10 Inch Vortex Flow Meter (DN250)

A 10 inch (DN250) vortex flow meter, such as the Silver Instruments STLU-G series, measures liquid flow from 53 to 1,200 m3/h and gas or steam flow from 530 to 10,600 m3/h in standard range, extending to 12,400 m3/h for gas under extended turndown. It suits large diameter pipelines carrying steam, compressed air, natural gas, and process liquids where a Coriolis or electromagnetic meter would be oversized on cost. Body length is 220 mm with a 355 mm bolt circle on standard ANSI or DIN flanges.

Why DN250 Is a Common Size

Most vortex flow meter inquiries we get for DN250 come from utility lines, not from a single process step. Plant steam headers, compressed air mains, and large cooling water loops tend to land at this size once a facility scales past a few hundred cubic meters per hour. Because vortex meters have no moving parts, a 10 inch line stays low maintenance even after years of continuous service.

Wide use of 10 inch vortex flow meter

In practice, engineers reach for DN250 vortex meters when the pipe is already fixed by the plant layout and they need a flow technology that handles the velocity without excessive pressure loss. A Coriolis meter at this size would carry a heavy price premium and a long flange-to-flange length. Vortex avoids both.

Flow Range, DN250 (10 Inch)

These figures come from the inline (flanged or wafer) STLU-G body. Min liquid velocity across the series runs as low as 0.21 m/s, so even partial loads on an oversized line still register a usable signal.

Dimensions, DN250 Flange Type

Standard body and bluff body material is 304 SS, with 316 SS available as code M1 for corrosive or higher purity service. Pressure rating goes up to 45 MPa extended and process temperature up to 500°C extended, though most DN250 installs we see sit well inside the standard -40 to 350°C band.

Typical 10 Inch Vortex Flow Meter Applications

10 inch steam flow meter by using vortex flow meter

Saturated and superheated steam metering on plant distribution headers. A DN250 line at a paper mill or textile dye house in Southeast Asia often carries exactly this load, and vortex stays accurate even with some wetness in the steam, as long as dryness stays above 85%.

10 inch compressed air vortex type flow meter

Compressed air mains feeding multiple workshop branches, where the goal is leak detection and per-department cost allocation rather than tight billing accuracy.

10 inch natural gas measurement by vortex

Natural gas distribution at the plant boundary or boiler house inlet, ahead of a pressure-reducing station. HART and Modbus RTU output let the meter report into a DCS without adding a separate flow computer.

10 inch cooling water flow meter

Cooling water and process water recirculation loops at refineries, fertilizer plants, and large food processing sites, especially where chemical dosing depends on an accurate flow signal upstream.

Desalination intake or seawater transfer lines in coastal Middle East and Oceania projects, using the 316 SS wetted option to handle chloride exposure.

Case Example

Last year a fertilizer plant in Indonesia needed a flow meter for a DN250 ammonia plant steam header running at 12 bar and 220°C. They had been using an orifice plate with a separate DP transmitter, and recalibration after every shutdown was eating into maintenance time. We sized an STLU-G with HART output and built-in temperature and pressure compensation. The straight run available was only 18D upstream, slightly under the recommended 20D, so we added a flow conditioner to keep the profile clean. After startup, the readings tracked the plant's energy balance within expectation, and the customer dropped the orifice plate recalibration task entirely.

Get a Quote

Send us your pipe size (DN), fluid type, operating pressure (bar), temperature (°C), and expected flow range (m3/h or kg/h), and we will confirm the right STLU-G configuration and lead time. Email sales@silverinstruments.com.