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Title: Empirical Correlations for Thermal Flowmeters Covering a Wide Range of Thermal-Physical Properties

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7633

Thermal flowmeters can provide direct mass flow measurement of gases and vapors over a wide range of process conditions without the need for density corrections based on pressure and temperature. They are widely used in industrial processes that contain toxic, corrosive, or highly reactive gases. It is often not possible to calibrate the flowmeter on the process gas in which it will be used. In this case a non-hazardous �surrogate� gas is used for calibration, and a theoretical model used to predict the meter�s response in the process gas. This can lead to large measurement errors because there are no accurate and straightforward methods for predicting the performance on one kind of gas based on the calibration on another gas because of the complexity of the thermal processes within the flow sensor. This paper describes some of the commonly used models and conversion methods and presents work done at ORNL to develop and experimentally verify better thermal models for predicting flowmeter performance.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-96OR22464
OSTI ID:
7633
Report Number(s):
ORNL/CP-102500; ON: DE00007633
Resource Relation:
Conference: National Conference of Standards labs (NCSL) 1999 Workshop and Symposium, Charlotte, NC, July 19-22 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English