Flow meters for air consumption monitoring in compressed air and gas

CS INSTRUMENTS GmbH’s products have been at the forefront of gas consumption measurement and flow measurement for many years. Customers all over the world value the professional support and innovative spirit that underpin our products. Through our international subsidiaries and a steadily growing, global sales and service network, we provide our customers with the latest measuring technology and ensure optimal all-round support. For a wide range of applications, we offer specially developed and tried-and-tested systems for consumption and flow measurement, which, when combined with our specially developed software solutions, are both uniquely effective and efficient.

Our volumetric flow sensors operate on various physical measuring principles, thereby enabling the precise measurement of volumetric flow rate, mass flow rate and standard volumetric flow rate for a wide range of gas applications. Each measuring principle offers specific advantages, providing the optimum solution for different requirements:

• Thermal mass flow metres (VA series): The VA series utilises the calorimetric principle, in which a heated sensor measures the heat loss in the gas flow to perform the calculation of the mass flow rate directly. This type of sensor offers high accuracy at both very low and high volumetric flow rates, without the need for additional pressure and temperature compensation. Calorimetric flow meters can precisely measure even the lowest flow velocities from 0.1 m/s. Ideal for detecting minute leaks in pressurised pipes or gas pipelines, right up to high-speed applications at 223 m/s, in accordance with ISO 1217.
• Differential pressure sensors (VD series): The VD series measures the pressure drop across a measuring orifice in the flow path and uses this to perform a calculation of the flow rate. In addition to conventional insertion sensors, Venturi technology is also available here, in which a special Venturi tube is used for precise measurements at high flow rates. CS INSTRUMENTS utilises unique, specialised differential pressure sensors that deliver accurate measurement results from as low as 2 m/s. The turndown ratio is 1:130, making the VD series ideal for low, medium and high flow velocities, high pressures, and applications involving gas mixtures, hydrogen, CO₂ and damp or wet compressed air. The VD series is characterised by high accuracy (< 0.5 per cent of the measured value) across an extremely wide measuring range and is used as a reference instrument
• Vortex flow meters (VU and VX series): The VU and VX series vortex flow meters utilise the vortex shedding principle for precise volumetric flow measurement and are ideal for high flow velocities, gas mixtures, steam and high pressures. The measuring principle is independent of pressure and temperature, which ensures additional stability.

The vortex flow sensors (VU and VX) and the differential pressure sensors (VD series) are equipped with integrated temperature and pressure measurement, enabling the mass flow rate or standard volumetric flow rate to be calculated directly. This allows for simple installation in the pipeline without the need for an external flow calculator.

Standard volume and customisable reference conditions

Standard volume is a unit of volume measurement that enables the comparison of gas quantities at different pressures and temperatures. On all our sensors, the reference conditions can be flexibly set via the graphic display to show standard volumetric flow rates in accordance with common standards (ISO 1217 for compressed air and DIN 1343 for industrial gases). This ensures a reliable, standards-compliant consumption reading.