The English version 8012513 of this document is an original
document from SICK Engineering GmbH.
SICK Engineering GmbH assumes no liability for the correctness of
an unauthorized translation.
In case of doubt, please contact SICK Engineering GmbH or your
local representative.
The FLOWSIC100 measuring system is designed for no-contact measurement of the gas
flow rate and temperature or of the volume flow.
Correct use
Use the device only as described in these Operating Instructions. The manufacturer
bears no responsibility for any other use.
Carry out all measures required to maintain the device, e.g. maintenance and inspec-
tion, transport and storage.
Do not remove, add or modify any components to or on the device unless described and
specified in the official manufacturer information. Otherwise:
– The device could become dangerous.
– Any warranty by the manufacturer becomes void.
1.2Responsibility of user
1.2.1General information
Designated users
The FLOWSIC100 measuring system may only be operated by skilled technicians who,
based on their technical training and knowledge as well as knowledge of the relevant
regulations, can assess the tasks given and recognize the hazards involved.
Important Information
Special local conditions
The relevant legal stipulations and associated technical regulations must be observed
when preparing and carrying out work on the respective system
All work must be carried out in accordance with the local, system-specific conditions
and with due consideration paid to the operating dangers and specifications.
Retention of documents
The Operating Instructions for the measuring system as well as system documentation
must be kept on site and be available for reference. Pass the respective documentation on
to any new owner of the measuring system.
Handling or using the device incorrectly can result in personal injury or material damage.
Read this Chapter carefully and ensure you observe the safety precautions during all work
on the FLOWSIC100. Always observe the warnings provided in these Operating
Instructions.
The following applies at all times:
● The relevant legal stipulations and associated technical regulations must be observed
when preparing and carrying out work on the installation.
● Extreme caution must be exercised in installations with high hazard potential (pressure
pipes, installations with explosive atmospheres). The applicable special regulations
must be followed at all times.
● All work must be carried out in accordance with the local, system-specific conditions
and with due consideration paid to the operating dangers and specifications.
● The Operating Instructions for the measuring system as well as system documentation
must be available on site. The instructions for preventing danger and damage contained in these documents must be observed at all times.
1.3.2Hazard through electrical equipment
The FLOWSIC100 measuring system is an item of electrical equipment designed for use in
industrial high-voltage systems. Make sure the power supply is switched off before working
on mains connections or live components. If necessary, replace shock protection
measures before reconnecting the power supply.
1.3.3Hazard through hot, corrosive and/or pressurized gases
The sender/receiver units are mounted directly on the gas-carrying duct. In installations
with a low hazard potential (no risk of injury, ambient pressure, low temperatures, no risk of
explosion), these units can be installed and removed while the installation is in operation,
providing the applicable specifications and safety regulations for the system are adhered
to and all necessary and suitable protective measures are taken.
WARNING:
Systems and processes with toxic gases, high pressure or high temperatures
must be shut down before the sender/receiver units are installed or removed.
DANGER: Hot gas
Hot gas can escape should the purge air supply fail when using externally
purged devices (device types PM, PH and PH-S) in pressurized pipelines and
ducts. This can lead to serious damage to health and material damage to the
system. The system owner must take suitable protective measures to prevent
such damage. Technical solutions for the FLOWSIC100 to prevent gas escaping should the purge air fail are available from the manufacturer on request.
1.3.4Hazards through ultrasonic signals
Do not expose unprotected hearing to the sonic beam of the transducer (especially type H).
Subject to change w ithout notice
Wearing suitable hearing protection is recommended when inspecting the duct, connecting
the device outside the duct or similar activities.
Some system versions are equipped with a purge/cooling air unit to protect the ultrasonic
transducers from hot or corrosive gases. The transducers can be severely damaged should
the purge/cooling air supply fail. For this reason, the operator must ensure:
● The power supply for the purge/cooling air unit operates reliably and without interruption,
● A failure of the purge/cooling air supply is detected immediately (for example, by using
pressure controllers).
