Aeration Blowers, Anaerobic Digesters, Cogeneration Power With today’s clean energy mandates and rising energy costs, wastewater treatment facilities are looking for new ways to operate more highly efficient and cost-effective facilities. Sierra’s BioTrak, our innovative new thermal flow meter, meets the rugged demands of wastewater plants where aeration, digestion, and cogeneration play pivotal roles. The […]

The associated gas generated from oil production has received a lot of attention recently. In many areas, the lack of gas collection infrastructure requires this gas to be flared off. Many jurisdictions now require flare gas monitoring in order to reduce emissions and to allocate taxes, fines, and other fees. Choosing the best tools for […]

Our focus this year is on making operational excellence a more tangible and measurable part of the customer experience. That starts with getting the right people in the right positions throughout the organization who can deliver at the highest level. We want to give a warm welcome to four new additions to the Sierra Management […]

New RedyIndustrial Thermal Mass Flow Meter & Controller for OEMs features a Water Resistant Housing. We’re very excited to announce the latest addition to Sierra’s MEMS mass flow meter and controller product line, the new RedyIndustrial. Engineers in the biopharmaceutical industry that require precise control of the gases used in bioreactors can rely on RedyIndustrial. […]

As climate concerns continue to dominate the national (and global) conversation, tightening state and federal regulations on methane emissions can pose challenges to new and existing oil and gas producers. While many may be familiar with New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), which regulate emissions at new wells, it’s important to know the EPA is moving […]

For years, Sierra Instruments has developed proven gas flow measurement solutions for original equipment manufacturers. Learn how our RedySmart mass flow controllers have been used in the development of vaccines and pharmaceuticals to meet the rising demand on OEMs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Effects of COVID-19 on Biopharmaceuticals OEMS When the COVID-19 pandemic spread […]

Sierra Instruments is pleased to announce that James Earle is the new General Manager, TASI Gas Flow Division.   James’ focus will be to lead our team of world-class flow experts in growing our flow instrumentation business and creating the best experience possible for our customers.   “I am very excited to join the team at TASI, […]

Happy New Year! With 2021 in the history books, we are looking forward to the new year with all its potential. Check out our top blog posts as we look forward to what 2022 will bring.  How Do MEMS Mass Flow Controllers Work? Our most-read blog post in 2021 gives you an in-depth look into […]

Take Charge of Your Boiler Efficiency & Avoid Steep EPA Emissions Fines Sounds like an impossible task, but it’s not. Emissions monitoring is a hot topic for plant and facility managers due to the elevating importance of three factors: Global climate-change mitigation efforts Increasing governmental regulations Social pressures Due to this, there is also a […]

For engineers and facility managers looking at their production operations to improve process efficiency, reduce costs, and find ways to meet sustainability and environmental governance regulations, selecting the right thermal mass flow meter with accurate flow measurement is critical.  Utilizing a flow meter that lacks the capabilities to accurately measure your gas flow in your […]

We are excited to welcome Jeff Gulla and Chris Gorman to the Sierra team. Chris A. Gorman joins as Sierra’s new Purchasing Manager, and Jeff Gulla joins us as Sierra’s new Sales Manager for the Scientific & MEMS Product Line.  Both new hires are part of Sierra’s strategy to support the booming Scientific product line […]

Need to measure flow but don’t know what type of flow meter you need? Our new app gives you the answers-quickly and easily.  Sierra Instruments is excited to announce the launch of our new flow meter selection app to simplify the flow meter specification process. Our new app helps you find the right flow meter […]

Our new bioreactor application tech note is worth the download. The new tech note focuses on how digital mass flow controllers optimize bioreactor performance and replace manual variable area (VA meters) with an integrated valve to control the gases in their bioprocesses to yield greater results. As you know, in today’s climate it is a […]

We are excited to share our latest video, qMix RealTime Flare Measurement System-How it Works, especially if tightening EPA regulations are on your mind. Last month, the U.S. Senate voted to overturn relaxed requirements for methane emissions, and the U.S. government has begun to strongly enforce previously approved rules. So accurate flare gas measurement is […]

Sierra is leading the charge! We are proud to announce that another member of the Sierra family has been awarded the Berwind Foundation Scholarship award for 2021! Please join us in congratulating Jaden Balanon, son of Edwin Balanon Sierra Welder I, as this year’s winner of the Charles G. Berwind Foundation Scholarship Program award. The […]

New Faces at Sierra! Sierra is growing, and we are very happy to announce that both Garrett Mungridis and Derek Klein have joined the Sierra family. We always aim to bring the best and brightest into our Sierra family to continually improve the quality of our customer service, speed of order processing, and rep support. […]

Not All MFC Sensor Technology is Created Equal Mass flow controllers offer precision gas flow control to many critical industries including biopharm, semicon, food & beverage, manufacturing, and R&D. As the technology demands increase in these sectors, so does the demand for precision gas flow control systems. The more accurate and repeatable the gas flow […]

Why Are Dry Sensors Critical for Flowmeter Lifetime Sensor Warranty, Accuracy, and In-Situ Validation? When it comes to flow meters, what matters to plant managers and engineers alike is if their meter is measuring flow accurately and reliably. They want to know they can depend on the data their meter is providing. However, the answer […]

Even though 2020 has come and gone, we would like to take a minute to recognize our Top Blogs from 2020.  As with most things in 2020, the theme of  “get back to the basics” resonated with our readers. The winning blogs of 2020 all answered foundational questions like: “How does this work?” or “How […]

In our last blog, we discussed how plant and operation managers are searching for ways to manage the flow energy in their facility to cut costs and increase their process efficiency. After the purchase decision is made, correct installation and calibration are the next steps to maintaining the equipment over the lifetime of the product […]

                    It’s almost October and Fall is in the air. 2020 has turned out to be a tumultuous year and things seem to only be heating up. COVID-19 continues to be a daily factor in our lives, civil unrest is abundant, and the US economy remains […]

Upgrading to A Gas Mass Flow Controller Provides Greater Reliability for your Bioreactor When it comes to efficient bioreactor performance, precision mass flow control gas is critical. It is essential that bioreactor manufacturers have reliable, repeatable, and flexible gas supply systems for their bioreactors.  Due to the ever-evolving demands and critical and complex nature in […]

Three tips for maximizing your vortex shedding meter’s efficiency. As far as steam flow measurement goes, vortex mass flow meters have become the flow technology of choice for most facilities and plants looking to incur significant savings on energy, maintenance, and processing costs. Vortex flow meters are perfect for measuring saturated and supersaturated steam in […]

Meet EPA’s Refinery Regulations with our New Game-Changing qMix RealTime Flare Measurement System (FMS) A refinery at full capacity produces far more gas than it needs. It is not economical to capture it, clean it, compress it, store it, and finally transport it, so it’s flared off. Stringent federal, state, and local laws govern the […]

Mechanical rotometers have been a staple for flow measurement since the early 1900s, giving engineers and scientists fast and economical gas flow measurement. Sierra introduces the next generation advancements in this technology with the RedyCompact™ mass flow meters and regulators, Watch Sierra’s NEW video to learn how this unique battery-powered digital mass flow meter, regulator […]

Precision Mass Flow Control Validates Ventilator Accuracy It’s actually a life and death matter, and we take this very seriously. Accurate mass flow control is crucial in the process of validating the accuracy of oxygen flow for mechanical ventilators and respiratory medical equipment. Ventilators are designed to pump oxygen into a patient that is breathing […]

In these uncertain times, it’s great to be able to share some good news. I am happy to announce that two children of Sierra’s team members are the recipients of this year’s Charles G. Berwind Foundation Scholarship Program award. The scholarship garners a competitive field of applicants with only 15 students awarded financial scholarships of […]

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on September 4, 2014. Due to its popularity and continued questions on this issue, we updated the post on March 20, 2020. It’s an industry fact that in-situ calibration validation is one of the major benefits of thermal mass flow meters.  The idea of saving money and downtime […]

We can all agree that our economics and external drivers have changed in the last four weeks. The emergence of COVID-19 has changed the way we work, socialize and think about the world. In Sierra’s 45 year history, we also have not seen such a shift in our flow control industry from a slower-moving mature […]

