Sierra Instruments: Following in our commitment to drive innovation that creates value for customers, we are excited to announce the new gas mixing software package, now included with every QuadraTherm® 640i/780i thermal mass flow meter on a beta trial basis. The “qMix™” software package is a unique feature of the Smart Interface Program (SIP) unlike anything available on the market for industrial mass flow meters.
qMix is a user-customizable gas mix feature that allows you to create custom gases or gas mixtures to compensate for gas compositional changes in the field. Use qMix when the gas composition changes in the pipe or when moving the meter to another location with a different gas composition.
The major benefit is that now for the first time with thermal technology, you can retain accuracy without returning your thermal mass flow meter to the factory. If your flow meter is used in industries such as biogas or oil & gas, where gas compositions change over time, you will no longer need to send your meter back to the factory for gas recalibration every time your gas changes.
Key Customer Benefits
Through an easy-to-use software interface, qMix allows you to:
- Field adjust and maintain flow meter accuracy if gas composition changes
- Avoid costly recalibration; once qMix has been installed, no need to send unit back to the factory if gas composition changes
- Create and upload unlimited gas mixtures onto one meter–free of charge
- Save custom gas mixtures onto your personal “My Gases Database” for later use
- Benefit from Sierra’s proprietary, ever improving qTherm “Gas Database” to download more accurate gases
Existing Customers: Starting on March 12, 2015 all QuadraTherm 640i/780i meters will include qMix as part of the meter’s Smart Interface Program (SIP). Flow meters shipped prior to March 12, 2015 (firmware 1.0.86 or lower) will need to be sent back to Sierra via the Return Materials Authorization (RMA) process for a firmware upgrade and air recalibration to support qMix software functionality (qMix firmware requires an air calibration).
Traditionally, thermal mass flow meters are calibrated using the exact gas mixture they are intended to measure or a surrogate mixture with very similar properties. In many industrial applications, like biogas measurement, the gas composition changes from the original calibration. When changes in gas composition occur in the field, the accuracy of the flow meter is adversely affected. In the past, the only way to correct for a change in gas composition was to return the meter to the factory for gas recalibration. qMix provides a dynamic solution to this problem by allowing end users to manage gas composition changes in the field right from the Smart Interface Program (SIP) without ever sending the flow meter back to the factory to recalibrate the meter for the new gas composition.
