Externally Mounted Wide-range Saturated Steam Flow Meter

Increasing energy costs have placed budget constraints on many branches of the military and has brought to the forefront the problem of reducing costs by maximizing energy efficiency. The Air Force currently heats many of its facilities with the use of steam-based HVAC systems and the overproduction of steam can exacerbate these internal costs. To optimize this steam production, the Air Force is seeking new steam metering technology that can attach externally to the flow path and maximize turndown rates. Nokomis proposes the development of prototypes of a laser-based steam mass flow sensor that will produce no internal obstructions and that will be able to track the flow rate and concentration of saturated steam. The laser technology will integrate the precision aspects of laser imaging with the noninvasive and low-cost aspects of visible light spectroscopy.