Industrial Liquid Nitrogen Flow Measurement Solution – Cryogenic Flow Measurement Design.
Liquid nitrogen flow meters are a type of cryogenic flow meter specifically designed to measure the flow rate of liquefied nitrogen at extremely low temperatures (-196°C; -320°F; 77 K). Of course, similar cryogenic liquefied media can also be measured, such as LNG, LOX, LAR, and LH2. Accurate flow measurement of cryogenic fluids can optimize process flows, improve overall efficiency, and save costs.
For liquid nitrogen flow measurement, Sino-Inst offers turbine flow meters, mass flow meters, gear flow meters, and target flow meters. When measuring liquid nitrogen flow, please ensure nitrogen protection for liquid nitrogen storage tanks and pipelines.
This guide covers flow meters for liquid nitrogen — the cryogenic phase at –196 °C. For room-temperature nitrogen gas (N2) measurement, see [our N2 gas flow meter guide]
Liquid nitrogen is inert, colorless, odorless, non-corrosive, non-flammable, and extremely low temperature. Nitrogen constitutes most of the atmosphere (78.03% by volume and 75.5% by weight). Nitrogen is inactive and does not support combustion. Frostbite is caused by a large amount of endothermic contact during vaporization. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air.
Under normal pressure, the temperature of liquid nitrogen is -196°C. 1 cubic meter of liquid nitrogen can expand to 696 cubic meters of pure gaseous nitrogen at 21 ° C. Liquid nitrogen is a colorless, odorless liquid and gas that is cold at high pressure. Liquid nitrogen (often written as LN2) is a liquid form of nitrogen formed at low temperatures. The boiling point of nitrogen is -196°C.
Under normal atmospheric pressure, liquid nitrogen will form if it is below this temperature. If pressurized, liquid nitrogen can be obtained at higher temperatures.
In industry, liquid nitrogen is obtained by fractional distillation of air. After the air is purified, it is liquefied in a pressurized and cooled environment and separated by the different boiling points of the components in the air.
Although commonly used as a gas, nitrogen is generally stored and transported in a liquid state, which results in lower product supply costs.
When nitrogen turns into a liquid, it becomes a cryogenic liquid. Cryogenic liquids are liquefied gases that generally have a boiling point below –238 ° F (–150 ° C). The boiling point of liquid nitrogen is –320.5 ° F (–195.8 ° C). Because the temperature difference between the product and the surrounding environment is very large, even in winter. It is important to keep liquid nitrogen isolated from the surrounding environment. Products also require specialized use and storage equipment.
In industrial production, liquid nitrogen is obtained by compressed liquid air fractionation. Liquid nitrogen can be used as a deep refrigerant. Because of its chemical inertness, it can directly contact biological tissues and freeze immediately without destroying biological activity.
Therefore, liquid nitrogen can be used:
Low Temperature turbine flowmeter is a dedicated liquid nitrogen flowmeter. It can also be used to measure cryogenic liquids such as liquid oxygen.
In industrial production, liquid nitrogen can be used as a deep refrigerant. The low-temperature turbine flowmeter is used as a liquid nitrogen flowmeter, which can work at a low temperature of -196°C (-320.8 °F). Liquid Nitrogen Flow Meter’s Turbine sensor structure at ultra-low temperature (-196℃) is made of special customized material. Realize the instantaneous and cumulative flow monitoring of liquid nitrogen.
| Dn | Flow Range (m3/h) | ||||
| (mm) | Basic error limit | Basic error limit | Basic error limit | ||
| ±0.2% | 0.50% | 1.00% | |||
| Lower limit | Upper limit | Lower limit | Upper limit | Upper limit | |
| 0.5 | – | – | – | – | 0.012 |
| 1 | – | – | – | – | 0.021 |
| 2* | – | – | – | – | 0.13 |
| 3* | – | – | – | – | 0.25 |
| 4* | – | – | – | – | 0.25 |
| 6 | – | – | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| 10 | – | – | 0.25 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| 12 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 15 | 1.2 | 4 | 0.6 | 4 | 4 |
| 20 | 1.5 | 7 | 1.1 | 7 | 7 |
| 25 | 2 | 10 | 1.6 | 10 | 10 |
| 32 | 3.2 | 16 | 2.5 | 16 | 16 |
| 40 | 4 | 20 | 3 | 20 | 25 |
| 50 | 8 | 40 | 4 | 40 | 40 |
| 65 | 12 | 60 | 6 | 60 | 60 |
| 80 | 20 | 100 | 10 | 100 | 100 |
| 100 | 25 | 160 | 20 | 160 | 160 |
| 150 | 50 | 300 | 40 | 300 | 400 |
| 200 | 120 | 600 | 100 | 600 | 800 |
| 250* | 200 | 1000 | 160 | 1000 | 1200 |
| 300* | – | – | 250 | 1600 | 1800 |
A turbine flow meter is constructed with rotor and blades. Turbine flow meters use the mechanical energy of the fluid to rotate the rotor in the flow stream. Turbine flow meter is the most popular equipment to measure inline flow electronically. Turbine flow meters measure the velocity of liquids, gases and vapors in pipes. Such as hydrocarbons, chemicals, water, cryogenic liquids, air, and industrial gases. Turbine Flow Meters are easy to maintain, durable and versatile.
Best Technology Guide to Turbine Flow Meters. Turbine flow meter is the most popular equipment to measure flow electronically. They offer a wide flow and application rangeability. Turbine Flow Meters are easy to maintain, durable and versatile.
A Coriolis mass flow meter is the most accurate technology available for liquid nitrogen at –196 °C, delivering ±0.1% to ±0.2% accuracy of measured mass flow. Unlike volumetric meters (turbine, gear, vortex), Coriolis measures mass directly through the Coriolis force on a vibrating tube — so it does not require temperature, pressure, or density compensation. This makes it the default choice for custody transfer, batching, and process control applications where LN2 billing accuracy or recipe precision matters.
| Specification | Z-Series (Straight Tube) | U-Type | Triangular |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tube structure | Straight | U-shaped curved | Triangular |
| Diameter range | Mid-sized lines | DN20 – DN200 | DN3 – DN15 |
| Best for | High accuracy, low maintenance, custody transfer | Medium-to-large LN2 distribution | Low-flow LN2 dosing & lab service |
| Measuring tube material | SS 316L | SS 316L | SS 316L |
| Housing material | SS 304 | SS 304 | SS 304 |
| