Flow

Flow

Flow measurement encompasses instruments that quantify how much liquid, gas, or steam moves through a pipe—reported as volume flow, mass flow, and often derived variables such as density. Because no single technology fits every fluid, line size, or operating envelope, Endress+Hauser provides multiple measurement principles. Core categories include electromagnetic, Coriolis, ultrasonic, vortex, thermal mass, and differential-pressure flow measurement, supporting application-specific selection across a wide range of process conditions. 

Accurate, stable flow signals are a direct lever on product consistency, safety margins, and environmental performance. Day-to-day measurement of media such as water, natural gas, steam, mineral oil, and chemicals supports mass balance, dosing and blending control, and energy accounting. Flow metering also continues to expand into new use cases as automated control strategies and modern digital interfaces push measurement closer to real-time optimization.

Selecting the right principle is fundamentally about matching physics to the application. Electromagnetic meters address conductive liquids with low pressure loss; Coriolis meters provide direct mass flow and density for quality- and batch-critical service; ultrasonic meters support in-line and clamp-on approaches where noninvasive installation is advantageous; vortex meters remain a robust choice for steam and many gas services; thermal mass meters target gas mass flow and consumption; and differential-pressure solutions remain widely applied where proven primary elements and installed-base familiarity are priorities.

Typical deployments range from chemical feed and additive dosing to cooling-water distribution, boiler and steam networks, compressed-air and fuel-gas monitoring, and transfer measurement in terminals and tank farms. In hygienic processes, flow measurement supports CIP/SIP verification, blending control, and yield optimization. In water and wastewater, it underpins treatment-train control and throughput-based reporting. Clamp-on ultrasonic measurement can provide temporary or permanent metering without cutting pipe or interrupting service.

Beyond the primary variable, modern devices increasingly contribute multivariable outputs and diagnostic capabilities that reduce commissioning effort and strengthen measurement integrity over time. Standard industrial interfaces and fieldbus options support consistent integration into control, historian, and asset-management layers. Sizing and configuration workflows further streamline specification for new or revamp projects, enabling a measurement point that supports both closed-loop control and longer-horizon reliability and optimization initiatives.

Forberg Smith, an exclusive authorized representative of sales and service for Endress+Hauser.