FCI101-ST100 SIL approved flow meter

Process and plant engineers in search of a next-generation air/gas flow meter that is suitable for critical operations and hazardous environments will find that the future-ready ST100 Series Thermal Mass Air/Gas Flow Meter from Fluid Components International (FCI) is now rated for Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 1 compliant service.

FCI’s SIL compliance rating for the ST100 Flow Meter has been documented in a failure analysis report with FMEDA techniques by Exida, an accredited global functional safety certification company. The flow meter has been classified as a Type B subsystem in accordance with IEC 61508-1 with a hardware failure tolerance of 0. The probability of failure on demand (PFD) meets SIL-1 capability standards.

The flow meter provides a solution for 4-20 mA analog, frequency/pulse, alarm relays or digital bus communications such as HART, Fieldbus, Profibus or Modbus. It can also be adapted as necessary with a plug-in card replacement that can be changed out by plant technicians in the field.

It has graphical, multivariable, backlit LCD/readout and provides comprehensive information with continuous display of all process measurements and alarm status, and the ability to interrogate for service diagnostics.

The user-friendly unit stores up to five unique calibration groups to accommodate broad flow ranges, differing mixtures of the same gas and multiple gases, and obtains up to 1000:1 turndown. 

Also standard is an onboard data logger with an easily accessible, removable, 2 GB micro-SD memory card capable of storing 21 million readings.

It has three different types of flow sensors to best match user applications.The fast-response FPC style features an integral flow conditioner and protective shroud optimised for compressed air and clean gas applications. The fast-response, general-purpose FP style features a protective shroud and is the sensor used with FCI’s VeriCal in-situ calibration option. For wet or dirty gases, or erratic flows, the unshrouded S style facilitates easy cleaning and provides a smoothed response.

The series comprises two core model families: ST and STP. ST meters measure both mass flow and temperature, and the STP family adds a third parameter, pressure, making the ST100 a triple-variable thermal flow meter. Both families include single-point and dual-element models as configurations outfitted with FCI’s in-situ calibration option, VeriCal.

The ST100 can be calibrated to measure virtually any process gas, including wet gas, mixed gases and dirty gases. The basic insertion-style air/gas meter features a thermal flow sensing element that measures flow from 0.07 to 305 NMPS with accuracy of  ±0.75% of reading, ±0.5% of full scale.

Designed for rugged industrial processes and plants, ST100 flow meters include service up to 454°C and are available with both integral and remote (up to 300 m) electronics versions. The ST100 is agency approved for hazardous environments, including the entire instrument, the transmitter and the rugged, NEMA 4X/IP67 rated enclosure. Instrument approvals in addition to SIL-1 include ATEX, IECEx, FM and FMc.