Company Profile

Mass Flow Meters: Direct Mass and Density Tracking Without Thermal Compensation

Quick Answer

A Silver Instruments Coriolis mass flow meter measures mass flow and density directly from one sensor. It does not need temperature compensation to correct mass flow. For oil, gas, chemical, food, and desalination lines where density changes often, this type of meter is often the best fit.

What Direct Mass and Density Tracking Means

Thermal mass flow meters read heat loss and convert that signal into mass flow using gas composition and temperature. If the fluid temperature shifts and the correction is not live, the output drifts. A Coriolis mass flow meter works on a different principle. Two parallel tubes oscillate. Mass flow creates a phase shift between the inlet and outlet sides. Density creates a frequency shift in the tube vibration. Both signals come from the same sensor. No temperature compensation step is needed to deliver mass flow or density.

Most engineers skip the extra correction step after they see the live density output. The meter reports kg/h, total kg, density in g/cm³, and temperature in °C. The temperature value comes from a built in PT100. That PT100 signal supports diagnostics and tube stiffness compensation. It does not correct the mass flow reading.

Where This Shows Up on Customer Sites

We have seen this on customer sites many times. A fuel oil transfer line in Malaysia handled different batches with density from 0.82 kg/L to 0.96 kg/L. The operator needed total mass in kg/h for custody records. A thermal meter would require a stable gas or vapor application. The Coriolis meter measured mass and density directly even when the batch changed.

A desalination plant in Oman asked us for a seawater flow meter for desalination plant brine discharge. The line pressure was 18 bar. The temperature reached 55 °C. The permeate conductivity was below 50 µS/cm. The brine density changed with salt concentration. A Silver Automation Instruments Coriolis meter with DN80 size and Hastelloy C22 wetted parts gave the plant a live density readout and total flow. No external temperature compensation loop was required.

A paint manufacturer in Indonesia measured resin and pigment slurry. Viscosity reached 900 cP in one batch. The density varied between 1.05 and 1.25 g/cm³. The Coriolis meter still gave stable mass flow. The same model also measured water based solvent lines at 1 cP with no hardware change.

Technical Parameters That Matter

Silver Instruments mass flow meters cover DN15 to DN200. Liquid flow ranges start at 0.1 kg/h on small meter models and go above 250,000 kg/h on large pipe sizes. Standard process temperature ranges from -50 °C to 200 °C. Standard pressure ratings include PN16, PN40, and PN100, with higher pressure options available for 250 bar lines.

Mass accuracy for liquids is ±0.1% to ±0.2% of rate. Gas accuracy is ±0.35% to ±0.5%. Density accuracy is ±0.001 g/cm³ to ±0.002 g/cm³ depending on the model. Output options include 4-20 mA HART, pulse, RS485 Modbus, and PT100. For hazardous areas, ATEX Zone 1 and IECEx versions are available.

Wetted materials are normally 316L stainless steel. For chloride, seawater, and acid lines, Hastelloy C22 or titanium is a better match. For food and beverage duty, hygienic surfaces and CIP friendly connections are common.

Recommended Model Sizing

For DN15 and DN25 lines, the SIL-CMF015 and SIL-CMF025 are common. These handle low flow rates from 0.1 kg/h to 5,000 kg/h. Pilot plants, dosing skids, and laboratory steam generators often use these sizes.

For DN50 and DN80 lines, the SIL-CMF050 and SIL-CMF080 cover flow rates up to 60,000 kg/h. Fuel transfer, batch reactors, and desalination brine lines frequently use these models. For DN100 and DN150 lines, the SIL-CMF100 and SIL-CMF150 handle f