Sierra Factory Update-Operations Continue to Run To our Valued Customers, Representatives, and Suppliers, As we continue to monitor the rapidly evolving situation around the coronavirus (COVID-19), we would like to let you know our priorities are the safety and well-being of our employees, customers and partners, and families. We continue to assess the situation daily […]

  We have been in the capillary thermal mass flow business for nearly 45 years, many have asked us why we recently introduced MEMS thermal mass flow controllers into our product offering.  Combining superior physics, high reliability, and unparalleled flexibility, our new Sierra MEMS-based RedySmart brand mass flow controllers complement our Sierra Capillary-based SmartTrak brand […]

  Welcome to 2020! The last decade was quite a ride with lots of twists and turns. It’s hard to re-cap it into words, but as we begin 2020 here’s a quick look at the top 5 blogs and videos of the last decade. These resonate to you for a common reason -all are teaching […]

When it comes to mass flow meters and controllers size matters. Not all flow meters are the same. It’s like choosing a car. All cars are designed to move you from point A to B. However, if you live high up in the mountains you might want a truck or a tougher built car to […]

Nearly every major city around the globe has a district energy system that provides thermal energy to its buildings. In these underground infrastructures, thermal energy is provided to multiple buildings from a central energy plant or plants. 24 hours a day 7 days a week steam or hot water produced at the district energy plants […]

Every municipality throughout the country has a wastewater treatment plant to safely treat water that enters back into our environment. This doesn’t mean they are immune to problems. One of the biggest problems for US wastewater treatment plants is the aging infrastructure with an estimated 180 billion dollars needed to repair many wastewater plants. A […]

Exciting News! We have redesigned Sierra’s site (sierrainstruments.com) with you in mind.  We do “understand flow is tough,” so the user experience and user interface of our new homepage are geared toward helping you find any flow meter or other products you need-in just 3 clicks. We are also rolling out our new FastShip™ platform […]

A question we get a lot from our customers is how to determine which Sierra mass flow meter or mass flow controller is best for their application.  Followed up by: What’s the difference between an economical mass flow controller and a premium mass flow controller. Our new video explains the differences between Sierra’s economical and […]

7 Need to Know Terms for Successful Specification of a Mass Flow Meter or Controller Whether you have been on the job for decades or just starting to purchase or specify a mass flow meter or controller to measure fluid flow in your application, there is key terminology to understand. Here are seven terms you should […]

Did you know most chemical plants use electricity derived from an on-site natural gas power plant or co-generation plant burning waste gas streams?  In large boilers, power plants bring together air and fuel (natural gas, waste gas, oil or coal) for combustion, which creates heat. The heat boils the water, creating steam. The steam runs […]

Have you ever wanted to look inside a mass flow meter or gas controller to understand the mechanical components? This blog, as part of our ongoing core technology series based on excerpts from Sierra’s Founder and Chairman, Dr. John G. Olin’s, white paper entitled, “Capillary Tube Thermal Mass Flow Meters & Controllers – A User’s […]

Understanding Capillary Tube Thermal Mass Flow Meters & Controllers:   Flow meters and controllers are used every day in general purpose industrial and laboratory applications and in the semiconductor industry.  Have you ever wondered how capillary tube flow meters work?  or How to specify the perfect flow meter for your application? I am excited to present this ongoing core technology […]

Almost every facility, campus, or hospital in the country has a HVAC process that heats and cools the building. With the current hot topic of improving energy efficiency, how do facilities managers and facilities engineers know that their HVAC process is running as efficiently as possible and not wasting energy? The key is to calculate […]

Whether you are running a large municipal water facility or one of the over 37,000 rural water utilities in the United States, water usage rates and costs drive your decisions. For any water system, it’s critical to answer key questions like: What’s your water usage and/or production? How much water are you distributing or allocating? […]

Gas mixing sounds simple enough. You simply mix a number of pure gasses to create a new mixture. Unfortunately, it’s not usually as simple as it sounds. There are many variables and factors that play a role.  In this post, we’ll dissect this challenging application and discuss how to obtain perfect gas mixing and blending […]

2018 is now in the history books, and 2019 has begun with gusto. Can you feel the electric energy of a fresh start in the air? This time of year is a perfect time to reflect on the previous year and to set goals building on the success of the previous year to ensure an […]

Wishing You Holiday Cheers! To each and everyone one of our loyal customers and partners, we want to wish you love, peace and joy in the coming year. Each day it’s an honor to work with you to help you solve your flow measurement  and control challenges. We appreciate your business, and we remain dedicated […]

From facilities management to district heating applications, accurate steam flow energy measurement is a critical flow measurement needed to incur substantial savings on energy and maintenance costs. However,  steam flow energy measurement is also the most difficult flow measurement to make due to the unknown factors of what type of steam is being produced, various […]

As the infrastructure of our Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities age and government-driven energy efficiency mandates rise, VA facilities’ engineers are faced with a decision to upgrade existing equipment or replace older equipment in order to improve energy efficiency. Dealing with the upgrade or replace decision is a big one. Replacing older equipment is costly, but in the […]

Improving energy efficiency in facilities, campuses and hospitals is top of mind for most facilities managers and engineers.  Government regulations like Boiler MACT and other energy efficiency mandates for government buildings like VA hospitals have put the pressure on facilities engineers to take a hard look at their equipment to optimize for energy efficiency.  Optimizing energy efficiency comes in the form of both […]

Solving the Biogas Flow Measurement Conundrum In recent years, concern about climate change has increased interest in alternative energy sources, specifically in biogas energy. Biogas energy can be extracted from landfills. Digester gas produced at wastewater treatment plants is another common form of biogas. So why is it so popular? In a word, economy. This […]

How do you tame the compressed air energy hog in your facility? As most facilities managers can attest to, the electricity used to produce compressed air can be one of the most expensive energy costs in your facility. Questions arise such as: How can I verify my compressed air capacity? How do I balance distribution and allocation […]

Vortex flow meters are increasingly becoming the flow technology of choice for gas, liquid, and steam flow measurement. Vortex flow meters are ideal for measuring saturated and supersaturated steam in large facilities to improve steam production efficiency and allocation. Volumetric water flow and high flow gas measurements are also strong applications for vortex flow meters. […]

The spirit of ACHEMA 2018 can be summed up in three words: reimagine, capitalize, and prepare for the future. ACHEMA was all about seizing the potential opportunities that Industry 4.0  or IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) can bring to the chemical and process industries. Industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in […]

As we’ve discovered in Part 1 and Part 2 of this Flow Energy Management series, determining the best flow meter technology for flow energy management of gas, liquid and steam applications depends on specific measurement goals, fluid, flow rate, turndown requirements, fluid temperature, and flow pressure. In part 3 of this series, let’s consider three […]

Which mass flow controller will work best for my application? Many times, we have had university professors and students contact us in tech support about which scientific flow meter they should get for their research. Sierra has two primary options for you to choose from: SmartTrak 100 SmartTrak 50 We are going to go over the […]

In part 1 of our Flow Energy Management series, we identified the 3 Killer Flow Energy Management Applications that will reduce energy costs: compressed air & natural gas measurement, steam production, distribution, and allocation, and water/BTU measurement. And we identified the best flow meters for each of these applications: thermal mass flow meters for gas, vortex […]

More and more, buzz words like “flow energy” or “flow energy management” have become prevalent as companies grapple to control costs, reduce energy use, and comply with government regulations—all while trying to increase profitability. But what are flow energy and flow energy management? Why should you care? In this three-part series, we will: Explore what […]

Many of us have heard the sound of pipes banging as we turn a faucet on or off. This sound is the water in the pipe being forced to stop or suddenly change direction and is called “water hammer.” Did you know that water hammer is not just limited to water pipes? In fact, water […]

Precision measurement of low flow in gas mixing applications Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on November 28, 2011. Due to its popularity and continued questions on this issue, we updated the post on March 9, 2018. Choosing the right flow controller for laboratory or biomedical research applications is essential to achieving success in […]

When Sierra-Asia was founded in China in 2002, we were small but motivated. We understood that China’s fast-pace growth and development plans called for having boots on the ground. It was true then and it’s true now. Establishing a team of customer-oriented technology experts that exemplify Sierra’s core values of QDPICS™ has been a big […]