● The sender/receiver units are removed from the duct in the event of a purge air failure
and the duct openings are covered (for example, with a flange cover).
1.3.6Detecting malfunctions
Any deviations from normal operation must be regarded as a serious indication of a
functional impairment. These include:
● Significant drifts in the measuring results.
● Increased power input.
● A rise in system component temperatures.
● Triggering of monitoring devices.
● Unusually strong vibrations or unusual operating noise from a purge/cooling air blower.
● Smoke or unusual odors.
Important Information
1.3.7Preventing damage
To prevent personal injury or damage to the system, the operator must ensure:
● The maintenance personnel responsible can reach the site immediately, and at any
time.
● The maintenance personnel is sufficiently qualified to respond to malfunctions on the
FLOWSIC100 and any resulting operational malfunctions.
● In case of doubt, switch the defective equipment off immediately.
● Switching off the equipment does not indirectly cause further malfunctions.
The FLOWSIC100 measuring system conducts simultaneous measurements of the gas
flow rate and temperature. The volume flow under actual conditions can be calculated and
output from the gas flow rate by including the gas temperature and internal duct pressure
in the standard state.
Features and benefits
● Modular design
By selecting the right modules, you can combine the components to suit your application and fulfill a wide range of requirements. As a result, the FLOWSIC100 can be used
for very many applications.
● Integrated measurement of the gas flow rate across the duct diameter, independent of
the pressure, temperature, and gas composition
● Digital processing of measured values ensures high accuracy and low susceptibility to
interference
● Self-test by means of automatic check cycle
● No pressure-reducing fittings in the gas flow, which ensures the gas flow is not dis-
rupted
● Easy to install
● Low wear and tear by selecting the most suitable modules for the application
● Minimum maintenance requirements
Product Description
Applications
The measuring devices in the FLOWSIC100 series can be used to measure gas flows in
pipelines, flue-gas and exhaust gas ducts, as well as chimneys. If configured accordingly,
the devices can measure the flow rate in both clean and raw gases upstream of filter
installations. As a result, applications range from determining the volume flow in open and
closed-loop control systems used in process control to flow monitoring for emission
measurements.
The system is suitable for use in the following areas:
● Operating measurements and emissions monitoring in:
– Energy supply: Power station and industrial boilers for all energy sources
– Waste disposal: Waste and residual waste incineration plants
– Basic industries: Systems in the cement and steel industry
● Process control engineering
– Chemical industry
– Drying and processing systems in the pharmaceutical, food, and foodstuffs indus-
tries
– Heat treatment and extraction plants used in plastics processing
● Flow measurements in ventilation, heating, and air-conditioning systems in both
industry and agriculture
Certification
The measuring system complies with the requirements defined in the following standards:
DIN EN 15267-1: 2009, DIN EN 15267-2: 2009, DIN EN 15267-3: 2008, DIN EN 14181:
2004 and DIN EN ISO 16911-2.
The measuring system is suitable for use in plants requiring approval (13th BlmSchV, 17th
BlmSchV, 30th BlmSchV, TI Air) as well as plants of the 27th BlmSchV.
The measuring system comprises the following components:
● FLSE100 sender/receiver unit
For transmitting and receiving ultrasonic pulses, signal processing and controlling the
system functions
● Flange with tube
For mounting the sender/receiver units on the gas duct
● MCU control unit
For control, evaluation and output of the data of the sensors connected via RS485
interface
● Connection cables
For signal transmission between the sender/receiver units and control unit
● Junction box for connection cable
For connecting the connection cables
● Purge air unit option
For using purged sender/receiver units to keep the ultrasonic transducers clean and
cool at high gas temperatures
● Cool air unit option
For using internal cooled sender/receiver units to keep the ultrasonic transducers cool
at high gas temperatures
● Measuring tube option
Tube piece with flanges, preassembled for installation in an existing pipeline; with
flanges with tube to fit the sender/receiver units
Subject to change w ithout notice
Fig. 1FLOWSIC100 system components
● Cooling air control option for device types M-AC and H-AC
Used to control the cooling air supply for sender/receiver units with internal cooling by
switching the cooling air blower on and off automatically depending on the transducer
temperature.
