As you know, steam is not free. Normally, it’s produced at a central facility and piped to customers. Like all other forms of heat, steam must be measured and billed according to usage. Unfortunately, most steam systems have been in operation for many years (sometimes for nearly a century) and typically rely on a legacy device calle­d a shunt meter to measure steam consumption.

Shunt meters have three major drawbacks:

1. First, they are mechanical, so the device wears out.
2. Second, they are a volumetric device, so additional temperature, pressure and flow computers are required to determine steam mass flow. The total system accuracy and repeatability is affected by each individual component.
3. Third, process variables may be measured at different points.

All of these factors together lead to poor accuracy, typically around five percent. That is lost money to steam producers due to billing inaccuracies.

When customers come to us with steam consumption applications, we recommend our Innova-Mass multi-variable mass vortex flow meter, which will quickly solve the problems associated with shunt meters and help you capture revenue that’s been disappearing into thin air.

When I revisit this topic next week, I’ll share a case study that demonstrates how one maker of superheated steam discovered that the benefits and savings associated with our mass vortex flowmeters aren’t just a lot of hot air.

That’s why we’ve made Live Help available to you. When you click on the Live Help button, located at the bottom of our main site navigation menu, you’ll be connected immediately with one of our application engineers on site at Sierra (not in a call center somewhere). They are qualified and prepared to answer most any question you may have about our flowmeters in real time. And, if they don’t know the answer, they have fast access to other resources they can use to assist you.

So, don’t hesitate to take advantage of this feature. Live Help can ensure that you order the right flow meter or sensor with the right specs for your application right from the start, saving you time and money. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty cool!

Our SmartTrak 100 flowmeter is ideal for ammonia mass flow control. The key to ammonia is that it has to be dry and it must be very warm to remain in gaseous form. The maximum temp spec on SmartTrak is 122F. We recommend heating the inlet and outlet lines leading to and from the instrument to at least 115F as well as heating Smart-Trak’s 316 stainless steel flow body to 115F. If you take all these simple precautions, you will be able to measure ammonia for years and years to come with no problems.

I said the answer to the conundrum is actually “blowing in the wind” – that a vortex flowmeter works much like a flag waving in the wind. Technically, this is known as a Von-Karman Vortex Street, and it turns out to be the ideal way to measure steam flow.

Bluff bodies can be made tough and rugged and are able to withstand the high temperatures of superheated steam. By adding a temperature and pressure transducer integral to the unit, mass flow can be measured.

If your application requires steam flow measurements, I recommend trying our Innova-Mass® Model 240. We developed this technology with you in mind (in fact, we were the first to come up with it) because we understand how important precision is when it comes to calculating vapor flow.

This particular flow meter is capable of measuring five process variables (temperature, pressure, mass flow, volumetric flow and density) at a single process connection.  The insertion version (Model 241) makes an ideal solution for big steam pipes.

At Sierra, we love tackling tough applications like steam flow. Do you need a special flowmeter for a particularly challenging problem? Contact us! I know we can find the solution.

However, steam naturally cools as it goes down the pipe, so the pressure and temperature at the point of use is generally not the same as when it left the boiler; thus, density errors are introduced and the mass flow of the steam is no longer correct. Obviously, T and P compensation can be added, but that causes the same problems we discussed earlier.

We looked at this problem in detail, and developed our Innova-Mass® 240 & 241 Mass Vortex Multivariable flow meters in response. Vortex flow meters use the fact that the number of vortices shed by a bluff body per unit time is a function of the fluid velocity.

The typical analogy is a flag moving with the wind. The flag flaps faster as wind speed increases. The actual flapping is caused by vortices shed from the flagpole (the “bluff body”).  If we can count the number of flaps per unit time, we can determine the wind speed.

But, how do you turn that into a flowmeter? The answer, my friend, is “blowing in the wind.” Find out in my next post on steam flow!

Lets say you need a SmartTrak 100 digital air flow sensor for Argon with a max flow range of 28 slpm. Our selection wizard lets you enter this configuration and properly sizes the instrument for you.  In addition, you can then choose all the options you may want – digital display, fitting size, elastomer type, output signals and more. The selection wizard assembles the proper model for you and prices it out. From there, you can buy it if you want.