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 25, 2012. Due to its popularity and continued questions on this issue, we updated the post on 2/2/2018. We often have engineers and researchers ask us about the best way to measure and control ammonia. We’ve got a perfect product for the application, but there are […]

Do you have questions about the iSeries flow meter Totalizer App that comes standard with every QuadraTherm 640i/780i Thermal Mass Flow Meter or want to learn more about gas mass flow rate? We get many support questions regarding the app, generally covering the same few points, so let’s spend a few minutes and discuss how to use and understand […]

Another year has come and gone, and it certainly was a big one for Sierra and our customers! Let’s look back at the news and top content that we shared with you in 2017. Most Popular Blog Posts from 2017 We love sharing our news and providing useful flow meter information with you through our Let’s Talk […]

To all of our loyal customers, we want to wish you a peaceful, joyous holiday season. Each day it’s a pleasure to work closely with you to help you solve your flow measurement & control challenges. We view each of your flow victories as our own, a badge of honor we wear proudly as being your […]

Since the early twentieth century, geothermal energy has been used to produce electricity. In the 1980’s and 90’s, rapid expansion in the demand for geothermal energy put pressure on suppliers to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. Now geothermal energy production is becoming a common practice around the globe. One of the largest energy companies in […]

An ultrasonic flow meter utilizes ultrasound to measure the velocity of a fluid and is used in a variety of fluid applications. Ultrasonic flowmeters are ideal for water and other liquids. Clamp-on ultrasonic flow meters achieve high accuracy at low and high flows, save time with no pipe cutting or process shutdown, and are not affected […]

To solve problems and build solutions in the modern world, an engineer must have clear focus, an ability to think critically under pressure, and a willingness to work long hours. When skills are developed over time and knowledge is refined, meaningful innovation can and does come to fruition. However, what allows one to rise above […]

A water flow meter is a device that measures the amount of water flowing through a pipe. There are several water flow meter technologies to choose from depending on the water measurement application, maintenance requirements, and budgetary terms.  Each of these types of water flow meters has a unique principle of operation, specific application benefits, and overall cost-of-ownership. The question […]

Imagine this: You’ve got your flow meter with 4-20mA output setup. Confidently, you flip the switch, turning it on and then it happens–the readings are off. You’re not getting the output you need. Frustrated, you tinker with it, and still nothing. Now, you’re out of your depth. You need to get this thing working so […]

A flow meter works by measuring the amount of a gas, liquid or steam that passes through or around the flow meter sensors. While flow meter sensors work in many different ways, the end goal is the same: Deliver the most accurate and repeatable flow measurements for the specific application, whether for general research, process […]

Vortex flow meter technology is an ideal technology for many applications particularly saturated and supersaturated steam, volumetric water applications as well as flow energy management (natural gas, compressed air, steam, water) in facilities and large campuses. In some of these applications, vortex installations can be tricky and take flow expertise for the most successful installations. Kam Bansal, […]

An insertion-type (immersible) thermal flow meter works by measuring the total mass flow rate of air/gas flowing through a pipe or duct. In a thermal flow meter’s simplest working configuration, gas flows past a heated velocity sensor and a temperature sensor. Instrument electronics work to maintain a constant temperature differential of 50 degrees Celsius between the actual gas temperature and the […]

Generating electricity in a natural gas power plant is a complex process due to the multiple steps involved with the different types of fluids being used and optimized. Dr. John Olin, Founder of Sierra Instruments, explains how thermal mass flow meters, vortex flow meters, and ultrasonic flow meters can improve the flow energy management in power plant applications in this latest video […]

Facilities managers at large facilities often have the challenging task of managing all the flow energy in their facility with the mandate from upper management to save money on energy costs. To accomplish this goal, it’s critical to get accurate flow measurement data of the flow energy in your facility such as: natural gas, compressed air, steam, chilled […]

Ultrasonic transit-time flow meter technology is becoming one of the most adopted technologies for accurate liquid and energy/BTU measurement. Although a major benefit of the technology is that it is non-invasive and can be clamped to the outside of the pipe, an inherent challenge with ultrasonic clamp on liquid flow meters is finding the best […]

Streamline, simplify and save time and money by plugging the innovative Compod upgrade into the face of any SmartTrak 100 mass flow meter or controller. SmartTrak is not only a true multi-gas digital mass flow controller, it can control your process too. If you need more functionality to control a positive shutoff valve, have a pulse output, or […]

For Liquid Flow Metering, Optimized for Thermal Energy/ BTU Sierra is proud to announce the new InnovaSonic 207i ultrasonic liquid flow meter with thermal energy/BTU capability.  Designed, built and calibrated by Sierra in Monterey, California for non-intrusive liquid flow metering, and optimized for thermal energy/BTU measurement, the 207i transit-time ultrasonic flow meter is the ideal turnkey solution for […]

Many times scientists and researchers spend more time setting up equipment and instrumentation for their experiments than conducting actual experiments to gather important data. This holds true for flow meters and controllers to measure and control gases to experiments. Some flow meters are very cumbersome with no display, can only measure one gas, low value for price, and limited application flexibility.  And if you need application […]

When engineers and systems integrators need to measure gas flow rate in an industrial process or scientific research, there are many types of technologies to choose from. This makes selecting the right gas flow meter a challenge. In addition to technology, engineers must consider many other parameters: price for value, cost of ownership, size of footprint, application flexibility, calibration method, accuracy with […]

It is a fact that in order to comply with various government rules and regulations, oil and gas companies have to continually take natural gas samples to prove the gas composition and amount of gas flowing in their oil fields. The challenge comes in trying to actually take an adequate gas sample representative of the […]

2017 is here and this year will bring many new exciting developments at Sierra, but before launching completely into the new year, let’s take a look back at our top stories of 2016. New at Sierra in 2016 We’re always looking for new ways to communicate and interact with our customers and industry. Find out about three […]

It’s a fact oil wells almost always produce natural gas along with the petroleum. Nine times out of ten, the excess gas (typically hydrocarbons) is flared off or simply vented as-is during upset conditions in the process. The environmental impacts of “flaring” this excess gas into our atmosphere has resulted in government regulations like 40 CFR […]

In today’s world where everyone is watching the bottom line, you need high performance, cost-effective instrumentation—and capillary thermal mass flow meters and controllers have been proven to meet this criteria in a wide range of process applications. Thermal mass flow technology is an industry standard for mass flow control of gases because it measures flow directly, […]

Did you ever wish your mass flow controller could do it all? You’re not alone. End users ranging from machine builders to laboratory researchers are often faced with the challenge of needing flow measurement and control equipment for a wide variety of applications. Many customers call the SmartTrak 100 mass flow controller the “Swiss Army knife” of MFC’s. […]

Accurately measuring fluid flows like steam in large ducts or pipes is a challenging application. Large ducts and pipes often have swirl or turbulent flow which makes accurate flow measurement difficult. Not to mention, installation of steam flow meters can be extremely challenging since in many cases you will need to shut off the steam flow to install […]

Thank you to the readers of industry publication, Flow Control Magazine, who voted for Sierra’s InnovaMass 240i/241i iSeries multivariable and volumetric vortex flow meters in Flow Control’s 2016 Innovation Awards. Sierra was awarded an honorable mention. Sierra’s tradition and spirit of innovation spanning over 40 years drives everything we do, we are happy that the readers of Flow Control […]

At Sierra, we have a saying: “An instrument’s accuracy is only as good as its calibration.” The accuracy of your mass flow controller (MFC) is essential in assuring the efficiency, performance, and quality of your flow meter. In many cases, if your instrumentation is not calibrated, then a decline in performance is possible due to sensor drift from the factory […]

Looking for the perfectly carbonated beverage? Is your CO2 injection process leaving your drinks flat? Industrial mass flow controllers offer the perfect solution for controlling the exact CO2 injection into beverages to create the perfect foam for the beer industry or carbonation for popular soft drinks. It is pivotal that carbonated beverage manufacturers have the […]

It’s no secret. Price, but perhaps more importantly, performance, drive every new product acquisition you make. How important is measurement accuracy and control to your lab experiment or industrial process? It’s critical. If your flow readings are off or the flow is not controlled with precise accuracy your research is compromised, product quality suffers, and […]

