An intro to mass flow sensors — and what they do

Almost every modern process and machine that uses gas and/or liquid has a flow meter with a flow sensor incorporated.

A flow sensor is a device that measures the rate of flow of gas and liquid. There are many different types of flow sensors that use a variety of technologies. Some have a vane that is pushed by the fluid to drive a rotary potentiometer. Others measure the change in temperature caused by the movement of air or fluid. 

Mass flow sensors measure the mass of gas or liquid that passes through a surface per unit of time, while volume flow sensors measure the volume of gas or liquid. 

One important type of flow sensor is the mass air flow sensor, which measures the mass flow rate of air entering a fuel-injection internal combustion engine. The information obtained is required by the engine control unit to deliver the correct mass of fuel to the engine. The device works on the principle that the density of air changes when it expands or contracts as a result of change in temperature and/or pressure. 

Flow sensors are important devices and have a variety of applications in many industries, including medicine, biometric processes, domestic water supply and automobiles with fuel-injected engines. 

If you’re in the market for digital mass flow meters and controllers, mass flow meters and controllers, OEM mass flow meters, or power supply and display modules for mass flow meters and controllers, contact Pickering, Ont.-based Durham Instruments. The company offers many products from Teledyne Hastings Instruments, a manufacturer of mass flow meters and vacuum instruments for gas applications in industrial environments.

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