Mass flow meters
Mass flow meters
• Many traditional flow meter technologies respond to the volumetric flow rate of the moving
fluid. Velocity-based flow meters such as magnetic, vortex, turbine, ultrasonic, and optical
generate output signals proportional to the speed of fluid molecules and nothing else.
• This means that if the fluid flowing through one of these flow meter types were to suddenly
become denser (while still flowing by at the same number of volumetric units per minute), the
flow meter’s response would not change at all.
Coriolis Mass Flow
• It is so called because the instrument
employs the Coriolis principle which states
that “A body of mass M, moving with constant
linear velocity, and subject to an angular
velocity, (or vibrating) experiences an inertial
force at right angles to the direction of
motion”. It can be expressed as, Coriolis
force = 2Mwv.
• During operation, a drive coil, located at the center of the bend in the tube, is energized periodically
and causes the sensor tube to oscillate (move up and down) about the support axis as shown in the
figure above.
• The tube vibrates rapidly at a rate of 40-200 cycles per second and through a distance of just a few
hundredths of a centimeter.
• When there is no flow, as the tube oscillates around the support axis, points I, C, and O move
together, reaching the furthest extent of their upward and downward travel at the same time.
• When fluid starts to flow through the sensor tube, the tube would be seen to twist around the twist axis,
which is perpendicular to the support axis, as shown in the figures below.
• Points I, C, and O move up and down like before but C would lag somewhat behind O, and I would lag
somewhat behind C.
• During the upward half of the cycle (in the right figure), O would have reached the end of its upward
travel and begun to move downward before C had reached its upward limit, and I would not reach its
upper limit until C had already begun its downward motion.
• The lag between I and O, measured in units of time, is referred to as Δt. This Δt is directly proportional
to the mass flow rate of the liquid; the larger the measured value of Δt, the greater the mass flow rate.
• The Coriolis sensor will detect this time difference and convert it into a standard signal for the
measurement. Voltage is induced at the pickoff coils, located at both sides of the flow tube, based on
Faraday’s Law. These coils will have the same amount of induced voltage but with time, they vary with
flow rate.
• Coriolis Mass Flow animation
• When there is no flow, the sine waves generated by the inlet and outlet sensors are in phase, since the
inlet and outlet sides of the tubes have the same velocity.
• If superimposed on one another, like in the figure above, the sine waves generated by the outlet side
pickoff (C1) and inlet side pickoff (C2) coincide exactly.
• When there is flow in the tubes, the sine waves are out of phase. The reason is that the inlet sides of
the tubes (C2) are lagging behind the outlet sides (C1).
• The amount of time that elapses between the moment when C1 reaches its peak and the moment
when C2 reaches its peak is at Δt, the value that we know to be proportional to the mass flow rate.
Thermal Mass Flow Meter
• Thermal mass flow meters employ the thermal dispersion principle whereby
the rate of heat absorbed by a fluid flowing in a pipe or duct is directly
proportional to its mass flow.
• In a typical thermal flow meter gas flowing over a source of heat absorbs the
heat and cools the source.
Thermal Mass Flow Meter
• As flow increases, more heat is absorbed by the gas. The
amount of heat dissipated from the heat source is proportional to
the gas mass flow and its thermal properties.
• Therefore, measurement of the heat transfer supplies data from
which a mass flow rate may be calculated.
• Thermal Flow meter Technology
• Thermal mass flow meters are designed to accurately monitor
and measure the mass flow (as opposed to measuring
volumetric flow) of clean gases, a parameter that is not
temperature-dependent.
• Therefore, the thermal mass flow meter does not require a
correction for changes in gas temperature, pressure, viscosity,
and density.
Advantages of Thermal Mass Flow Meter
• Measure gas mass flow rate directly
• Suitable for applications where temperature and pressures fluctuate
• Highly accurate and repeatable measurements with a typical accuracy of ± 1% FS
• Able to measure accurately low gas flow rates or low gas velocities
• Excellent turndown ratio, typically 50:1
• No moving parts
Limitations of Thermal Mass Flow Meter
• Gas mass meter use is limited to clean, non-abrasive fluids
• The presence of moisture or droplets can lead to measurement inaccuracy
• Thermal properties must be known: variation from calibrated values can cause inaccuracies
• Relatively high initial cost
