Remote read gas meter

What Is Thermal Mass Flow Meter?

Thermal mass flow meters (also called thermal dispersion flow meters) are precision instruments that measure the total mass flow rate of a fluid. They're actively utilized in a variety of industries. The main functionality of a thermal flow meter is based on the so called principle of thermal dispersion, first discovered by Canadian researcher Loui Vessot King and later applied in production by Dr. John George Olin. There are inline gas flow meter and insertion type thermal mass flow meter.

How  thermal gas flow meter does it work?

In short, it's based on measuring the difference. The gas flow meter has two sensors, both of which are immersed into the flow: a temperature sensor and a velocity sensor. The temperature sensor serves as a reference for the velocity sensor, which is constantly heated. It has to always maintain the predefined temperature. According to the aforementioned law, the amount of heat required to maintain the temperature in one of the sensors is proportional to the cooling effect of the gas. In other words, thermal mass flow meters measure the heat and automatically calculate the flow.

Remote-style thermal mass flow meters are a more advanced, superior solution and they may come with a remote display.

Remote Reading thermal gas flow meters

Remote flow meters are particularly suited for hazardous environments where human exposure to the flow meter enclosure may be dangerous, as well as for the ease of access. For that reason, gas flow totalizer is placed in an easily accessible location with safe conditions. A remote read gas meter may even have an explosion-proof enclosure (this depends on the concrete model). The remote enclosure contains all the electronics with the remote display which is connected by a cable.

Remote reading display is suitable for the field where the measurement environment is poor and requires remote display,such as the places with high humidity or corrosive gas. The benefits of a remote display are even more pronounced when it comes to integration, as it can be arbitrarily attached to a custom panel. You can use remote displays in a variety of embedded applications where you can utilize a single push-button mechanism.

Such models have a massive use case in oil & gas applications, but also in wastewater aeration, industrial nitrogen and oxygen generation, flare gas, clean energy, steel manufacturing and many other cases in modern manufacturing processes. In which case, the remote display capabilities come in handy.

Thermal Mass Flow Meter Features

✔ Thermal gas mass flowmeter does not require temperature and pressure compensation for gas flow measurement, and the measurement is convenient and accurate. The gas mass flow or standard volume flow can be obtained.
✔ Wide range ratio, can measure the gas flow rate up to 100Nm / s bottom to 0.5Nm / s, can be used for gas leak detection.
✔ Good seismic performance and long service life. The sensor has no moving parts and pressure sensing parts, and is not affected by vibration to the measurement accuracy.
✔ Easy installation and maintenance
✔ Digital gas flow meter, Integrated digital circuit measurement, accurate measurement and convenient maintenance.
✔ Using RS-485 communication, or HART communication, can realize factory automation and integration.The features of a remote read gas meter ensure that both of its enclosures function safely and reliably. Its best, most notable characteristics include precise management and repeatability of results. The electronic gas flow meter measures direct mass flow without additional equipment, which means that you don't need to add pressure or temperature transmitters. The LCD display outputs detailed information in real time, including such data as flow rate, total flow and gas temperature. The two enclosures are connected with a standard four-wire cable that is necessary to transmit the flow signal and provide input power.

Thermal Mass Flow Meter Price

The price of a remote read gas meter greatly depends on the exact model, its configuration and features. Generally, US-made thermal mass flow meters start at $1,500, but there are also cheaper Chinese gas flow meters which come in a significantly lower price range, but still in rugged quality.