Traditionally, steam flow has been measured with a differential pressure device. This is typically an orifice plate. However, such devices are inherently volumetric flow measurements. As we have discussed in previous blog posts, changes in pressure and temperature will change the mass flow rate of steam. Even a “small” change of 10% in steam pressure […]

Mass flow control is all around us. One common application for industrial mass flow control is air-fuel ratio control of burners in industrial heating processes for manufacturing and other industries. For burner control in manufacturing, precise mass flow control of the air-fuel ratio to the burner keeps melt temperatures constant which produces quality products including […]

There are so many options for selecting the best mass flow controller out there that is “good enough.” Why compromise when making an investment in a mass flow instrument? Discover the Swiss Army Knife of mass flow controllers in this Minute Flow Tip. The capillary thermal technology used in every SmartTrak mass flow controller measures […]

For over 40 years, Sierra has pioneered the development of precision gas mass flow controllers. Today, our high-performance SmartTrak lineup, with over 100,000 successful installations, proves we’ve never let up. For Lab Researchers and Systems Integrators/OEMs, SmartTrak is often called the Swiss Army Knife of gas mass flow controllers. Find out why in our new video. The SmartTrak Advantage: A […]

The EPA’s Boiler MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) regulations are heating up. Boiler MACT is an EPA rule to limit hazardous air pollutants (HAP) from commercial and industrial boilers and process heaters. Originally published in 2011 as a mandate driven by the Clean Air Act,  the rules are Area Source Boiler MACT 40 CFR 63, subpart JJJJJJ for smaller […]

When scientists at the University of Nottingham’s Centre for Biomolecular Sciences (CBS) in the United Kingdom needed instrumentation to control the flow of gases in their research, they turned to Litre Meter, a UK distributor for Sierra Instruments, and the SmartTrak 100 series mass flow meters and controllers. The working relationship between Litre Meter and the […]

Learn more about the product featured in this video:  InnovaMass 241i Insertion Vortex Flow Meter Need more information on measuring steam? Learn more about maximizing steam productivity and reducing the overall cost of ownership for additional energy savings when measuring steam. A new “Minute Flow Tip” will be posted to our YouTube channel every month. […]

At Sierra, we get very excited about flow measurement and control as you can imagine, and sometimes we want to spread the information we have quickly without a whole lot of fuss. That’s the spirit behind our video series called “Minute Flow Tips.”  In just a minute or so, we discuss a specific flow application […]

The heat is on. Most facilities managers are in the hot seat to account for all of the flow energy, going in and out of their facility which is no easy task. This mandate is no different for steam flowmeter measurement. Vortex flow meters continue to be the industry standard selection for accurate steam flow […]

The flare gas discussion is heating up again. According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. oil production is at an all-time high, and so are the harmful methane emissions from leaks, flaring and venting. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell has proposed to update 30-year-old regulations in order to reduce the excess release of natural […]

Across Sierra’s two divisions, Flow Measurement and Automotive Test, striving for the ultimate in accurate and repeatable measurement and control is the name of the game.  We have focused a lot on trying to publish useful and informative Flow Measurement and Control blogs. After all, that makes sense as the blog is called “Let’s Talk Flow.” I wanted […]

It’s the little things that matter when it comes to energy efficiency. Turning off a light or switching off a fan may not seem like much, but over the course of a year, the energy savings can be substantial. In an effort to remind our employees of the part they can play in saving our […]

Can you believe it’s 2016? At Sierra, 2015 was a busy year of launches with our new website, vortex mass flow meter product line, and employee development with Sierra University. Every step of the way we were inspired to bring our products and customer experience to the next level. One of the areas of our website we […]

Sierra’s next generation InnovaMass “iSeries” features a new hyper-fast microprocessor, robust software apps, and an automated state-of-the-art manufacturing and flow calibration facility to assure the highest level of quality and delivery. It Has Apps! The InnovaMass iSeries features flow management apps driven by our new Raptor II OS that will empower your process and save you time and money. ValidCal […]

InnovaMass. Reinvented. I am proud to announce on behalf of our entire development team, our completely re-designed, next generation InnovaMass 240i and 241i vortex volumetric flow and multivariable mass flow meter product line. Learn more… The all new iSeries InnovaMass 240i inline and 241i insertion vortex flow meters are manufactured at our brand new assembly and calibration facility in […]

We talk a lot about the use of flow meters in flare gas, waste water and sub-metering applications, but Sierra’s innovative flow meters are utilized by a wide variety of industries. You’ll find our flow measurement and control devices orbiting the earth, assisting with the creation of oceanic atmospheres in research facilities and even improving […]

Our flow experts here at Sierra are committed to ensuring your flow meter is accurately calibrated and returned quickly so downtime is kept to a minimum. Sierra’s latest flow meter service and calibration brochure, “Precision Delivered”, details that level of commitment, showcasing four key components of our approach to flow calibration service. Assuring your flow […]

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that oil prices have hit a rock bottom $40 a barrel, the lowest since 2009. How does this affect the oil companies? Well, the consumer gets the benefit of the low pump price which does loosen discretionary spending, but the oil & gas companies are hurting-spending less money on capital investment […]

Our talented team of engineers is at the heart of all our flow innovations and solutions here at Sierra. From design to production to finished product, our engineers oversee the creation and implementation of equipment designed to help you measure flow more accurately for consistent results. So what makes our engineers tick? Most had an […]

We’re revving our engines and expanding to support our growing automotive test division. Sierra-CP has been providing the automotive industry with reliable engine and vehicle testing hardware and software solutions with precision accuracy for over 30 years. As demand for these high-quality products and services increases, we are expanding to provide better service and support […]

Find the Right Meter for Your Application—Instantly Let’s face it, specifying the best flow instrumentation for your application can be a daunting task. That’s why we created a new Full Line Flow Product Catalog with all Sierra’s products, key specifications, and application benefits in one, easy-to-use brochure. Quickly specify the right flow meter for your […]

We’ve written quite a bit about the benefits of using thermal flow meters to sub-meter natural gas in large facilities. So much so, that we’ve decided to create one post that can be your go-to resource for finding information on the topic. Here you’ll find links to easily digestible content like infographics and SlideShare presentations, […]

When gas composition changes, typical thermal meters must be sent back to the factory to be re-calibrated in order to maintain required accuracy levels.  All of this is a costly, time-consuming endeavor. Imagine the time and money you can save by not having to send your meter back to the factory for calibration every time […]

What took us so long! Since the ’80s Sierra has been a leader in designing and manufacturing electromagnetic control valves used in our flagship SmartTrak mass flow controllers and legacy 800 series. The catch is that in the past customers had to buy the mass flow controller to capitalize on our precision control valve. Now, after 30+ years […]

Changes in gas composition cut into productivity in the field, exactly when you need accuracy in flow meter measurement the most. But what if you could retain that precision, even when those changes occur? Now you can do just that with qMix Software.  If your gas composition changes over time, you can now quickly field-adjust the QuadraTherm […]

Step inside our Engineering Department through our Engineering spotlight series. In our last post, I introduced you to Manufacturing Engineer Max Waterstone, the first of our talented team of engineers to be featured in our Engineering Spotlight. Sierra’s innovative approach to solving flow measurement problems can be traced back to founder Dr. John G. Olin, who […]

Innovative engineering is the lifeblood of Sierra Instruments and has been since Dr. John G. Olin founded the company in 1973. Our team of engineers work together to continuously improve the products you use every day to ensure the accuracy that you’ve come to expect from Sierra flow meters and controllers. We’ve created an atmosphere […]

Not many of our flow meter customers know we have been active in the automotive test industry since the early 1990s. Like Sierra’s Flowmeter Division, our Automotive Test Division is passionate about precision measurement and control. There is a lot of flow measurement needed in automotive testing, but Sierra’s capabilities in this area spread well […]

Water is a precious resource! Now, more than ever, businesses and facilities must take charge of their water usage to help with water conservation and lower water bills. Water conservation begins with knowing exactly how much water you are using in your process or facility. When you know how much water you are using, you can adjust […]