● Emergency air supply option for sender/receiver units with internal cooling (FLSE100MAC and HAC)
Set for connecting and operating a temporary emergency air supply of instrument air (to
be provided by customer) for sender/receiver units with internal cooling.
● Emergency air supply option for externally purged sender/receiver units (FLSE100-PM,
PH, PH-S)
Set for connecting and operating a temporary emergency air supply of instrument air (to
Bus line
Junction box
be provided by customer) for externally purged sender/receiver units.
2.2.2Communication between sender/receiver units and control unit
Standard version
The two sender/receiver units work as master and slave. The master FLSE has a second
interface to be able to completely separate communication to the slave FLSE and to the
MCU. The master triggers the slave and controls measurement. The MCU can request the
measured values from the master units independently of the measuring cycle
(asynchronous).
For the cabling, the junction box used to separate the interfaces has to be installed on the
master FLSE. The junction box is optional for FLOWSIC100 types PR and S (for longer cable
lengths).
Fig. 2Standard version (1 sensor pair)
Product Description
Bus version with several measuring systems connected
With the bus version, two autonomous measuring paths (2 x 2 FLSE100) can be connected
to a control unit MCU for 2-path-measurement. The MCU computes both measuring paths
to one measuring result.
● For bus wiring, the set termination set at the factory must be deactivated in
those system components not at the line end (see Service Manual Section
3.1).
● Other sensor types (e.g. sensor for dust measurement) can also be connected to the MCU.
The FLOWSIC100 gas flow rate measuring devices operate according to the principle of
ultrasonic transit time difference measurement. Sender/receiver units are mounted on
both sides of a duct/pipeline at a certain angle to the gas flow (
These sender/receiver units contain piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers that function
alternately as senders and receivers. The sound pulses are emitted at an angle to the
flow direction of the gas. Depending on the angle and the gas flow rate v, the transit time
of the respective sound direction varies as a result of certain "acceleration and braking
effects" (formulas 2.1 and 2.2). The higher the gas flow rate and the smaller the angle to
the flow direction are, the higher the difference in the transit times of the sound pulses.
Gas flow rate v is calculated from the difference between both transit times, independent
of the sound velocity value. Therefore changes in the sound velocity caused by pressure or
temperature fluctuations do not affect the calculated gas flow rate with this method of
measurement.
Measuring path L is equal to the active measuring path, that is, the area through which the
gas flows. Given measuring path L, sound velocity c, and angle of inclination between the
sound and flow direction, the sound transit time in the direction of the gas flow (forward
direction) when the signal is transmitted can be expressed as:
(2.1)
Against the gas flow (backward direction):
(2.2)
After the resolution to v:
Apart from the two measured transit times, this relation only contains the active measuring
path and the angle of inclination as constants.
(2.3)
Product Description
c = c0 ·
1 +
273 °C
= 273°C · ( () - 1)
4 · c
0
²
t
v
·
t
r
L
²
tv + t
r
²
c =· ()
L tv + t
r
2 tv ·t
r
Sound velocity
Sound velocity c can be calculated by resolving formulas 2.1 and
2.2.
(2.4)
Based on the dependencies in formulas 2.5 and 2.7, the sound velocity can be used to
determine the gas temperature and for diagnosis purposes.
(2.5)
Calculating the gas temperature
Since the sound velocity is dependent on the temperature, the gas temperature can also
be calculated from the transit times (by resolving formulas 2.4 and 2.5 to derive
).
(2.6)
Formula 2.6 shows that, in addition to the measured transit times, the square of the values
of L and the standard velocity are included in the calculation.
This means precise temperature measurement is only possible when the gas
composition is constant, measuring path L has been measured extremely
accurately and a calibration has been carried out (see Section
p. 151, 4.3.6).
