufacturing and Installation Error Analysis

Analyze the impact and numerical relationship of manufacturing and installation errors on Coriolis flowmeters, in order to relax the requirements for manufacturing and installation accuracy within the allowable range of measurement errors and reduce the process difficulty of manufacturing and installation.

Coriolis Flow Meters for Low-Density and Two-Phase Fluid Applications

Further expand the application of Coriolis flowmeter to enable flow measurement of low-density gas and gas-liquid two-phase fluids.

More information about Coriolis flow meter from silverinstruments.com：