Proven thermal flow meter technology for a wide range of high-tech industries and processes.
Our elastomer sealed thermal mass flow meters and gas flow controllers deliver the accuracy, reliability and repeatability your advanced processes require — whether it’s in high-tech manufacturing, bioprocessing operations, laboratory R&D or hazardous-area production applications. As the global leader in precision fluid measurement and control, Brooks Instrument constantly invests to innovate and improve thermal mass flow meter and controller technology.
What is a thermal mass flow meter?
A thermal mass flow meter precisely measures the direct mass flow rate of a gas. This is vital data for processes where accurate and repeatable control of gas quantities is critical, regardless of process changes in temperature or pressure.
How does a thermal mass flow meter work?
The core principle is the relationship between gas flow and heat transfer – the “thermal” part of thermal mass flow meter functionality. The meter has two temperature sensors and a heating element. One sensor measures the temperature of the gas before it is heated, and the other measures the temperature after the gas has absorbed some heat from the heating element.
As the gas flows over the heating element, it absorbs some of the heat. The amount of heat absorbed depends on the mass flow rate of the gas: the faster the gas flows, the more heat it carries away. The thermal mass flow meter measures the difference in temperature between the two sensors. This temperature difference is directly related to the mass flow rate of the gas.
What is the difference between thermal mass flow meters and thermal mass flow controllers?
While a thermal mass flow meter precisely measures the mass flow rate of gases, it cannot actively control or adjust the flow, as the meter lacks a control valve. However, a thermal mass flow controller actively controls or adjusts flow to maintain a desired set point. The mass flow controller provides a measurement of the gas flow rate and an output signal to the control valve that adjusts the flow to meet the desired rate.
Thermal mass flow measurement and thermal mass flow control are two elements of real-time management of process gasses. Accurate, precise, repeatable measurement and control is absolutely critical to keeping high-volume, high-value industrial process systems, such as life science bioreactors, chemical and petrochemical pilot plants and thin film vapor deposition systems, operating at peak productivity.
What sets Brooks’ thermal flow technology apart?
Our elastomer sealed thermal mass flow meters and gas flow controllers deliver the accuracy, reliability and repeatability your industrial processes require. As the global leader in precision fluid measurement and control, thermal mass flow meter manufacturer Brooks Instrument constantly invests to innovate and improve thermal mass flow meter and controller technology.
Our broad family of elastomer sealed thermal mass flow meters and gas flow controllers consists of accurate, reliable instruments that deliver precise performance and long-term stability. The result: You will maximize the value and return on investment your operations require.
Our elastomer sealed mass flow controllers (MFCs) and thermal flow meters feature:
- The widest thermal flow and pressure ranges
- Superior long-term drift stability that delivers sustained value
- Thermal mass flow meters and controllers engineered and approved for hazardous areas
- Hose-down/wash-down enclosure options for thermal gas flow meters and controllers
THERMAL MASS FLOW METER APPLICATIONS
Brooks Instrument works closely with leading semiconductor, industrial and other high-technology manufacturers to refine and enhance how our thermal mass meter and control technology delivers precise, accurate, repeatable results.
- Chemical and petrochemical analysis and pilot processes: Pilot plants reduce the technical and commercial risks, providing valuable data about reactions, material properties, process yields and more. In a pilot plant, our thermal mass flow meters monitor the gas flow rate and pressure input to a reactor and the flow output, providing critical data and direction on how to proceed. Learn more
- Life sciences bioreactors: Our elastomer sealed thermal mass flow meters and gas flow controllers include the SLA Series Biotech MFCs engineered specifically for bioprocessing applications. This video provides a complete background on these innovative thermal mass flow controllers. Watch our video
- Thin film vapor deposition: Stable, reliable thermal flow measurement and control is a critical element in optimizing thin film vapor deposition systems. Discover how SLA Series gas mass flow controllers deliver a uniform and accurate amount of process gasses to these systems to maximize system productivity and quality. Learn more
- Laboratory and analytical systems
- Heat treating, cutting and other thermal processes
- Vacuum applications