Determining the volume flow
The volume flow in operating state is computed using the geometric constants of the duct.
The process parameters pressure, temperature and moisture content are required to
calculate the volume flow in the standard state. A detailed description is provided in
Section § 2.4, page 44.
Path compensation
When the FLOWSIC100 is operated with a 2-path configuration, the device runs with an
integrated algorithm for automatic "path compensation".
During trouble-free operation, gas and sound velocity relations between both measuring
paths are recorded and saved. Should one path then fail, the system can replace invalid
measured values from the failed path with theoretical values based on the "learned" path
relations. The system signals "Maintenance request" status at the same time.
This means a single path can be compensated temporarily and measurement continued
with a slightly higher uncertainty until the malfunction has been cleared.
1Electronics unit4Transducer
2Connection piece5 Flange with tube
3Duct probe6Purge air connection (only for purged versions PM, PH, PHS)
Cooling air connection (only for internally cooled versions MAC, HAC)
2
34
5
6
2.3System components
2.3.1FLSE100 sender/receiver unit
The sender/receiver unit consists of the electronics, connector, duct probe, and transducer
modules. These modules are available in different versions that can be combined on the
basis of the relevant application data to produce the optimum configuration for the
application in question.
Fig. 5Schematic diagram with modules of the sender/receiver unit and flange with tube
The modules are selected on the basis of the following criteria:
● Gas temperature
Decide whether the sender/receiver unit must or can be used with or without internal
cooling air so that the duct probe can be selected with regard to type of material (steel,
titanium) and the transducer type (with/without internal cooling)
● Gas composition (corrosive / slightly corrosive or not corrosive)
The duct probe and transducers are selected on the basis of their resistance to corrosion (probe made from stainless steel / titanium, transducers made from titanium /
hastelloy)
● Duct diameter, sound dampening, dust content
The transducers are selected on the basis of the required transmitter power (medium
power / high power)
● Dust properties
Decide whether purged sender/receiver units need to be used (prevention of contamination with very sticky dust).
● Wall and insulation thickness of the gas duct
Selection of the duct probe and flange with tube according to the nominal length
(graded standard lengths). Other lengths can be supplied on request.
● Assembly type
On two sides, each with a sender/receiver unit on the opposite duct walls, or on one
side with one sender/receiver unit (as measuring probe version)
● Flange size
Small or large flange dimensions
(pitch diameter of the fixing holes 75 mm, 100 mm or 114 mm)
● Internal duct pressure
Pressure resistant versions must be used with pressures above 100 mbar (see OI
FLOWSIC100 PROCESS)
● Certification requirements
Selection after performance tests for emission measuring.
The various configuration options are identified by a type key structured as follows:
A special transducer design makes it possible to use these sender/receiver units without
cooling by external purge air even with higher gas temperatures. A purge air unit is
therefore not necessary. The advantages are:
● Lower expense for mounting and installation
● Easier maintenance
● Lower operating costs.
For these reasons, standard sender/receiver units should be used where possible.
Product Description
Duct probe
● The types FLSE100-M, H and PR are intended for use with gas
temperatures up to max. 260
°C. The types FLSE100-SA and SD are
intended for use up to 150°C.
● The measuring system FLOWSIC100 S contains one sender/receiver
unit FLSE100-SA and FLSE100-SD and one connection cable between
the sender/receiver units.
● The type FLSE100-SA has no electronics unit. Communication to the
FLSE100-SD as master (which communicates with the MCU control
unit) runs via an analog connection cable (fixed length: 3m). Install one
FLSE100-SA and one FLSE100-SD per sampling point (1-path configuration).
● Fit the sender/receiver units at an angle of 60° to the flow direction for
dust concentrations > 1 g/m³ (only applicable for FLSE100-H, H-AC, PH
and PH-S). The downstream sender/receiver unit (B in
1Electronics unit4Transducer
2Connection piece5Connection for connection cable
3Duct probe6 Cooling air connection
2.3.1.2Sender/receiver units with internal cooling
The types FLSE100-MAC and HAC can be used for gas temperatures up to maximum
450°C when fitted with internal cooling for the ultrasonic transducers. A control unit with
integrated filter and blower supplies the cooling air (
The advantages over the purged versions are:
● Lower costs for installation and operation.
