Current position > Product detail
『Compensated Flow Meter: Saturated Steam Mass Trackers with Built-In Sensors』Related information(v cone flow meter|rotary gas meter|gallon meter|gear meter|metal tube rotameter|glass tube rotameter|nutating disk meter|transit time ultrasonic flow meter|wedge flow meter|pd meters|hydraulic flow meter|ultrasonic water flow meter|water flow meter|air flow meter|magnetic water flow meter|oxygen flow meter|gas flow meter|argon flow meter|air velocity meter|gasoline flow meter|fuel flow meter|ultrasonic water meter|digital water meter|nitrogen flow meter|solid flow meter|Oxygen tank flow meter|digital water flow meter|diesel fuel flow meter|steam flow meter|02 flow meter|compressed air flow meter|oil flow meter|liquid flow meter)
Compensated Flow Meter: Saturated Steam Mass Trackers with Built-In Sensors
Quick Answer: A compensated saturated steam flow meter measures velocity and corrects density using built-in pressure and temperature sensors. It outputs mass flow in kg/h instead of raw volume flow. For saturated steam lines from DN15 to DN300, Silver Automation Instruments recommends the Silver VFM-100 vortex flow meter with integrated pressure and PT100 sensors.
Here is the thing. Saturated steam mass flow changes with pressure. A volume meter alone can read 5 to 6 percent low or high when boiler pressure drifts. We see this often in plants where multiple boilers share a common header.
What Does a Compensated Flow Meter Do?
The Silver VFM-100 measures flow velocity with a vortex shedding sensor. That gives you actual volume flow. The meter then reads the built-in pressure transmitter and PT100 temperature sensor. The flow computer calculates saturated steam density and outputs mass flow in kg/h. The local display shows kg/h, pressure, temperature, and totalized mass.
Because saturated steam has a fixed pressure temperature relationship, either signal can be used for density. In practice, we include both. This catches sensor drift. If the pressure reads 9.4 bar and the temperature reads 176 °C, the steam is saturated. If the values diverge, you get an early warning of wet steam or a faulty sensor.
Built-In Sensors Reduce Field Mistakes
Most steam flow errors start on site. Separate transmitters need extra tap points, impulse lines, thermowells, and wiring. A fitter can install the thermowell in the wrong position or forget to insulate an impulse line. The error is small at first but it stays for months.
With the Silver VFM-100, the pressure tap and PT100 are factory mounted inside the meter body. The flow computer comes preloaded with saturated steam density tables. That means no external transmitter loop to miswire. Food and beverage plants like this design because washdown is easier.
We supplied 14 Silver VFM-100 meters to a beverage plant in Vietnam. The plant runs saturated steam at 8 bar for pasteurizing and cleaning. Before the meters were installed, three departments argued about steam cost. After installation, each department paid for actual kg/h used. The plant engineer told us the payback was less than one heating season.
Why Volume Meters Misread Saturated Steam
Saturated steam density depends on absolute pressure. At 5 bar gauge, density is about 3.11 kg per cubic meter. At 10 bar gauge, density is about 5.64 kg per cubic meter. If a volume meter is sized at 10 bar and the header drops to 8 bar, the mass flow error can exceed 15 percent.
Boiler houses often swing between 6 bar and 12 bar during startup. A vortex meter without compensation cannot correct for that. The Silver VFM-100 updates density every 200 ms, so the mass total stays accurate even when pressure moves.
Recommended Saturated Steam Meter Configuration
For most saturated steam lines, Silver Automation Instruments recommends this setup:
Model: Silver VFM-100 compensated vortex steam flow meter
Line size: DN15 to DN300
Process connection: flange, wafer, or threaded
Built-in sensors: piezo-resistive pressure transmitter and PT100
Output: 4-20 mA HART, pulse, RS485 Modbus RTU
Display: local LCD for mass flow, temperature, pressure, totalizer
Accuracy: within 1.0 percent of rate for compensated mass flow
Turn down ratio: 10:1 for steam mass flow
Process temperature: up to 250 °C standard, 350 °C optional
Pressure rating: 25 bar standard, 40 bar optional
Power: 24 V DC loop power
For a DN80 saturated steam line at 10 bar, the typical range is 800 kg/h to 8,000 kg/h. We size the meter based on actual pipe ID and steam velocity. Send us your pressure (bar), temperature (°C), pipe size (DN), and flow range. We will return a complete quote with meter model, flange standard, and calibration certificate.
