Product Overview
The ModMAG M3000 is the Badger Meter mag meter built for Class I, Division 2 service — oil, gas and process sites where a flammable atmosphere is present only under fault conditions, one step below the explosion-proof Division 1 M4000. It carries the widest line range in the family, 1/4–24 in. (DN 6–600), and adds a Halar liner on 12–24 in. lines for aggressive chemistry at larger bores. Measuring by Faraday’s law at ±0.20% of rate across a 300:1 range, it is virtually unaffected by density, temperature, pressure or viscosity, with no moving parts and no pressure loss. A DSP-based converter with automatic zero-point stability and a dedicated empty-pipe electrode drives a four-line backlit display carrying forward, reverse and net totals; the FM-approved, CSA-certified NEMA 4X/6P (IP66/IP67) enclosure and ANSI/NSF 61 Annex G listing let one meter cover hazardous-area process duty and potable water alike.
Other ModMAG options for different needs
M1000 — the baseline mag meter — 1/4–20 in. at ±0.3%
M2000 — higher accuracy & ten communication protocols
M4000 — Class I, Division 1 hazardous areas
M5000 — battery power for remote or off-grid sites
FC-5000 Flow Computer — add relays, a panel display & networking
FC-5000 BTU Monitor — pair for combined flow + energy (BTU) measurement
Key Features & Benefits
- Class I, Division 2 rated — an FM-approved, CSA-certified NEMA 4X/6P (IP66/IP67) enclosure for hazardous locations (Groups A–D)
- ±0.20% accuracy — a DSP-based signal converter with automatic zero-point stability
- 300:1 flow range — a wide turndown, so one meter reads high and low flow accurately (line sizes in the specifications)
- No moving parts — an open, unobstructed flow tube means no pressure loss and virtually no maintenance
- Automatic empty-pipe detection — a dedicated third electrode flags an empty pipe and clears itself
- Forward, reverse and net totals on screen — the local display carries all three running totals, so a bidirectional or recirculating line reads at a glance
- Wide material compatibility — Alloy C, 316 SS, tantalum and platinum/rhodium electrodes; PFA, PTFE, hard rubber and Halar liners
- Integral or remote Display-I/O — mount on the detector or up to 100 ft (30 m) away
- Drinking-water compliant — meets ANSI/NSF 61, Annex G
Specifications
- Measurement principle
- Electromagnetic — Faraday’s law of induction, with pulsed-DC coil power and automatic zero-point stability. No moving parts and an open flow tube, so there is no pressure loss; unaffected by density, temperature, pressure or viscosity.
- Accuracy
- ±0.20% of rate ±1 mm/s
- Repeatability
- 0.1% of rate
- Flow velocity range
- 0.03–12 m/s (0.10–39.4 ft/s); 300:1 turndown
- Line sizes
- 1/4–24 in. (DN 6–600)
- Liner materials
- PFA (1/4–3/8 in. / DN 6–10), PTFE (1/2–24 in. / DN 15–600), hard rubber (1–24 in. / DN 25–600) and Halar (12–24 in. / DN 300–600)
- Electrode materials
- Alloy C (standard), 316 stainless steel, gold/platinum plated, tantalum or platinum/rhodium
- Process connections
- Flanged carbon steel or 316 stainless steel, ANSI/ASME B16.5 Class 150
- Body / sensor material
- 304 stainless-steel detector pipe spool; welded carbon-steel spool housing
- Process / fluid temperature
- Meter-mounted Display-I/O: PFA / PTFE / Halar −4…212°F (−20…100°C), hard rubber 32–178°F (0–81°C). Remote Display-I/O: PFA / PTFE / Halar −4…248°F (−20…120°C), hard rubber 32–178°F (0–81°C)
Flow Range by Line Size
| Size | DN | Flow range (US) | Flow range (metric) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 in. | 6 | 0.01–5 GPM | 0.05–20 l/min |
| 5/16 in. | 8 | 0.02–10 GPM | 0.09–36 l/min |
| 3/8 in. | 10 | 0.04–15 GPM | 0.14–57 l/min |
| 1/2 in. | 15 | 0.08–34 GPM | 0.32–127 l/min |
| 3/4 in. | 20 | 0.12–48 GPM | 0.46–183 l/min |
