Fluid Components International has launched a mass flow meter that is housed in a compact, explosion-proof transmitter.
The ST51 flow meter is designed to measure digester gas, biogas and other methane composition biofuel gases as well as natural gas.
According to the company, the flow meter is calibrated in a traceable flow lab to match the gas composition of the user’s digester system and under the specific flow conditions of the user’s digester system, resulting in an instrument that is matched precisely to the facility’s actual operating environment.
The flow meter features a thermal mass flow element with flow accuracy to +1% of reading over a broad flow range from 0.3 to 400 SFPS (0.08 to 122 MPS), and repeatability of +0.5 percent of reading.
The flow element is available for use in line sizes from 2 to 24 inch (51 to 610 mm) diameters. It operates over a wide turndown range of 100:1, which is essential due to the variable gas flows in wastewater treatment.
The thermal mass flow sensing element features a no moving parts design, with no orifices to clog or foul, which makes it ideal for service in wet, dirty and explosive gas environments. It also includes built-in temperature compensation circuitry for accurate, repeatable measurement year-round as temperatures rise and fall seasonally. The flow element is constructed with a 316L stainless steel body and Hastelloy C-22 thermowell sensors to resist corrosion in digester gas pipelines, according to the manufacturer.
The flow meter is said to be suitable for use in on-farm and fermentation systems, as well as landfill gas recovery, co-gen electric power, and coal mine and coal bed methane recovery.
It operates from -18 to 121°C and withstands pressures up to 34 bar (g). It is suitable for hazardous environments with approvals that include: FM, CSA/CRN, Class 1, Div 1, Groups B, C, D; Class 1, Div II, Groups A-D, ATEX Zone 1, II 2 G Ex d IIC T6 …T3, II 2 D Ex tD A21 IP67 T90°C…T300°C and IECeX Ex d IIC T6... T3, Ex tD A21 IP67 T 90°C to T 300ºC.
The flow meter’s optional integral digital display features a two-line, 16-character LCD screen that can be rotated in 90° increments for viewing and installation flexibility.
The LCD screen’s top line is assigned to flow rate, and the bottom line is user assignable for temperature readings or totalized flow.
For applications with difficult access or display readability, the ST51’s flow transmitter is also available in a remote mount configuration that can be mounted up to 15m away from the flow element inserted the pipe. Both the remote mount and integral transmitters are housed in an aluminium enclosure that is NEMA 4X approved and meets IP67 requirements for water and dust ingress protection. Input power for the ST51 can be selected
is either 18 to 36 Vdc or 85 to 265 Vac.
Fluid Components International is distributed Australia-wide by AMS Instrumentation & Calibration.