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Overview

Steam is the energy transfer medium of choice for heating, cleaning and sterilization processes throughout Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Industries. It can be easily distributed; it is clean and provides a great amount of heating capacity.

This intense usage makes it also a valuable resource, since it takes a lot of primary energy, mostly natural gas, produce it. It is easy to see why steam system operators like to know about their steam production and consumption.

Whether it be for general monitoring, internal balancing, energy management or carbon footprint tracking, steam flow measurement is needed.

Conventional steam measurement

In the past, measuring steam has been a job for inline meter technologies like differential pressure methods or vortex meters. A differential pressure probe, orifice plate or a kind of bluff body needed to be installed into the steam stream itself, generating a measuring effect and being able to determine the steam flow.

This brings several downsides: The installation itself is a cost factor to which you must add the consequent downtime of the steam supply. Mostly, steam installations and maintenance must be done during annual shutdowns, and necessarily when the measurement is needed. Also, any type of inline meter suffers from wear to its primary element, which generates a drifting value over time. Frequent calibration is required to maintain meter accuracy.

And, most notably, inline meters produce a pressure loss. This is especially true for vortex meters, which generally have a built-in pipe diameter reduction, to be able to measure over the lower flow range of a steam system. At times, even this is enough requiring additional reductions in the steam pipe diameter.

FLUXUS ST- The easy way to measure steam

FLEXIM´s ultrasonic, transit time measuring principle is suitable for liquids, gases, and steam. With up to 1000 measuring signals per second, and the ability to detect flow velocities low as 0,01m/s, this technology is a great solution for saturated steam applications.

The transit time principle provides a fast responding, and accurate flow measurement, without having to install any measuring element into the pipe.

Due to the clamp-on system, the measurement is installed during normal operation onto the hot pipe, nor shutdown or cooldown is required.

This also means that operators do not need to wait for the next planned shutdown to install or maintain their steam flow meter, which gives much greater freedom of planning.

No pipe diameter reduction

Any obstacle in a pipe means pressure loss, und thus also energy loss. With a pipe diameter reduction, that comes along with nearly all vortex meter installations, this pressure and energy loss even increases drastically.

The ultrasonic transit time measurement overcomes this disadvantage, by being able to measure from 0.03 ft/s upwards at any given pipe diameter.

This means real zero pressure and energy loss, and less condensation of valuable steam within the pipe.

non-invasive Steam Measurement

Portable steam flow measurement

Clamp-on also means flexible and portable measurement. As no drilling cutting or whatsoever is required, the measurement can be installed on every suitable measuring spot at any time.

The FLUXUS G601 ST is a battery powered, fully equipped steam meter. With the same measuring principle and the same advantages, this meter allows temporary, and accurate steam flow measurements. Of course, all other applications as liquid flow, gas flow and thermal energy measurements are included to the FLUXUS G601 ST.

Check metering, verification and flexible energy management has never been easier.

Advantages

  • Non-invasive steam measurement
  • 100% process availability – no shutdown or cool down needed
  • Pipe diameter Range 1.8” to 39.4”
  • Saturated steam up to 356°F, up to 752°F possible
  • High dynamic measuring range starting at 0.03 ft/s
  • No pipe diameter reduction required
  • Zero pressure loss
  • 100% hygienic – suitable for purified steam
  • No wear and tear – reliable, long term stable values