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Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. -- Metals Solutions -- Ask the Expert
     
 
Eric Will
Principal Industry Engineer
     
  Ask the Expert -- Answer
I know my flowmeter tells me that I have a certain gas flow rate, but how can I be sure?
  Ask the Expert -- Answer                  
Flowmeters must be sized properly for each particular application, type of gas, gas pressure, and operating range. First, make sure that your flowmeter is calibrated for the specific gravity of the gas that you are metering. Check the label or the glass tube of the flowmeter or call the manufacturer to be sure. Second, operate the flowmeter only at the pressure for which it was calibrated. As an example, a variable-area flowmeter calibrated for 80 psi and reading 1000 scfh will really only be delivering 760 scfh if it is operated at 40 psi. This is a 24% error! Third, for best accuracy and to allow room for adjustment, size the flowmeter so that your normal flow rate falls within 30%–70% of full scale. These three steps will help ensure that you have good control over your gas flows and, ultimately, your process.
 
For a free copy of Gas Atmosphere Analysis Guidelines, please call 800-654-4567.