● No flow of cooling air into the measured medium, therefore no direct influence on gas
flow and flow rate.
● Lower risk of dropping below the dew point with condensate on the probe head.
Fit the sender/receiver units at an angle of 60° to the flow direction for dust
concentrations > 1 g/m³ (only applicable for FLSE100-HAC). The downstream sender/receiver unit (B in Fig. 4, page 15) must be equipped with an
impact protector.
NOTICE:
Wet or sticky dust can cause strong contamination of the transducer and
disrupt the measuring function. In this case, the cooling air control option, Part
No. 2050814, should be used on device versions with internal cooling (M-AC
and H-AC). Use an external device version when necessary.
p. 29, 2.3.3).
The following differences exist in addition to the possible versions:
Type FLSE100Transducer and duct probe
MACNominal diameter 35 mm
HACNominal diameter 60 mm
Fig. 11FLSE100-MAC
The type FLSE100-MAC is also available with other flanges on request (p.
1Electronics unit4Transducer
2Connection piece5 Connection for connection cable
3Duct probe
1
2
4
3
5
A -
2.3.1.3Purged sender/receiver units
Fig. 13FLSE100-PM, PH, PHS
These sender/receiver units are intended only for use with wet and sticky dust when the
transducer surface is in high danger of contamination. Purge air is supplied by a purge air
unit to keep the active transducer surface clean and therefore protect against
contamination (
p. 43, 2.3.9). The purge air flow is optimized to maximize the directivity of
the ultrasound beam.
An integrated temperature sensor records the transducer temperature which can then be
displayed in SOPAS ET.
See the Application Range Table on page 21 for limitations of use
For dust concentrations > 1 g/m³, install the sender/receiver units at an
angle of 60° to the flow direction (only applicable for FLSE100-PH and
PHS). The downstream sender/receiver unit (B in
p. 15, Fig. 4) has to be
equipped with an impact protector.
At low gas temperatures, the purge air supply can cause the temperature to
drop below the dew point. To minimize the possible corrosion on the probe
head (for example, due to acid formation with corrosive gas compositions),
duct probes with a nominal length greater than that actually required for
the flanges with tube must be selected for temperatures between 150
and 200
350 mm
°C (for example, if the nominal length of the flange with tube is
a duct probe with a nominal length of 550 mm should be
°C
used). The purge air is then heated by the gas temperature in the probe
tube which minimizes temperature drops below the dew point.
The weatherproof cover protects the electronics of the sender/receiver unit against
sunlight and rain.
Fig. 16Weather protection with holder
2.3.4MCU control unit
The control unit has the following functions:
● Control of data transfer and processing the data from the sender/receiver units
connected via RS485 interface
● Signal output via analog outputs (measured value) and relay outputs (device status)
● Signal input via analog and digital inputs
● Voltage supply for the connected sender/receiver units
● Communication with host control systems via optional modules
System and device parameters can be set easily and conveniently via a USB interface
using a laptop and the user-friendly SOPAS ET operating software. The parameters are
stored reliably even in the case of a power failure.
The control unit is usually installed in a steel plate housing. It is available as 19" rack as an
option.
This control unit serves for connecting sender/receiver units FLSE100-M, H, PR, S, PM,
PH and PHS (optional for FLSE100-MAC and HAC).
Fig. 17Control unit MCU with options
Product Description
2 Control unit with integrated cooling air supply (only for types M-AC and H-AC)
This version is additionally equipped with a purge air blower, air filter and purge air connection for connecting DN 25 purge air hoses (must be ordered separately
p. 171,
Fig. 138) for sender/receiver units with internal cooling (types FLSE100-MAC and HAC).