Driven by the need to meet quality standards like ISO 9001, reliability engineers for mid-to-large-sized facilities and campuses know the time consuming reality of assuring their flow meters are properly maintained and “in cal”. A unique and highly marketed benefit of Thermal Mass Flow Meter technology is “in-situ” or “in place” flow meter calibration.  This certainly sounds like […]

Overall, Sierra wants better accuracy and control of high pressure gas mass flows across industry in general, leading to better efficiency, and vastly reducing gas losses to save time and money for our customers.  But, how is it possible to accurately measure and control gas mass flow rates at pressures up to 5000 psig (345 barg)? This is […]

In-situ calibration validation is one of the great benefits of thermal mass flow technology. This video reviews in-situ calibration validation and details how thermal sensor stability is the only way a calibration validation is actually valid! Get the truth about in-situ calibration so you can make informed decisions. Watch the video now! For a more detailed […]

Psst. We’ve got a secret. One that could save you money. How much, you ask? Thousands. That’s right. You could be saving thousands on your facility’s natural gas bill. Traditional diaphragm flow meters used for natural gas measurement can’t account for changes in gas composition, resulting in a utility bill that can be less than […]

The liquid measurement market is an extremely large market with many varied measurement requirements. To get the best bang for your buck, a portable ultrasonic flow meter is a practical solution. With a portable ultrasonic flow meter, you can use one liquid flow meter in several locations throughout your flow process. There are many portable […]

Precision measurement instrumentation, like mass flow meters, are only as good as their calibration. No one knows this better than the facilities managers and process engineers who have to keep up with the yearly calibration of sometimes thousands of instruments. Because managing instrument calibration is such a time-consuming, but necessary reality of facilities management, industry […]

A few weeks back  Glen Coblentz, Vice President of North American sales, spent three days in New York City. Unfortunately, he was not able to enjoy the sites of NYC. Instead, he was working 45-feet underground in 120 F degree heat in New York City’s steam tunnels.  For over five hours, Glen worked with Sierra Representative, North East Technical, commissioning […]

In Part 1 of our mass flow controller best practices series, Best Practices for Mass Flow Controller Selection and Installation,  Sierra’s Chief Engineer John Smitherman compiled a comprehensive list of best practices for the selection, installation and operation of mass flow meters and controllers. With so many flow measurement products and technologies on the market, […]

Customers often ask if they need to have their flow meter instrumentation calibrated annually. Along with calibration-related questions, traceability is another area that garners its fair share of inquiries. In this week’s post, I’ll share the answers to these commons questions you may have been wondering about. Do I need to have my mass flow […]

If you have hundreds of mass flow controllers and meters or just a few in your lab, facility, or manufacturing process, how do you keep up with the demands of annual recalibration? Most flow meters and controllers need to be recalibrated yearly to meet stringent ISO quality standards. This requires technicians to remove the mass flow meters from the […]

As scientists, facilities managers and manufacturing engineers, specifying equipment is a part of our daily work life. What product do I need? What’s the best price for the value? How do I install the product once I get it? The more information about best practice principles, the easier the job is of specifying and buying […]

As if your were actor Dennis Quaid in the popular 1987 movie Innerspace, journey inside the pipe to learn the operational principle of thermal mass flow technology and see, from a molecules perspective, why thermal flow meters have become extremely popular due to high accuracy, no moving parts, negligible pressure drop, sensitive direct mass flow measurement with high […]

In my last post, I compared the pros and cons of the various flow meters available for measurement of flare gas. Ultimately, all but one has limitations that will impede your ability to accurately measure excess burn off from the hydraulic fracturing process. In this week’s post, I’ll share a new generation thermal mass flow […]

In my last post on flare gas flow measurement, I shared how the rise in hydraulic fracturing has led to more stringent state and national mandates to regulate the measurement of waste and excess gases that are produced as a result of this process. If you’re affiliated with an oil or gas company, you know […]

If your company is involved with hydraulic fracturing to increase oil and gas production, you’re familiar with the fact that state and national regulations are becoming increasingly stringent. In particular, flare gas now requires the installation of mass flow measurement instruments to measure waste and excess gases burned off as a result of the hydraulic […]

Sierra’s Founder, Dr. John G. Olin, looks at the Principles of Operation, Installation, Calibration and Best Applications for Thermal Mass Flow Meters… Read the full article in Chemical Engineering Magazine.

Europe is quickly becoming a hotspot for the biogas industry, and Sierra and our local French distributor Alto Instruments took advantage of that fact by exhibiting at BiogazEurope in France. Attendees learned about the entire biomass process, from the bio side of things (mass) to the energy side (electricity). Some trending applications featured at the […]

Automated answering services run rampant across all businesses these days–large or small.  I guess these companies have better things to do than talk to customers.  However, in the complex process of specifying and servicing flowmeters, human to human “H2H” contact, although becoming extinct, is an absolute must. With this in mind, a high level goal at Sierra is simply stated: […]

Measuring and controlling ammonia can be tricky. One mistake during the transition from gas to liquid and your instrumentation is ruined. In the video below, Glen Coblentz, Vice President of North American Sales, gives some tips for successful mass flow measurement and control of ammonia. It could mean the difference between success and a costly mistake! […]

It’s alive! No, I’m not talking about Dr. Frankenstein’s monster. But you’d be surprised by what researchers have discovered in the area of therapeutic hypothermia, or using hydrogen sulfide to slow the body’s demand for oxygen. A recent episode of NOVA, “Making Stuff Colder,” highlights research being conducted by Mark Roth, a biochemist for the […]

In Silicon Valley, where the Facebooks, Twitters, and Googles of the world thrive, job hopping is a common practice. It’s part of the Silicon tech culture to dive into a start-up, work relentlessly for 3 to 5 years and move on to the next endeavor. Just 70 miles south of this transient Silicon Valley workforce, however, is […]

We recently had the honor of hosting Flow Control Magazine Publisher Mike Christian, who made the trip to Sierra headquarters in Monterey, Calif., to present our 10th Flow Control Innovation Award in person. Pictured right is me, Mike and our President, Matthew Olin holding the crystal award.  We are standing in the lobby of corporate […]

What do you do when you have an entrepreneurial bent and a revolutionary idea for flow meter advancement? You start your own company, of course. That’s exactly what our founder, John G. Olin, Ph.D., did in 1973 when he founded Sierra Instruments in Minnesota subsequently moving it west to California. It’s that entrepreneurial spirit, as well […]

You have specified the correct industrial Thermal insertion mass flow meter and received your brand new meter. Now what? Where do you install the meter for optimal performance? This is where technical expertise comes in, along with a mixture of science and tribal knowledge.  In fact, Sierra has talked for years about a flowmeter being only as good as how it was […]

We’re always looking for solutions here at Sierra-ones that always give customers precise, accurate data. It’s what drove Dr. John G. Olin to found Sierra in 1973, with a goal of providing the marketplace with accurate flow meter measurement. It’s what drives our engineering team to continue to advance flow meter design. It’s also what […]

I previously shared a post on how mid-to-large size facilities can save money by taking the initiative to submeter natural gas usage, titled Part 1: Challenges with Submetering Natural Gas. The traditional diaphragm meters used by utility companies rely on fixed compensation variables that can lead to inaccuracies and overcharging. While this can affect residential customers, it […]

In an article for Gases & Instrumentation magazine, I explored energy management as it relates to the natural gas industry. Natural gas exists in abundance in this country, with production expected to increase 44 percent by 2040. With such unprecedented growth in production of this natural resource, utility companies must focus on providing the most accurate gas […]

Last week in the first part of my guest post, I shared some of the reasons why the Coriolis flow meter has cornered such a large part of the flowmeter measurement market. Accuracy is the main reason why this type of flowmeter has been so commonly used in industrial applications up to this point. But […]

In this guest post, I’ll be comparing the Coriolis and Thermal flowmeter markets, an interesting undertaking when you consider some of the facts. Both technologies were introduced about the same time, in the mid-1970s. But the worldwide Coriolis meter market has grown to exceed $1 billion, while the Thermal flowmeter market is valued at less […]

If we look at what is considered low flow measurement of air mass flow rate,  those applications ranging from 0 to 10 sccm up to 0 to 1000 slpm ranges, there is a right way and a wrong way to measure. It’s an inherent problem many of our customers face before they find the right […]

