|
About
Coriolis Meters
The French
mathematician Gustave Coriolis formulated the principle that underlies
Coriolis flowmeters. Coriolis
showed in 1835 that an inertial force needs to be taken into account when
the motion of bodies in a rotating frame of reference is described.
The earth is often used as an example of the Coriolis force.
A hypothetical object thrown from the North Pole to the equator
appears to vary from its intended path, due to the earth’s rotation.
Coriolis
flowmeters contain one or more vibrating tubes.
These tubes are usually bent, although straight-tube meters are also
available. The fluid to be
measured passes through the vibrating tubes.
It accelerates as it flows toward the maximum vibration point, and
slows down as it leaves that point. This
causes the tubes to twist. The
amount of twisting is directly proportional to mass flow.
Position sensors detect tube positions.
While the
roots of today’s Coriolis flowmeters can be traced back to the 1950s, it
was not until 1977 that Micro Motion introduced a commercially viable
Coriolis flowmeter for industrial applications.
Since that time, a number of other suppliers have entered the
market, including Endress+Hauser and Krohne.
Coriolis suppliers have introduced a wide variety of models and
types of Coriolis flowmeters in the past 35 years.
Coriolis
suppliers differentiate themselves in a number of ways.
One is by the proprietary design of the bent tubes in their Coriolis
flowmeters. Another is by the
different types of straight tube Coriolis flowmeters that are offered.
Suppliers also compete by bringing out Coriolis flowmeters for
particular industries and applications, such as food & beverage and
pharmaceutical. Accuracy and
other performance specifications are other areas of supplier
differentiation.
While
Coriolis flowmeters are loved by many end-users, price is often an issue.
Coriolis flowmeters are the most expensive meter made, in terms of
average selling price. The
average selling price of Coriolis flowmeters are between $5,000 and $6,000.
Some suppliers have introduced low-cost Coriolis flowmeters in the
$3,000 range. Performance
specifications for the lower-cost flowmeters are not at the same level as
those of the higher-priced meters. However,
these lower-cost meters can help satisfy the needs of users who want the
essential benefits of Coriolis technology but prefer not to pay the higher
price.
For
further information on Coriolis meters and detailed market reports, please
see www.FlowCoriolis.com.
| 