| 1 in. | 25 | 0.21–84 GPM | 0.79–318 l/min |
| 1-1/4 in. | 32 | 0.39–157 GPM | 1.5–594 l/min |
| 1-1/2 in. | 40 | 0.55–220 GPM | 2.1–834 l/min |
| 2 in. | 50 | 0.94–378 GPM | 3.6–1431 l/min |
| 2-1/2 in. | 65 | 1.63–653 GPM | 6.2–2471 l/min |
| 3 in. | 80 | 2.21–883 GPM | 8.4–3344 l/min |
| 4 in. | 100 | 3.30–1320 GPM | 12–4997 l/min |
| Size | DN | Flow range (US) | Flow range (metric) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 in. | 125 | 5.29–2115 GPM | 20–8008 l/min |
| 6 in. | 150 | 7.85–3141 GPM | 30–11,890 l/min |
| 8 in. | 200 | 15.69–6278 GPM | 59–23,765 l/min |
| 10 in. | 250 | 25.05–10,021 GPM | 95–37,934 l/min |
| 12 in. | 300 | 33.61–13,445 GPM | 127–50,894 l/min |
| 14 in. | 350 | 45.75–18,300 GPM | 173–69,272 l/min |
| 16 in. | 400 | 59.75–23,902 GPM | 226–90,477 l/min |
| 18 in. | 450 | 75.63–30,250 GPM | 286–114,511 l/min |
| 20 in. | 500 | 93.37–37,346 GPM | 353–141,371 l/min |
| 22 in. | 550 | 112.97–45,189 GPM | 428–171,059 l/min |
| 24 in. | 600 | 134.45–53,779 GPM | 509–203,574 l/min |
- Recommended straight run
- 3 pipe diameters upstream and 2 diameters downstream — for best accuracy (M-Series installation recommendation)
- Power supply
- 85–240V AC (45–65 Hz), 20 W; or optional 24V DC (±10%), 8 W
- Analog output
- 0–10, 0–20 or 4–20 mA, programmable and scalable; 18V DC isolated, maximum loop resistance 750 Ω
- Digital / pulse outputs
- Two open-collector (scalable pulse, flow alarm, status or frequency; max 24V DC, 0.5 W) and two AC solid-state relays (flow alarm or status; max 24V DC at 0.5 A)
- Frequency output
- Open collector, full-scale flow to 10 kHz
- Communication options
- Modbus RTU (RS-485); 110/220V AC or 24V DC display versions, selected at order
- Remote signal cable
- Up to 100 ft (30 m) between detector and remote Display-I/O
- Enclosure / protection class
- NEMA 4X / 6P (IP66 / IP67)
- Hazardous-area rating
- FM approved for Class I, Division 2, Groups A–D and Class II, Division 2, Groups F and G; CSA certified; CE and FCC compliant
- Nominal pressure
- Per ANSI/ASME B16.5 Class 150 flange rating
- Display
- Backlit 4-line × 16-character alphanumeric LCD showing three totalizers, flow rate, alarm and output status and diagnostic messages
- Display-I/O housing
- Cast aluminum, powder-coated (Display-I/O and remote junction enclosure)
- Minimum conductivity
- ≥5 µS/cm (≥20 µS/cm for demineralized water)
- Units of measure
- US gallons, imperial gallons, million gallons per day, cubic feet, cubic meters, liters, oil barrels, pounds, ounces and acre-feet, field programmable
- Flow direction
- Unidirectional or bidirectional with three displayable totalizers (forward, reverse and net), field programmable
- Empty-pipe detection
- Dedicated third electrode, field-tunable; flags an empty pipe and clears automatically when flow returns
- Grounding
- 316 stainless-steel (standard) or Alloy C grounding rings, two required; optional built-in grounding electrode
- Ambient temperature
- −4…122°F (−20…50°C)
- Operating altitude
- Up to 6,500 ft (2,000 m)
- Humidity
- Up to 90%, non-condensing
- Approvals & listings
- Complies with ANSI/NSF Standard 61, Annex G (drinking water); FM and CSA listed for Class I, Division 2 hazardous locations
Common Applications
- Class I, Division 2 hazardous-area installations
- Oil and gas — produced water and conductive process fluids
- Industrial process and utility water
- Municipal water and wastewater
- Corrosive, viscous or solids-bearing conductive liquids
- Rate and totalization with local or remote display
Not suitable for non-conductive fluids — gases, hydrocarbons / oils, or ultrapure / demineralized water below the conductivity threshold. An electromagnetic meter needs a conductive liquid (≥5 µS/cm; ≥20 µS/cm for demineralized water).
