Using thermal mass flow meter, a heat source is applied to the inlet of the device, which then transmits heat from one part of the device to another, increasing in temperature based on its thermal resistance (gain an amount of q). In response to changes in temperature as a function of time, there is a corresponding change in thermal conductance (change in convective heat transfer coefficient h). Due to frictional forces, fluid flow through a pipe changes its speed. By relating the varying thermal power dissipation within a length of pipe to the temperature gradient in a known conduit, a thermocouple placed at different points can be used to determine how much thermal power dissipation occurs within that length.
The types of thermal mass flow meters are as follows:
1. Bypass thermal mass flow meter
We refer to this device as either a bypass flow meter or a capillary tube flow meter below. This type has a laminar flow element and includes an inlet and outlet for the capillary tube where the fuel flows. In addition to the transducer and heating coil, the capillary tube houses the entire system, but each vendor may have a slightly different variation. For example, some may provide up to three sensors while others might use two heating systems depending on their design. This allows you to get more information out of your fuel data such as oxygen content to help determine whether any contamination is present during transport or storage.
2. Insertion thermal mass flow meter
The insertion thermal mass flow sensor might be a good solution if we do not want to cut large pipes. Instead of cutting the pipe, an insertion sensor is inserted between two flanges and measures the heat flowing through the pipe. It’s easy to install, comes in a variety of sizes, and does not require calibrating gas, has no moving parts, and is not affected by shock and vibration. By using carefully selected numerical algorithms that run on a microcontroller, this sensor calculates the total mass flow within the pipe based on the flow rate, compensation and cross-section of your pipe and pressure drop across a specified range. As we scale out insertion sensors, we need to ensure that they are in line with a length of pipe where there won’t be any measurement problems, such as when the customer entered data for the wrong pipe size or inserted the sensor incorrectly.
3. Inline thermal mass flow meter
In addition to being lightweight and aerodynamic, this product combines advanced sensors and transmitters in patented packaging. Aluminum, plastic, and fiberglass composites are used to build it. As a result of its cylindrical design, it provides thermal dispersion at various speeds.
Why insertion thermal mass flow meter is a better choice?
Flow meters used for measuring volumetric flow rate and thermal conductivity of materials in a process are called insertion thermal mass flow meters. Detecting deviations in flow processes is made easier thanks to the fact that Insertion Thermal Mass Flow meters are thermal mass flow meters that are temperature compensated for temperature effects in process flow systems.
Furthermore, the Insertion Thermal Mass Flowmeter is a one-time measurement and replaces the need to read the flow rate directly from multiple instruments. Over the years, it has been widely adapted for many types of equipment in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, such as mixing chambers, reactors, and distillation columns, which were originally developed for the pharmaceutical industry. This type of thermometer is mainly used in large volume process equipment where the temperature change is sufficiently small to be able to be measured and analyzed. Even though the Insertion gas flow meter can only provide a reliable estimate of thermal conductivity, which varies over time during certain processes, the instrument has the capability to capture steady-state conditions more accurately than other instruments like paddle wheel meters or rotameters during certain processes because it is able to capture steady-state conditions at the same time. Because of this, it is a very good choice for the control of system parameters, the detection of deviations, and the measurement of improvements in the plant in relation to mass flow rate.