The need to measure, totalize, and monetize gas flow is not going away. In fact, the requirement to accurately totalize and monetize gas is becoming even more critical with our boom in natural gas and other industrial processes. Almost all mass flow meter companies have the ability to totalize one gas being measured. This is pretty standard […]

As we have all been hearing in the news, natural gas is becoming a very valuable and abundant natural resource. Almost all of this increase is due to the projected growth in shale gas production which will grow to 16.7 trillion cubic feet in 2040. Now comes the big question: how are utility companies going […]

In recent weeks, I’ve shared some exciting advancements in the biogas industry in regards to renewable energy management. From harnessing biogas energy from landfills to the digester gas produced at wastewater treatment plants, one thing is paramount: Adjusting for changing gas composition is critical to obtaining accurate flow meter measurement for optimal biogas energy collection.  […]

In my previous posts, I shared the focus on the growing need for renewable energy sources in the United States, with biogas becoming a hot commodity. Common sources include harnessing biogas from landfills, as well as digester gas produced at wastewater treatment plants.  One of the major flow measurement challenges in biogas applications is the fact […]

As the e-commerce business model grows to include the mass flow meter market, there are some online players that have emerged. Over the last decade, companies like Instrumart, Omega, and others have entered the light and heavy industrial e-commerce game. Tech savvy 30-somethings are coming of age and embracing online buying as the norm rather […]

In my recently published article in Biomass Products & Technology , Precise Biogas Flow Measurement: Overcoming the Challenges of Changing Gas Composition, I highlight the nationwide search for alternative energy sources.  In the article, I note that this search has led to increased interest in sources of biogas energy specifically. Many flow meter companies have jumped into […]

The buzz around biogas continues to grow and with good reason. Efforts to find renewable sources of energy are in full swing, and harnessing energy from landfill gas or digester gas into biogas is a promising solution to the problem of high oil prices. In the July 2013 issue of Biomass Products & Technology, Sierra’s […]

In today’s dirty heavy industrial applications, engineers and operators are often faced with an inherent challenge which affects mass flow accuracy: How do I know if the sensor of my mass flow meter is clean? and How do I clean the sensor without shutting down the system? Because accurate mass flow readings are often critical for running an efficient […]

As you might have guessed, Sierra has a passion for flow measurement and we are always striving for ways to improve our flow meters and processes to give you the best accuracy possible for your application. Today, we are pleased to announce the release of our new InnovaSonic 210 Portable with Bluetooth Wireless Android Tablet […]

In an industry that’s slow to warm to the new trends of e-commerce—including ordering products straight from our hand-held devices!—the scientific measurement and control market is slowly turning the corner. Even though flow instrumentation has been around for years to help research scientists, this evolving e-commerce trend is giving customers access to highly customized flow measurement […]

Believe it or not, many times selecting the correct power supply and cable for your product is the most challeging part of specifying and installation. To make these decisions easy, we have the Technical Resources: Power Supply and Cabling guide to help you choose the best power supply and cable for your meter or controller. This guide […]

Interestingly enough, our technical support team gets more questions about the compatibility between our power supplies and cabling options than any other installation question. This, as you know, is an important step to getting your MFC up and running-and providing you with accurate air flowmeter measurements—in no time. In recent weeks our, Technical Support Supervisor, Jim Oswald, has walked […]

Jim Oswald, our technical support guru, has had some great responses from our new videos. He gets call all day about mass flow control installation questions, so we hope these step-by-step videos can help you set up quickly and get to your work at hand. Our last technical support video walked you through the unpacking process […]

We are excited to support our customer service team with the technical support resources to give you easy access to product set-up, installation, and troubleshooting information.  You’ve made the right choice in selecting one of our Mass Flow Controllers—designed to control the flow of air, and all inert gases and mixtures. Let Sierra’s Technical Support […]

Have questions about your mass flow controller or flow meter? We’ve got answers. We’re excited to unveil a brand new series of “how-to” videos answering your most frequently asked questions about mass flow controllers and flow meters on Sierra Instruments’ YouTube Channel and in our video section on our website. It is industry best practice to always leak […]

Thanks Flow Control magazine for the great coverage and helping to spread the word to our customers about new technology to improve flow measurement accuracy, which always improves plant efficiency and saves customers money in the long run. John G. Olin, PhD, founder of Sierra Instruments and inventor of a number of flow industry firsts, […]

Buyers of high-performance mass flow controllers or any flow instrumentation for that matter, have come to expect long product delivery lead times as an industry standard. It is accepted that many high-performance flow instruments need to be customized and calibrated for a specific application. And this takes time. Sometimes lead times are up to 4-6 weeks. But, for practical business […]

In Parts One and Two of this series, we looked at the effects of ambient temperature on mass air flow meters such as Sierra’s FastFlo™ 620S and our new QuadraTherm™ Model 640i. As discussed, cold weather has few physical effects on an air flow meter, but can degrade accuracy due to stem conduction, unless accounted for, […]

In Part One, we looked at the effects of cold weather on mass air flow meters like Sierra’s Steel-Mass® Model 640S and our new QuadraTherm™ Model 640i. As discussed, cold weather typically doesn’t cause any physical damage to the flow meter, but it can affect the meter accuracy. Let’s look at how. Flowmeters That Are […]

Baby It’s Cold Outside Sierra is a global company, so we sell our mass air flow sensors into some pretty extreme cold weather environments.   Indeed, we are seeing more and more applications in the far North, where immersible thermal flow meters like Sierra’s Steel-Mass® Model 640S and our new QuadraTherm™ Model 640i are used in […]

Waste gases must be flared in numerous industries ranging from oil refineries and well drilling operations (like shale gas fracking) to wastewater treatment plants and landfills. Due to government regulations, flares are subject to stringent regulations requiring accurate measurement. Requirements to monitor the flow rate and consumption of flare gas involves measurement at points within a […]

When the King of Beers calls, we listen. As the #1 imported beer in China, Budweiser needed better control of its carbon dioxide (CO2) gas mass flow measurement at its Fujian Province plant. After trying several other, non-direct mass flow measurement technologies, engineers chose Sierra’s immersible SteelMass® 640S thermal mass flow meter. The reason behind their choice was that […]

What a waste! That’s what I thought when I learned how much material is rejected and how much gas is consumed during the fiberglass insulation manufacturing process. The biggest losses occur during the melting, spinning and subsequent cooling of silica, a key ingredient in fiberglass. For those who work in this industry, it’s a never-ending […]

The iTherm gas library stores proprietary gas packets, which are  analogous to the DNA of a specific gas. It stores all the parameters needed to instantly calculate the thermodynamic and transport properties of every gas or gas mixture versus temperature and pressure. Currently, the library has mapped 18 gases and mixtures, and it continues to grow […]

With iTherm, It Learns… QuadraTherm’s four-sensor technology provides the critical inputs for iTherm’s living, learning algorithm set and gas library to accurately manage changes in gas and pipe selection, gas temperature, gas pressure, and outside temperature. Our revolutionary thermal mass flow meter with iTherm solves the First Law of Thermodynamics (for Thermal Dispersion Technology) in a fraction […]

Patented QuadraTherm’s Four-Sensor Design A major thermal sensor breakthrough for Sierra occurred with QuadraTherm, as two new temperature sensors (T2 and T4—see figure below) were added to the existing two-sensor design (T3 temperature & T1 DrySense velocity) used in previous flowmeter models. The two additional sensors perform real-time correction for the heat lost to the outside environment due […]

Innovative QuadraTherm Four-Sensor Design Traditional thermal sensors have two sensors—one temperature sensor and one velocity sensor, each in a separate probe sheath. QuadraTherm (the term “Quad” meaning “four”) introduces four sensors—three precision platinum temperature sensors and one patented DrySense mass velocity sensor. Performance improvements never before possible are gained as the QuadraTherm Technology isolates forced […]

From Sierra’s beginning over forty years ago, we have been driven by the vision of supplying industrial customers with the world’s most accurate thermal mass flow meter. And, we knew it was a “sensor” game. The development of an industrialized metal-sheathed sensor in the early 80s was Sierra’s first big step, but we didn’t stop there.   Many successful innovations […]

