Product Overview
The Blancett B16N FloClean is the sanitary Tri-Clamp member of the Blancett turbine family — an axial-turbine meter built in 316L stainless with Tri-Clamp ends for pre-process food, beverage and hygienic liquids. An inlet flow straightener conditions the profile, a helical rotor turns in proportion to flow, and a magnetic pickup reads blade passage as an AC sine-wave whose frequency is scaled by the meter’s unique K-factor, held to ±1% of reading at ±0.1% repeatability over a 10:1 range with a NIST-traceable water calibration. The thrust bearings lift out for cleaning and inspection, and the wetted train is a nickel-plated CD4MCu rotor on nickel-binder tungsten-carbide bearings. Bore sizes run 3/8–2 in. with 3/4, 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 in. Tri-Clamp connections, rated to 1,000 psi and −150…300°F. One important note: B16N meters are not 3-A approved, so they suit hygienic pre-process duty rather than service that demands full 3-A certification.
Other Blancett options for different needs
Blancett QuikSert — between-flange wafer turbine
Blancett 1100 — in-line axial turbine
B1750 PD meter — oval-gear meter for viscous fluids & fuels
B3000 flow monitor — field rate & total
K-Factor Scaler & IFC — scale the pulse to engineering units or 4–20 mA
Key Features & Benefits
- Sanitary Tri-Clamp turbine — 316L body with Tri-Clamp ends for hygienic, pre-process metering of clean liquids
- Removable thrust bearings — drop out for cleanup and check between batches without a full teardown
- ±1% of reading — at ±0.1% repeatability across a 10:1 range, with a NIST-traceable K-factor on every meter
- Hygienic wetted materials — nickel-plated CD4MCu rotor on nickel-binder tungsten-carbide bearings in a 316L housing
- Magnetic-pickup options — NEMA 6 standard, with pre-amplified, F-to-I (4–20 mA), F-to-V (0–5 V DC) and high-temperature pickups
- Pairs with Blancett electronics — rate/total monitors, IFC converters and K-factor scalers complete the loop
Specifications
- Measurement principle
- Axial turbine in a sanitary Tri-Clamp body — a helical rotor turns with the fluid and is read by a magnetic pickup, so output frequency is proportional to volumetric flow; the thrust bearings drop out for service between batches.
- Accuracy
- ±1.0% of reading
- Repeatability
- ±0.1%
- Turndown (rangeability)
- approximately 10:1
- Bore sizes
- 3/8–2 in. bore in 3/4, 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 in. Tri-Clamp ferrule sizes
- Flow range
- 0.6–3 gpm (3/8 in. bore) up to 40–400 gpm (2 in. bore)
- Compatible fluids
- Clean, low-viscosity liquids for pre-process food, beverage and hygienic service
- Process / fluid temperature
- −150…300°F (−100…149°C)
- Pressure rating
- 1,000 psi (set by the Tri-Clamp sanitary connection)
- Housing material
- 316L stainless steel
- Rotor
- Nickel-plated CD4MCU stainless
- Shaft & bearings
- Nickel-binder tungsten-carbide shaft and bearings; removable thrust bearings
- End connections
- Tri-Clamp sanitary end fittings
- Sanitary / hygienic
- 316L body with Tri-Clamp ends and removable thrust bearings for cleaning and inspection. Note: B16N meters are not 3-A approved.
- Pickup (rotor sensing)
- Magnetic — NEMA 6 standard, with pre-amplified, frequency-to-current (active 4–20 mA), frequency-to-voltage (active 0–5 V DC) and high-temperature (−450…450°F) pickup options
- Signal output
- AC sine-wave, frequency proportional to flow, scaled by the meter’s unique K-factor (pulses/gal)
- Compatible monitors & electronics
- B3000, B2900 and B3100 monitors, the explosion-proof B3150, IFC converters and K-factor scalers
- Calibration (standard)
- NIST-traceable water calibration with a unique K-factor; 5-point certified test report standard (10- and 20-point optional)
Common Applications
- Pre-process food and beverage metering
- Hygienic process-liquid measurement
- Batching of clean liquids where accuracy matters but full 3-A certification is not required
- Skid and OEM integration of sanitary turbine meters
Where full 3-A sanitary certification is required this meter does not carry it — tell us your requirement and we’ll confirm fit.
Design & Selection Considerations
- Keep the fluid clean — and low-viscosity — an axial turbine reads a clean, thin liquid (or gas): suspended solids abrade the rotor and the tungsten-carbide bearings, and rising viscosity pulls the K-factor off. For viscous, dirty, or variable-viscosity fluids reach for the B1750 positive-displacement meter instead. Clean, thin fluid in, accurate pulse out — filter dirty service and confirm the fluid suits a turbine before sizing.
- Give the rotor a developed flow profile — swirl and a distorted profile off elbows, pumps and valves bias a turbine reading. The 1100 carries integral inlet flow straighteners; the wafer styles still want adequate straight run upstream and down. Design the run in — a turbine measures what the velocity profile gives it.
- Size to the 10:1 turndown band — a Blancett turbine holds its rated accuracy across roughly a 10:1 range; run it in that band and avoid sustained over-speed, which wears the bearings. Size to the actual flow, not the pipe. Pick the bore for the flow — over-ranging is a bearing-wear problem, not just an accuracy one.
- Choose the pickup — and remember the K-factor — the rotor is sensed by a magnetic pickup that puts out an AC pulse per blade passage; the meter’s unique K-factor (pulses per gallon) converts that to flow. Standard, high-temperature and pre-amplified pickups are available to suit temperature and signal-distance needs. Match the pickup to the service, and scale the readout to the meter’s K-factor.
- Match the build to the service — area class and hygiene included — wetted parts are 316 stainless, a CD4MCu rotor and tungsten-carbide shaft and bearings; choose the end connection and pressure class for the line. For a hazardous area specify the explosion-proof build; for food, beverage and hygienic service specify the B16N FloClean sanitary meter; for gas, the Gas QuikSert. Spec the material, rating and certification to the installation, not just the flow.
- Plan the electronics chain — the meter outputs a pulse; what reads it depends on the duty. A flow monitor (B3000 / B2900 / B3100, or the explosion-proof B3150) gives rate and total in the field; a K-factor scaler or IFC converter scales the pulse to engineering units or a 4–20 mA signal for a PLC / DCS. Choose the readout for the job — local rate / total, or scaled analog into a control system.
- Calibration and the K-factor tag — every Blancett turbine ships with a NIST-traceable water calibration and a unique K-factor; higher-accuracy and custom-viscosity calibrations are available when the process fluid differs from water. The standard cal is referenced to water — order a custom-fluid calibration when your service fluid is different.
To size & select the right Blancett B16N FloClean:
Use the input form to send your fluid, flow range, line size and accuracy target — with the process temperature, pressure and any hazardous-area or sanitary requirement — and we’ll spec the meter, pickup, monitor and calibration for your application.
Flow Meter Application Sheet ›Talk to an engineer directly — Scott Prater, Principal · 917-580-0878 · scott@pratertechnical.com
Specifications compiled by Prater Technical Partners from Badger Meter Blancett flow-metering product literature.