Proline Flowmeter for Gas Flow Measurement

Endress+Hauser (USA) releases the Proline t-mass 150 thermal mass flowmeter for measuring gases such as compressed air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and argon. The flowmeter measures mass flow, gas temperature, free air delivery, and corrected volume—all without the need for pressure or temperature compensation.

The t-mass 150, with its high turndown of 100:1, can reliably measure small gas quantities at very low operating pressures, making it suitable for applications such as leak detection, process control, cost allocation, analysis of flow profiles and energy management. It has a 4-20 mA output with HART and a pulse/frequency switch output, allowing easy connection to control and energy management systems.

The flowmeter operates in temperatures from -40 to 212ºF (-40 to 100ºC) and pressures up to 580 psi (40 bar), and measures mass flow up to 2.4 million lb/hr with negligible pressure loss. The stainless steel flowmeter has CSAus and ex approvals for use in Class 1, Division 2 areas.

The t-mass 150 has a Gas Engine—an embedded flow computer—that makes it possible for the flowmeter to change from one gas to another without the need for recalibration, and its thermal measuring principle requires no pressure or temperature compensation. Continuous self-diagnostics monitor the flowmeter for device and process errors.

The t-mass 150 is available in insertion, in-line or hot-tap versions for installation in rectangular ducts or pipes from 1/2 to 60-inch. The flowmeter can be supplied with welded flanges, lap-joint flanges or threaded connections.

Monitoring compressed air systems is an excellent application for the t-mass 150. The production of compressed air consumes a large amount of energy worldwide, about 10% of industrial power consumption. Much of that energy is wasted due to the following factors: Air loss through leaks, up to 30% of total energy waste, Excessive system pressure due to clogged filters, Unused waste heat from compressors, up to 95% of total energy waste, Compressor performance not optimised and Compressors running at unproductive times

With respect to increasing the efficiency of compressed air system, the main questions to be asked are: How much compressed air is actually needed? Does this need vary throughout the day? What is the base load? and How much electricity (kWh) does it take to generate one standard cubic foot of compressed air?

As a multivariable flow meter, the t-mass 150 can provide the information to answer these questions, leading to solutions that optimise compressor performance and minimise energy use.

Through targeted measuring of air flow in a compressed air network (submetering), leaks can be identified and eliminated. The meter can also provide data for cost allocation of compressed air production to individual cost centers or buildings, and it can provide reliable consumption measurements for optimisation of the compressed air production processes.