Common Saturated Steam Meter Applications
We ship compensated steam meters to plants in Southeast Asia, Ocean
In a textile mill in Bangladesh, steam cost is tracked per production line. They use DN100 meters on each branch header. Because each meter has built-in pressure and temperature sensors, the mill did not need separate thermowells or impulse piping. Installation time was about two hours per line.
In a dairy plant in New Zealand, a DN50 meter measures about 1,200 kg/h at 8 bar for an indirect steam heater. The plant runs CIP cycles with hot water nearby. The IP65 housing and local display are easy to read from the walkway.
Installation Notes That Prevent Bad Readings
For vortex meters on saturated steam, straight pipe still matters. The Silver VFM-100 needs 15D upstream and 5D downstream when installed after a control valve or elbow. If you have a reducer, follow ISO 5167 guidance for disturbance types. In practice, most saturated steam lines are crowded, so plan for a flow straightener if 15D is not available.
Mount the meter with the electronics head away from the steam pipe. The flow computer has an ambient limit of 65 °C. In boiler rooms, we often see 45 °C to 55 °C, so this is fine. But do not put the meter next to an uninsulated steam header without airflow.
Keep the meter body insulated. The built-in pressure sensor is inside the meter body, but the electronics head should not be wrapped. Insulation helps reduce heat loss and keeps the pressure tapping dry for saturated steam.
Why Work With Silver Automation Instruments
We are a flow meter manufacturer based in Nanjing, China. We supply direct to industrial end users and to distributors in more than 40 countries. Because we build the meter body, sensors, and flow computer ourselves, we can match flange standards like ANSI, DIN, JIS, and AS 2129. Delivery for standard DN15 to DN150 compensated steam meters is usually 7 to 10 days.
We also preconfigure each meter to your operating range. You do not need a field engineer to set the density table. We load the saturated steam compensation table into the flow computer before shipping. At site, you check the process values, wire the output, and start totalizing.
If you are a distributor or OEM, ask about private label options and multi-language local display. We support English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Chinese menu text.
FAQ: Compensated Saturated Steam Flow Meters
1. What is the difference between a compensated flow meter and a normal vortex flow meter?
A normal vortex meter outputs volume flow. A compensated meter adds built-in pressure and temperature sensors and calculates mass flow in kg/h. For saturated steam, density changes a lot with pressure, so compensation matters.
2. Can this meter be used for superheated steam?
Yes. For superheated steam, pressure and temperature are independent. The Silver VFM-100 flow computer supports saturated and superheated steam compensation. Tell us the normal superheat temperature.
3. What flow range can a DN80 saturated steam meter measure?
A DN80 meter typically covers 800 kg/h to 8,000 kg/h at 10 bar gauge. The exact range depends on steam pressure and pipe schedule. Send us your pressure and expected load.
4. Does the built-in temperature sensor need a thermowell?
No. The PT100 is built into the meter body. That removes one leak point and one wiring step. You can still select an optional separate thermowell for validation if the plant requires it.
5. What output options are available?
Standard output is 4-20 mA HART with a pulse for totalization. Modbus RTU is optional. The local display shows mass flow, temperature, pressure, and totalized mass in kg or tonnes.
Contact Silver Automation Instruments for a quote. Tel: +86-25-68650347. WhatsApp: +86-25-52155837. WeChat: +86 15365082610. Send us your pressure (bar), temperature (°C), pipe size (DN), and flow range.