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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]