Shop for a Smart-Trak 100 online and buy it today!

By utilizing nearly 40 years of  flow meter design experience, we modify any existing product to meet original equipment manufacturer (OEM), private label or general customer special needs. We have an engineering library housing  literally thousands of successful customs and modifications. When you contact us, this is usually where we start because, more often than not, we have done your special application at least once before!

Sierra can also assist you in designing a custom mass flow solution from the ground up.  All custom instruments are fully warrantied and tested to assure they meet specifications.  And best of all, many times we will custom engineer at no extra charge. Try us! We love this stuff.  Check out some examples…

Over and over again, scientists stopped by to inquire how Sierra’s flow meters would meet their need for accurate and repeatable data. Glen Coblentz, Director of Sales, states it best in his interview to LabGrab.com during their onsite Pittcon coverage. Click the image below to find out why Sierra flowmeters when you need accurate data.

P.S. Thanks, Labgrab.com, for the video.

Another trend at Pittcon, requests for measuring and controlling corrosive gases.
Read previous blog on Pittcon to learn more.

Our 840 has been our go-to product for decades because of its large capillary sensor tube which, due to its large diameter capillary sensor tube (up to 3-4 times larger than the industry standard) is very resistant to corrosive gases.  Designed for relatively dirty gases, an completely unique feature of the 840 is the ability to unscrew two ports at either end of the sensor and properly clean out the sensor in the rare case something does happen.

In addition to the large sensor, the major key to assuring long-term performance is assuring the gas is very dry. We have found that the vast majority of corrosive gas customers usually have a very good handle on the moisture content of their gas.

Try the 840 for your tough next corrosive gas application.

In our recent interview, he described two essential qualities that any flowmeter he uses must possess. First, a flow meter must be accurate in any weather, which I discussed in part two of this series. Because Mucciarone does so much field research, he needs a flow meter that delivers indoor laboratory results in an outdoor environment.

Second, he says a flowmeter must stand the test of time in a less-than-pure environment.  There’s a lot of competition for research dollars, and he wants to spend every one he gets as wisely as possible.

Flowmeter Performance Despite Ocean Debris, Vapors

During a year of research for Mucciarone, his testing equipment might endure the bitter cold of Antarctica, as well as the heat and dampness of Palau, an island about 500 miles east of the Philippines. Originally, he purchased a Sierra Smart-Trak flowmeter in 2006 in a pinch because the flowmeter he had been using broke and he was about to depart for Antarctica. (By the way, we’re always ready to help in a pinch! You can order flowmeters online now.) When I spoke with Mucciarone recently, I was amazed to learn that he was still using that same flowmeter six years later. It had literally traveled around the globe with him!

“The first flowmeter I used in my flow-through system apparently got a little debris in it, and it stopped working,” he says. “The Sierra flowmeter goes through the same debris, vapors, acid and other elements, and it’s still running. I have to say, it’s been a reliable component.”

Data that Leads to Believable Findings About Climate Change

Mucciarone has two back-up flow-through systems, and both are equipped with Sierra components. He says it’s necessary to have equipment in reserve because a breakdown out in the field can be costly, and he can’t afford to let his supporters down. Organizations like the National Science Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Federation, National Geographic and others are waiting to see the data analysis from Mucciarone and many others who are studying climate change. According to Mucciarone, all of this, in the end, is about getting information to the right people with the hope that they will make good decisions.

“Knowledge is power,” Mucciarone says. “We hope our research can help form government decisions. The idea is to show data that’s believable, and that’s what good instrumentation and good protocol help create – findings that are less likely to be disputed. We want to get to the place where the findings are no longer disputed, which depends on sample method, protocol and instrumentation. When those aren’t in check, anything can be disputed.”

I, too, am interested to see Mucciarone’s findings. For me, the outcome will be completely believable because I know and trust the instrumentation that’s backing him. At Sierra Instruments, we’re ready to put our flowmeter know-how to work in demanding applications that will come under close scrutiny, like this one. If you’re a researcher, what do you need in a flowmeter?