Product Overview
Hedland’s corrosive air and gas meters put the variable-area piston in a solid 316 stainless body for caustic and corrosive gases — the wetted alloy stands up to aggressive gases such as hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide. Flow reads on an SCFM / PSI multipressure scale, so a single scale serves the whole pressure band with no recalculation. The meter holds ±2% of full scale in any orientation with no straight run, is rated to 1,500 psi at a 10:1 safety factor, and does not derate with temperature. It covers ¼ to 1½ in. ports in NPTF and BSPP; for the harshest duty the Hostile-Environment option swaps in a Pyrex glass guard and all-stainless externals to reach +400°F continuous. Add a Flow-Alert switch or MR transmitter when the line needs an alarm or an analog signal.
Key Features & Benefits
- 316 stainless for aggressive gases — a solid T316 stainless body handles caustic and corrosive gases — including hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide — that would attack an aluminum body
- SCFM / PSI multipressure scale — reference the line pressure on the scale and read standard cubic feet per minute directly, with no recalculation
- No temperature derating — stainless holds its full pressure rating across the temperature range
- Hostile-Environment option — a cylindrical Pyrex glass guard, T416 stainless indicator and all-T316 externals take the meter to +400°F continuous (+500°F intermittent) for the harshest gas service
- Reads in any position — the spring-loaded piston measures accurately in any orientation — no straight run or flow straighteners
- Rated and safety-factored — stainless rated to 1,500 psi at a 10:1 safety factor for compressed corrosive gas service
Specifications
- Measurement principle
- Variable area — a spring-loaded piston and sharp-edged orifice form an annular opening against a contoured metering cone; a magnet on the piston couples to an external indicator that reads directly on a linear scale
- Compatible fluids
- Caustic and corrosive gases — the 316 stainless wetted parts handle aggressive gases such as hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide
- Accuracy
- ±2% of full scale (±7% of full scale on ¼ in. meters)
- Repeatability
- ±1%
- Flow ranges
- 2 to 800 SCFM, by port size (¼–1½ in.) and full-scale range
- Port / line sizes
- ¼ to 1½ in.
- Body material
- T316 stainless steel
- Wetted materials
- All-T316 stainless body, piston, cone, spring, spider plate and fasteners; PPS / ceramic indicator magnet
- Seals
- Viton
- Process / fluid temperature
- Standard −20 to +240°F (−29 to +116°C); the Hostile-Environment option extends the range to +400°F (+205°C) continuous and +500°F (+260°C) intermittent (stainless does not derate with temperature)
- Pressure rating
- Stainless 1,500 psi (103 bar); 10:1 safety factor
- End connections / threads
- NPTF (ANSI B2.2) and BSPP (ISO 1179)
- Mounting orientation
- Any orientation; guard / scale rotates 360° after install
- Flow scale
- SCFM / PSI multipressure scale standard, calibrated for the specified gas at 1.0 specific gravity; L/sec/bar multipressure scale available at no charge (“S1” suffix); special scales for other gases and units
- Viscosity range
- Calibrated for the specified gas; consult factory for gas data
- Filtration
- 200 mesh (74 micron) or better required
- Options
- Hostile-Environment build (cylindrical Pyrex glass guard, T416 stainless indicator, all-T316 stainless externals and a Teflon-coated Alnico magnet) for the +400 / +500°F range; L/sec/bar scale at no charge; inverted-flow scale
- Electronics / outputs
- Direct-reading; add a Flow-Alert switch for a trip contact or an MR transmitter for rate / total with a 4–20 mA or DC-voltage output
- Calibration
- Calibrated against NIST-traceable master meters; 5-point new-meter calibration certificate optional
- Certifications
- Certificate of Conformance (free with original PO), NIST-traceable Calibration Certificate, and Certified Drawings available
- Standards & fatigue rating
- Fatigue rated per NFPA T2.6.1 R1-1991 (C/90)
Common Applications
- Chlorine, hydrogen chloride and acid-gas dosing / scrubber feed flow
- Sulfur dioxide and other corrosive process-gas metering
- Chemical-plant and water-treatment gas-injection flow indication
- Corrosive purge and blanketing gas flow checks
Design & Selection Considerations
- Match the body and seals to the fluid — the meter is offered in anodized aluminum, brass and 303 / 316 stainless steel with Viton or EPR seals, and the right pairing is fluid-driven: aluminum for petroleum and air, brass for water, and 316 stainless for caustics and corrosive liquids or corrosive gases. Phosphate ester is the seal exception — it attacks Viton, so that family alone runs EPR in place of the standard Viton seals. Use the input form to tell us the fluid and we’ll pair the body alloy and elastomer to it — the wrong seal is the usual failure mode.
- Order the scale for your fluid — the meter is calibrated to a specific gravity — a Hedland scale is printed for one fluid: 0.876 s.g. for petroleum, 1.18 s.g. for phosphate ester and 1.0 s.g. for water and water-based fluids. Read a different fluid and the indication shifts with density. Hedland computer-corrects the phosphate-ester and water-based scales at the factory, and special scales are available in any unit for off-standard gravities or viscosities. Use the input form to give us the actual fluid, specific gravity and units — we order the scale that reads true in service.
- Size to the flow, not the pipe — and watch the pressure drop — a variable-area meter reads full scale at the top of its band, so size to the real flow and keep the permanent pressure drop in check (most hydraulic sizing targets 10 psid maximum). Each port size offers several full-scale ranges. Use the input form to send the normal and maximum flow and we’ll pick the range that reads mid-scale and stays inside your allowable ΔP.
- Install it anywhere — no straight run or flow straighteners — the spring-loaded piston design reads accurately in any orientation, including inverted, and tolerates mounting immediately next to elbows, valves and pumps with no upstream straight run or flow straighteners. The guard / scale rotates 360° after install for readability. This is the meter for tight, awkward plumbing where a turbine or rotameter would need straight pipe it doesn’t have.
- Filter the line to 200 mesh — the meter is more contamination-tolerant than most system components, but 200 mesh (74 micron) or better filtration is required for reliable indication and to protect the metering orifice and piston. Confirm upstream filtration before commissioning — grit in the annulus is what pulls a variable-area reading off.
- Mind material and temperature when you set the pressure rating — this family is solid T316 stainless rated 1,500 psi for compressed corrosive-gas service, all to a 10:1 safety factor, and stainless does not derate with temperature. The Hostile-Environment build (Pyrex glass guard, T416 indicator, all-stainless externals) extends the range to +400°F continuous (+500°F intermittent). Use the input form to give us the working pressure and the peak temperature together — they set whether you need the Hostile-Environment build.
- Add the electronics only where the job needs a signal — the standard meter is direct-reading. Where the application needs an alarm or a feed to a control system, specify a Flow-Alert switch for a trip contact at a set flow, or an MR transmitter for rate / total plus a 4–20 mA or DC-voltage output. Local indication is free; choose the switch or transmitter when you need a contact or an analog signal.
To size & select the right flow meter for corrosive air & gas:
Use the input form to send your fluid, specific gravity, normal and maximum flow, line size and the working pressure and temperature — with any corrosion or hazardous-area requirement — and we’ll spec the body alloy, seals, port, scale and any switch or transmitter 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 Hedland variable-area flow-meter product literature.