Bronkhorst ATEX Zone 1 Certified Measurement & Control for Gases

Bronkhorst EX-FLOW instruments are thermal Mass Flow Meters/Controllers of rugged design and suitable for gas flow application in ATEX Zone 1 Certified, hazardous areas. The intrinsically safe measuring head is tested according to ATEX 95 Directive 94/9/EC and approved under EC-Type Examination Number: KEMA 01ATEX1172, protection II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 Gb. The housing of the electronics compartment is also IP65 rated. Control valves can either be integrally or separately mounted, to measure and control gas flows.

Why Mass Flow?
Volumetric measuring devices, like variable area meters or turbine flow meters, are unable to distinguish temperature or pressure changes. This means significant changes in ambient or process temperatures or pressures can significantly affect the concentration (by volume) and as such the quality of your process & true accuracy of the reading. Mass flow measurement for those devices would require additional sensors for these parameters and a flow computer to compensate for the variations in these process conditions. On the other hand Thermal mass flow meters are virtually insensitive to variations in temperature or pressure.

EX-FLOW Mass Flow Meters can be supplied in ranges starting from 0,16…8 mln/min up to 11000 m3n/h air-equivalent, with pressure rating between vacuum and 700 bar, while Mass Flow Controllers can be offered up to 10…500 m3n/h air-equivalent, incorporating either integrated or separate control valves.

The control valve used on EX-FLOW Mass Flow Controller is a proportional, electromagnetic control valve with fast and smooth control characteristics. Further there is a standard direct acting valve for common applications, a pilot operated valve for high flow rates and the so-called Vary-P valve with a pressure rating of 400 or 700 bar, that can cope with up to 400 bar ΔP. These valves will be equipped with explosion proof certified coils.

The flow meter and valve should be connected (via separate cables) to a power supply with galvanic isolation/preamplifier/readout system (located in the safe zone) which contains a controller board to complete the control loop. The control valve receives its input from the controller board and immediately responds to any deviation between the output signal from the flow sensor and the setpoint signal.

 General EX-FLOW features

• ATEX approval Cat.2, Zone 1
• Weatherproof IP65 housing
• Flow ranges from 0,16…8 mln/min up to 220…11000 m3n/h
• Otional: low-ΔP versions up to 4…200 ln/min
• Pressure ratings up to 700 bar.

Fields of application

• Process gas measurement or control in (petro-) chemical industries
• Fuel cell technology
• Gas distribution systems
• Hydrogenation processes
• Gas consumption measurement for internal accounting.

Should you have any further information about the Bronkhorst EX-FLOW - ATEX Zone 1 Certified range, any of our ATEX Zone 2 instruments, or would like to request a quotation please contact us. Further information specifically on Bronhkorst EX-FLOW can be found here.