Fluid Components International claims its new ST75V Air/Gas Flow Meter simplifies installation and reduces costs.

It can measure hydrogen, natural gas, and other gases in small line processes and in skid-mounted equipment assemblies. The ST75V provides information on mass flow rate, totalised flow and media temperature.

It can be used in fuel and air feed lines to furnaces, burners, industrial ovens, heat treating systems, boilers, and power co-generation equipment found in the food manufacturing and process industries, among others.

Either due to space limitations or other devices, such as valves or elbows, it is difficult to install a flow meter with the ability to measure gas volumes in a straight-pipe run.

"This results in swirl and flow profile disturbances that invalidate the flow meter's accuracy," the company stated. "The ST75V solves this problem with built-in flow conditioning that eliminates media disturbances while reducing the needed pipe straight-run by up to 70 per cent."

The ST75V has no-moving parts and is designed with a built-in thermal mass flow sensing technology for use in line sizes from 0.25 to 2.0 inches (6 to 51mm).

The ST75V's integral Vortab flow conditioner is engineered with an array of tabs. These provide rapid cross-stream mixing to remove swirl and velocity problems, creating a smooth, fully developed flow profile for accurate measurement, the company claims.

"There is also virtually no pressure loss with Vortab technology, which reduces plant energy costs by optimising throughput," the company claimed.

The ST75V's is made from all-welded stainless steel with Hastelloy-C tips that provide extra protection against conditions within the pipe.

It features no orifices or moving parts to clog or foul, which eliminates unplanned shutdowns, reduces maintenance and extends sensor life, the company claimed.

The transmitter is enclosed in an all-metal, dust and water resistant package.

It can replace differential pressure, orifice plate, turbine and vortex technology meters.