Design & Selection Considerations
- Keep the flow tube full — a partially full bore reads high and erratic. The standard empty-pipe-detection electrode flags a drained line and stops measuring to protect accuracy, but it will not correct a chronically low one — mount the meter in a low point or a rising run so the bore stays flooded. Air in the tube means bad numbers; pipe it so the meter never sees a half-full bore.
- Give it straight run — or specify the zero-straight-run version — turbulence off elbows, pumps, and valves skews the velocity profile and the reading. Allow roughly 3 pipe diameters upstream and 2 downstream for full accuracy; where the layout is tight, specify the M2000 OIML/MID zero-straight-run (0×DN) build that holds its rated accuracy with no straight run. Bolt a standard meter straight onto an elbow and you forfeit the rated accuracy — design the run in, or order the meter that does not need it.
- Match the liner to the fluid and its temperature — the liner is the wetted barrier, so it sets the chemical and temperature limits: PTFE / PFA / ETFE for chemicals, high temperature (to about 150°C), and potable water; hard rubber for water and abrasive / slurry service (to about 80°C). The liner — not the steel tube — sees the fluid, so spec it to the chemistry and the temperature.
- Match the electrode alloy to the fluid — Hastelloy C-22 is standard and covers most services; 316 stainless, tantalum, platinum / rhodium, or gold-/platinum-plated electrodes handle aggressive or special-purity media. The wrong electrode alloy corrodes or fouls and the signal drifts off.
- Ground the meter to the fluid — a mag meter measures millivolts and must share an electrical reference with the liquid — use grounding rings (304 / 316 stainless or Alloy C) or order the built-in grounding electrode, especially in lined or plastic pipe that insulates the fluid (rings are required on hard-rubber liners 4 in. and larger, and on all PTFE-lined sizes). Skip the grounding and you get noise, drift, and unstable readings.
- Size to velocity, not to the pipe — the meters read from 0.03 up to 10–12 m/s, but accuracy is best well above the low-velocity floor (the M5000, for one, holds ±0.5% only above 0.5 m/s). On an oversized line, drop a meter size with reducers so the velocity lands in the accurate band instead of crawling at the bottom of the span. Size the meter to the flow, then fit it to the pipe — not the other way around.
- Plan for abrasion and electrode coating in dirty service — in slurry, sludge, and scaling service a hard-rubber liner resists abrasion better than PTFE, while greasy, fatty, or scaling fluids can slowly coat the electrodes and pull the reading off over months. Spec the liner for the solids and plan periodic electrode checks. A clean install in dirty service can still drift later — design for inspection.
- Confirm the fluid conducts — and reach for the right technology if it doesn’t — an electromagnetic meter reads only a conductive liquid: the M-Series needs conductivity above 5 µS/cm (above 20 µS/cm for demineralized water), so hydrocarbons, oils, gases, and pure / DI water fall outside its range. That is a technology fit, not a dead end — for those fluids reach for ultrasonic on clean, high-purity, or DI water, vortex on steam and gas, or a turbine or positive-displacement (oval-gear) meter on oils and hydrocarbons. Check conductivity early so you size to the right meter technology from the start.
To size & select the right ModMAG M3000:
Use the input form to send your fluid, line size, conductivity and process conditions and we’ll spec the liner, electrode and Display-I/O 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 product datasheets.