Coriolis Flowmeters, also known as simply Coriolis flow meters and Coriolis mass flow meters, offer a number of practical advantages that make them an ideal choice for applications in a wide variety of industries. These advantages include superior accuracy, direct mass flow measurement, multi-parameter measurement capability, no straight-run piping requirement, and the ability to perform the mass flow measurement directly without the use of external pressure or temperature compensation required. Keep reading to learn more about how a Coriolis flow meter works.
As engineers face unrelenting pressure to increase production from existing facilities, Coriolis mass flow meters are increasing in popularity. Coriolis flow meters are the only flow metering technology that delivers highly accurate mass and density measurement directly without the need for other sensors to infer mass flow. In addition, Coriolis flow meters do not have to be recalibrated to handle different fluids or even process condition changes as the Coriolis mass flow meter’s technology provides readings that are unaffected by changes in media viscosity, temperature, and density. Smart Measurement’s ALCM Series of Coriolis meters are used in a wide range of applications including process evaluation and optimization, mass/energy balancing, custody transfer, pulsating flow applications and well output monitoring in the oil & gas industry.
Smart Measurement’s ALCM Coriolis series is offered with the highest accuracies available in the industry. Accuracy grades of 0.1, 0.15, 0.2 and 0.5% of reading are available. The ability to maintain these levels of mass flow accuracy regardless of media temperature, density or viscosity and then install the meter in areas with extremely tight space constraints and no available straight pipe runs makes the Coriolis flow meter a potential lifesaver for many applications where traditional-technology flowmeters will not work.
Coriolis mass flow meters from Smart Measurement have been successfully installed in a wide variety of industries and applications including:
There are many mass flow measurement applications, such as mixing and dosing applications found in petrochem, pharmaceutical, or food & beverage industries, that require accurate mass flow readings. This can create challenges for older, traditional flow measurement technologies such as turbine or positive displacement which are volumetric measuring techniques and may only infer mass flow. Learn more about mass flow meters..
Coriolis flow meters measure mass directly without the need to take into account changes to media temperature, pressure and density as volumetric flow meters do. Moreover, most flowmeters are sensitive to turbulence, which means that a certain amount of straight, rigid pipe must be installed both upstream and downstream of the meter in order to reduce turbulence in order to accurately measure flow (Download PDF). Coriolis mass flow meters do not have this requirement. If necessary, an elbow or reducer bushing may be placed directly at the meter inlet with no impact on the meter’s accuracy. If you would like to learn more about how the Coriolis mass flow meter works, check out our blog.
Smart Measurement offers a wide range of tube geometries for its Coriolis mass flow meters. The classic U shape employed by the ALCM-UT is mainly used for legacy replacement situations and to measure higher flows, The more popular Micro-Bend geometry employed by the ALCM-MB offers reduced pressure drops and a more compact package. The Delta, or triangle tube, of the ALCM-DT is ideal for low-flow applications and is offered in sizes ranging from ⅛” to ½” (3-15mm).
Please visit our industrial measurement applications section to find more detailed information about where our Coriolis flow meters have been successfully used.
Request a quote on Coriolis flow meters for your application or contact Smart Measurement to learn more.
The primary application for Coriolis meters is the direct measurement of mass flows without the need for pressure or temperature compensation. Another feature unique to the Coriolis meter is its high accuracy. Accuracies of 0.5% or reading are standard, but increased accuracies of 0.1% of reading, which is the best accuracy that any flow meter can achieve, are also possible. The Coriolis meter is also an excellent choice for applications where multi-parameter capability is required – density, temperature, and both mass and volumetric flow rates may all be measured simultaneously with this type of meter. The Coriolis mass flow meters also can measure and display a number of density-dependent variables such as % water cut, which is used in the Oil & Gas industry, or % black liquor, which is used in the Pulp & Paper industry.
When selecting a water flow meter, there are numerous options, including differential pressure, electromagnetic, ultrasonic, turbine, paddle-wheel, Venturi, vortex, rotor, and Coriolis flow meters. Coriolis flow meters offer very high accuracy and rangeability for water measurement and can also measure mass flow directly. Many factors must be considered when determining the right technology, including pipe size and material, accuracy and range requirements, fluid type and conditions, flow profile, and installation factors. Ultrasonic and magnetic flow meters allow convenient, external clamp-on installation and precise flow measurement, making them ideal choices for many water measurement applications. Electromagnetic flow meters provide obstruction-less flow measurement and reliable accuracy across a wide range, while ultrasonic flow meters can handle suspended particles and gas bubbles that may impact other meter types. The installation environment also plays a role – turbine, paddle-wheel, vortex meters work for contaminated, high debris water while Venturi, orifice plate, and variable area flow meters work best in clean environments. Leveraging the strengths of each flow meter technology allows for targeting the optimum water flow measurement solution across municipal, commercial, and industrial water management needs.
As fluids pass through oscillating parallel curved tubes, the time delay, or phase shift that occurs between the upstream and downstream sides of the tubes is directly proportional to the mass flow rate. The frequency is directly proportional to the fluid density of the flowing media. As flow passes, an electromagnetic drive system causes the tubes to vibrate toward and away from each other at their resonant frequency, caused by the tube’s stiffness and their mass. A pair of Hall Effect sensors detect the positions of the tubes relative to one another at the inlet and outlet side of the parallel tubes. If no fluid is flowing through the tubes, they simply vibrate towards and away from each other in parallel and the outputs of the upstream and downstream sensors are in phase. However, as fluid begins to flow through the tubes, the Coriolis effect causes the downstream side of the loop to slightly lead the upstream side, creating a slight twist on the flow tube. The twisting effect causes a phase shift, or time delay between the up and downstream sensors, which is directly proportional to its mass flow. Inside of the meter’s display module, phase is converted to time and the time delay is then converted to a mass flow reading.
The Coriolis effect is an inertia force. In 1835, Gustavo-Gaspard de Coriolis showed that this inertia force must be taken into consideration if the simple Newton’s Law of Motion of bodies are to be used in a rotating frame of reference.
The rotation of the Coriolis effects is opposite in the Northern hemisphere versus Southern
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