Mass Flow Sensors: What Users Need to Know

In this article, we’ll learn what a mass flow sensor is, how it works, and an excellent product from Saftty, a well-known sensor manufacturer.

What is a mass flow sensor?

A mass flow sensor is a device that measures the amount of material flowing through it. This can be used in industrial applications such as measuring the flow of gas or oil or monitoring the flow of liquid materials.

The use and principle of the mass flow sensor

A mass flow sensor is a device used to measure the amount of material passing through it over a specific period. It is commonly used in industrial settings to monitor throughput, reactivity, and contamination levels. In manufacturing, it is also used to measure the amount of liquid or gas passing through the system.

Generally speaking, mass flowmeters are mainly divided into thermal mass flowmeters, differential pressure mass flowmeters, and Coriolis mass flowmeters. Different types of mass flow meters have other working principles. The principle of two flow sensors is mainly explained here.

1. The working principle of thermal mass flow meters is based on Guin’s law. That is, the gas to be measured in the pipeline is heated by an external heat source, and the heat energy flows with the gas, and the heat change generated by the flow of the gas in the pipeline is measured. The sensor inside a thermal mass flow meter usually consists of two reference-grade RTDs, a velocity sensor, and a temperature sensor that measures changes in gas temperature. When the two thermal resistors are placed in the gas to be measured in the pipeline, the speed sensor is heated, and the other temperature sensor is used to measure the temperature of the gas.
2. The working principle of the differential pressure mass flowmeter adopts Poiseuille’s law. By measuring the pressure difference before and after the gas passes through a certain section of the pipeline, that is, the pressure loss, the volume flow of the gas is calculated, and then converted to the mass flow under standard operating conditions. This working principle has a premise that the gas to be tested must be in laminar flow motion, the gas must pass through a stack of laminar flow sheets that are invisible to the naked eye, and maintain a state of laminar flow motion between the stack of laminar flow sheets. After that, as long as the pressure difference between the two ends of the laminar flow sheet is measured, the flow rate of the gas in this section can be calculated.

Compared with the thermal mass flowmeter which measures the temperature difference, the differential pressure mass flowmeter which measures the pressure difference is more accurate.

Saftty’s Mass Flow Sensor

AFS1100 is a sensor developed by Saftty to measure the flow rate of various gases such as air and nitrogen based on the thermal principle. The product uses the standard Modbus-RTU data output signal format and RS485 protocol communication and is equipped with a wide working DC voltage of 12~24V, without additional temperature compensation. Each sensor is calibrated and strictly tested before leaving the factory to meet customer usage requirements. This sensor is specially designed for air velocity measurement in ventilation ducts. It is mainly used in HVAC, filter pressure drop monitoring, power plant flue gas treatment, textile, chemical industry, air flow in aviation ducts, and other fields. The product is widely used.

Conclusion

A mass flow sensor is a precision device that measures the amount of material flowing through it. A quality mass flow sensor can only be obtained from a good supplier, and Saftty is here for it.