A heat flow meter measures the flow rate of a mass in an enclosed space, using sensors that measure the heat transferred from the sensor surface to the flowing mass. Two important configurations are immersion and capillary tube sensors, which are based on the principle of thermal sensing. Heat flow meters are useful for measuring flow rates of various gases in mining, industrial, commercial, and civil operations.
A heat flow meter can be any of an assortment of devices intended to measure the velocity of a mass as it passes through an enclosed space, usually a pipe. When a mass moves in an enclosed space, a heat flow meter senses the flow rate by measuring the heat transferred from the sensor surface to the flowing mass. These types of sensors depend on the rule that as the speed varies, the effect of a mass on the measuring sensors also changes.
The sensors in a heat flow meter often create heat using an external source of electricity. As gas molecules pass near the sensors, they carry off some of that heat along with the rest of the mass into the enclosed space. The electricity required to maintain a reference temperature will reflect the mass flow by a directly proportional relationship. Useful for many applications, a heat flow meter could be very useful for measuring the flow rates of various gases during mining operations.
While there are many different configurations for heat flow meters, two can be considered the most important and widely used. One important configuration is known as an immersion heat flowmeter. It is in direct contact with the flowing mass and may include two sensors. One sensor measures the temperature of the mass and the other tries to maintain a constant temperature. The difference between the two sensors indicates something called the thermal sensing principle, which is directly proportional to the velocity of the mass flow.
Another configuration of a heat flow meter is the capillary tube design. In this configuration the thermal sensor is considered online, i.e. it is directly connected to the enclosed space. The sensor then measures the amount of heat convection overall to the flowing mass. Both immersion and capillary tube sensors are based on the principle of thermal sensing, which has such high accuracy that it can be applied to many situations.
For example, a heat flow meter can aid in research by providing accurate flow rates for various types of gases. Flowmeters are also potentially useful in industrial and commercial applications such as gas storage and distribution operations. Flow rate is an important part of many operations related to the production, distribution and use of inert gas or fuel. A thermal flowmeter can also provide valuable data for civil operations such as wastewater aeration or natural gas distribution.
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