The use of ozone generators in water and wastewater treatment plants in the United States continues to increase. Those inside the industry know there are three main reasons for this: Ozone is a superior, environmentally friendly purifier when compared to chlorine and other chemicals Ozone technology, once exorbitant to implement, has become far more affordable, […]

Managing a community water supply system, whether government or privately owned, is definitely a costly endeavor. I know expenses are driven in large part by the need to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA). However, even though I am familiar with the challenges rural water companies face because […]

In this final post on pressure regulation and flow meters, I’d like to present a case study. A customer was convinced that our unit intermittently lost control for given flow rates. It turns out that as they increased flow rate, the outlet pressure of the regulator (inlet to the mass flow controller) was drooping below […]

Think about it. It’s pretty much impossible to make a controlled pressure drop without burning up some energy as heat. Therefore, the outlet pressure and flow rate cannot be linearly proportional at 1:1, but rather, must have some positive loss of X:1, where X is greater than 1. So, for a given regulator setpoint, the outlet pressure […]

If my previous post on droop, the least apparent pressure regulation issue, wasn’t enough of the low down for you, let me share some more about this common issue that arises with flowmeters. Droop is the difference between the outlet pressure at low inlet pressures and at high inlet pressures along the ‘operating range’ of the […]

If you’ve been reading my series on pressure regulation, you know my goal is to help you achieve the best possible gas mass flow control with your flowmeter. Previously, I’ve discussed undersizing and seat-drop lock. Now I want to move onto something that can really get you down – “droop.” Regulators may exhibit hysteresis, also known as droop. Droop is […]

Proper line regulation, be it supply pressure regulation, or back pressure regulation, is fundamentally key to a properly tuned flow system process. All instruments operate most accurately under steady-state conditions, so awareness of regulator behavior and proper tuning will save you time and money on avoiding waste during transient conditions. In my continuing tutorial on mass flow […]

In the world of mass flow control, it sometimes surprises me how often issues with mass flowmeters can be attributed to improper sizing of pressure regulators. But given all the intangibles with mass flow, I do get it. So, if you are building a flow system that requires precision gas mass flow control, this is the […]

For several years, Sierra has been working with the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility near Monterey, Calif., to improve the rate of biogas cogeneration. Santa Cruz produces energy – enough to power 3,000 homes – by blending digester gas (a by-product of its sewage decontamination) with natural gas. This type of biomass helps create electricity using […]

The old maxim – waste not, want not – has taken on a whole new meaning in places like the Santa Cruz Wastewater Treatment Facility, located near Monterey Bay in Northern California. At the plant, digester gas, a by-product of sewage decontamination, is captured and mixed with natural gas to form a type of biomass, one […]

Developers and manufacturers of solar photovoltaic installations have seen a dramatic increase in business in recent years. If you’re part of this industry, you know that solar energy now generates power in more than 100 countries and continues to be the fastest growing type of electricity generation in the world. Due to the growing demand, manufacturing […]

In addition to our Flow Measurement & Control Division, Sierra has a thriving Automotive Test Division called Sierra-CP that designs and manufactures a complete range of solutions for automotive test applications including engine, vehicle, powertrain, transmission, emissions, analytical and component testing. In engine and vehicle testing, extremely accurate fuel flow measurement is often a critical factor.  Our FuelTrak […]

Sierra’s InnovaSwitch™ flow and level switches represent the state-of-the-art in gaseous and liquid flow switching or liquid level control.  The InnovaSwitch is easy to install and adjust, giving reliable, low maintenance performance in the most demanding applications.  Now, our InnovaSwitch can be specified and purchased online for the ultimate in convienence. Learn more…  

Get Incredible 4.5 psid (310 mBard) at Flows up to 500 slpm. When you need precision gas mass flow control of expensive process gases, where minimal pressure drop is a key consideration for cost savings and efficiency, the SmartTrak® 140 flow meter controls up to 500 slpm with an ultra-low ΔP of 4.5 psid (310 […]

There are many mass flowmeter and mass flow controller options available. As you sort through the wide variety of styles, sizes and prices, you may be wondering which flow meter is the right fit for your application. In reality, more than one may meet your flow range needs. Now what? Let me introduce you to […]

Cryogenic fluids are key in a variety of industries with very low temperature applications, including medical, large-scale frozen food processing and electric power transmission. However, these fluids must be handled – and measured – with great care, which can be a challenge if you’re using a traditional turbine meter or other tools to assess various fluid […]

Thermal Mass Flow Meters Increase Boiler & Heater Efficiency The BoilerTrak™ 620s-BT is in stock and available to buy online and ready to fulfill urgent delivery requirements.  BoilerTrak was designed to provide an economical and easy to install solution for precise natural gas measurement to heaters and boilers to increase efficiency. The instrument is also suited for compliance […]

In my last post, I outlined problems you may be facing if you need to measure superheated steam accurately, and I promised to share a success story about our Innova-Mass multivariable vortex flow meter. A district energy provider for a Midwest city had hot air problems. Their old shunt meters were wearing out and leading […]

Those of you who work in the solar energy and semiconductor industry will be familiar with physical vapor deposition (PVD) or sputtering that is commonly used for creating films of material on a substrate in the solar energy and semiconductor industry. In the PVD process, a negatively charged electrode is slowly disintegrated by molecular bombardment. […]

The Carmel Riviera Mutual Water Company believed it was losing big. Historical estimates indicated that more than 30% of this small, independent water company’s production was going down the drain through leaks, waste, evaporation and other types of loss. The company budgeted almost $60,000 per year in initiatives to reduce these leaks, including labor and materials […]

If you’re a provider of superheated steam – commonly used to heat water and buildings in large cities in the northeastern United States – then you may be watching your revenue go up in smoke. As you know, steam is not free. Normally, it’s produced at a central facility and piped to customers. Like all other forms […]

In my last post, I discussed the problem of density errors creeping into steam flow measurements. When steam is superheated, you can determine density by the steam tables. But, as the vapor cools in a pipe, things aren’t so simple. I said the answer to the conundrum is actually “blowing in the wind” – that a […]

I want to discuss a special form of gas flow measurement – water vapor – otherwise known as steam flow. Traditionally, steam has been measured with orifice plates. The steam was typically saturated or had a known superheat, so the density could be obtained from the steam tables. However, steam naturally cools as it goes down the […]

After reading Kam’s last post about how Sierra’s OEM and Custom Solutions Group can help you customize a flowmeter for your application, I got inspired to share a way you can custom configure our mass flow controllers and actually buy the flow meter online. Lets say you need a SmartTrak 100 digital air flow sensor for […]

Did you know Sierra has a special team called OEM & Custom Solutions Group?  This team of engineers and technicians is dedicated to meeting the need for custom products. 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 […]

One of the interesting trends we have seen in the Bio/Pharm and general scientific research markets is the many people who want to measure and control corrosive gases. This has always been a tough application, but there are a few ways that we can help you be successful. The ideal flowmeter is the SideTrak 840, built […]

This month I’ve been blogging about field researcher David Mucciarone, a Stanford University science and engineering associate. He’s part of a team that’s changing the way research about global warming is done, moving from discrete sampling to continuous, real-time monitoring. A key component of that shift is the flow meter in his chromatography-based flow-through sampling […]

Recently, I wrote about how Stanford researcher David Mucciarone is helping redefine the way climate-change research is conducted  Riding Waves of Climate Change, Part 1. In making a break from traditional discrete sampling, which provides only a tiny snapshot of water conditions, Mucciarone has created his own chromatography-based, flow-through device that can sample a variety […]

Back in December, I shared how the Sierra Smart-Trak flowmeter traveled to Antarctica in 2006 with Stanford University researcher David Mucciarone. As a critical component of his data collection efforts, the flow meter helped him measure the breakdown of inorganic carbon during the Antarctic summer bloom. This important R&D work directly correlated with studies on global […]

In my last post, I described having your meters connected to a wired network, and the “remote” console wirelessly communicating with said meters. This time, I want to expand on this with introducing wireless meters into the mix. So, you now have 6 meters communicating on a wired network; and their data is being introspected by […]

When it comes to metering natural gas, you’ve got several flow meter options.  However, thermal mass flow meters offer three distinct advantages over more traditional flow meters: No moving parts. As you can probably guess, moving parts can cause problems over time due to wear, lubrication and coating sensitivity. For example, turbine meters offer excellent […]

North America’s #1 selling thermal mass flow meter offering (Flow Research, Yoder), our heavy-industrial thermal mass flow meters are designed for the most demanding industrial gas mass or air flow measurement applications. Early developments in the evolution of mass flow meters in the 1950’s were largely driven by the need for highly accurate gas mass flow […]

In my last post (Part 1: Capillary Thermal Flow Meters vs. Differential Pressure Devices), I talked about volumetric flow and how it must be temperature and pressure corrected to obtain mass flow. Wouldn’t the world be a simpler place if we could simply measure mass flow directly? In fact, we do! Capillary thermal is likely the most […]

The most common technology in use today for measuring flow is differential pressure “dP or ΔP” (orifice plates, pitot tubes, venturis and the like).  Indeed, that was the only flow measurement method I was taught in engineering school.  Well, things have come a long way in the 28 years since I picked up my degree. […]

The days of simple analog mass flow meters with no variables but a zero pot are gone. Now you can get great flexibility with advanced digital mass flow controller technology like our Smart-Trak 100. But, because of this virtue, the flow meter also has many communication variables. We try to keep it simple by minimizing the need […]

I often get asked to describe the most challenging flow meter applications that Sierra has successfully handled. One that comes to mind is how we used a capillary thermal mass flow controller (designed to measure gas) to accurately control a liquid used in the semiconductor industry at extremely low pressure differentials of about 10 Torr. […]

Working here along California’s Central Coast in Monterey, I don’t often get to experience a White Christmas or snowball fights or even the excitement of schussing down the slopes (unless I travel 4 hours to Lake Tahoe, Northern California). So, it’s really tough for me to imagine the frigid, barren conditions of the coldest place […]

It is well known that thermal mass flow meters are effected by gas composition.  Because thermal mass flow meters are effected by gas composition, many customers are concerned about how composition changes effect overall system accuracy. Through many years of experience with gas mixtures, we have seen that in many cases, a thermal mass flow […]

If you’ve ever been up late at night – perhaps even on a weekend – trying to figure out how to get a gas mass or ultrasonic flow meter STAT, you’re a mango. A Frank Mango, to be precise. CEO & founder of Petroleum Habitats, an R&D start-up, Frank Mango needed a mass flowmeter, and […]

Leak detection can be easy, but in the “good old days” (which some of us may still be living in today), leaks were time-consuming to find and fix. Let’s compare how to find a leak the hard way, and then I’ll show you how easy it can be to automate the process with a mass flow meter. Detecting a Gas […]

If you’re a scientific researcher, few things are as important as your ability to accurately control experimental research variables. Data – more specifically, precise data – is king! When you need gas flow rate measurement and control instrumentation, the ability to derive statistically sound and repeatable data is the key driver. Over the past several […]

When the operations staff at a large food processing plant wanted to reduce utility costs and better analyze boiler performance, they chose to retrofit their 35-year-old boilers with new electronic controls, as well as several of our Innova-Mass® Model 241 immersible multivariable mass vortex flow meters to accurately measure steam discharge. Previously run by old pneumatic […]

One of the more interesting stories I have been told about Sierra is the genesis of the company’s flagship product, our model 640S Steel -Mass ® Immersible Thermal Mass Flow Meter.  In the mid 60’s, our founder, Dr. John Olin, was working on his PhD at Stanford.  One aspect of his research involved studying the fluid […]

Dilution is a special application in the world of gas mixing.  Basically, you are diluting a concentration of gas in an already existing gas mixture. Let’s say you have a gas mixture of 10% Ar/90% N2 and you really need 5 Ar/95% N2 for your application. The solution is to add more N2 to the the mix, […]

‘Kwik Kalucations’ with K-factors make gas mixing with a single gas mass flow meter simple. If you’re looking to improve flexibility and save money when it comes to gas mixing and blending applications, consider applying a “K-Factor.” A dimensionless numerical relation of a specific gas vs. air or nitrogen, a gas K-factor never changes. If K-factors will work in […]

When you think about clamp-on, transit-time ultrasonic flowmeters, the first thought that usually comes to mind is the value that stems from the convienence and accuracy for liquid flow measurment–no pipe cutting, very high accuracy and reliability, no hassles.  But, that value does come at a price, and it is worth it if you take into account […]

In my last post, I discussed the important question of Mass or Volume flow measurement.   Today, I will discuss accuracy and the need to size your mass flow controller properly to assure the highest quality gas mixing and blending. Mass flow controllers are devices that have an accuracy of % of full scale (%FS).  That means […]

Last time I wrote about unified communications, which is the ability to use discrete communications protocols within a protocol network. This time I want to expand on the physical aspects of the network as it relates to flowmeters, including mass air, oxygen, pipe, water and other types. Let’s assume you’ve just purchased another five flow […]

As explained in my last post on flow conditioning, distorted flow profile is a common problem in “real world” flowmeter applications. In some cases, customers can live with a distorted flow profile because they are using flow meters for a relative measurement of flow, rather than an absolute measurement of flow. In cases where the customer is looking […]

In my last post, I discussed Sierra’s decision to enter the giant water flow measurement market due to our intimate and successful history in the waste water treatment industry measuring air flow with our thermal mass flow meters. At that time, almost a decade ago, we looked at ways to measure water flow and narrowed it […]

Since Sierra is a leading supplier of immersible thermal mass flow meters, I find myself heavily involved in the waste water treatment industry, where Sierra’s model 640S Steel-Trak® is the instrument of choice for measuring the low pressure air fed to the flocculation tanks, where oxygen-loving (aerobic) bacteria happily munch on the wastes. Over time, […]

Mass or Volume: Important question! In my first blog post on gas mixing and blending, we saw that combustion is an important gas mix application. Combustion or burning is a chemical process, a reaction between molecules. To quantify the gas used we should count these gas molecules and not the space between these gas molecules. […]

I get many questions from customers about how a Capillary Thermal Mass Flow Meter, like our Smart-Trak 100, works. So, I decided to do a brief overview of the principle of operation to accompany the video below. https:// The total flow through a tube or piping system enters the CTFM where it passes through a Laminar Flow Element […]

In my last post early last month (June 9th), Mr. Carlisle of  Air Compressor Supply was looking for compressed air flow meters to measure compressed air.  As I explained to him,  our Steel-Trak®   Model 640S is ideal for compressed air applications.  The 640S immersible thermal mass flow meter delivers the 1.0% accuracy and highly repeatable direct mass […]

I am always struck by the often beautiful world of flow measurement. Even though we design and manufacture precision flow meters and controllers for nearly any gas, liquid or steam flow application, the images linked below explain why there are so many different measurement technology solutions (Vortex, Thermal, Ultrasonic, Magnetic, Coriolis…etc.) to handle the variety of fluid flow applications […]

Like you, I have become painfully aware of the increasing costs of energy in our daily plant operations. Recently, I was contacted by a company in Oklahoma with an interesting application. Air Compressor Supply Inc. of Tulsa, Oklahoma, does compressed air auditing.  I asked the technician, Carl Carlisle, what exactly that meant. His explanation was […]

Meet the MFC we proudly call “Hammer-Trak”… What if you require very low-pressure drop across your mass flow controller and need to control higher flows? Case in point: I had a customer asked me to design an MFC to handle medium-to-high flows (100-500 slpm Air), with at MOST 1.0 PSIG delta across the unit.  To solve this difficult problem and […]

You’ve purchased your new flow meters and installed them. They’re all running and providing high quality flow data. You’ve decided, rightly so, that you need to connect the meters together so you can get information from a centralized console and possibly even adjust these meters from that same console. The days of walking to each […]

From my experience in the field, I have seen widespread misunderstanding of the physical phenomenon of “flow profile.”  Since our industrial flow meters actually measure flow at one point, an understanding of flow profile is critical.  The average user imagines that the flow in a pipe is uniform.  This is a flawed thought, and never […]

Gas Mixing & Blending: Who, what and why? I am passionate about helping my customers obtain perfect gas mixing and blending!  I have been helping customers do this for over 25-years.  In this six part blog,  I want to discuss many of my experiences and aspects of gas mixing related to thermal mass flow controller technology. I want this blog to be […]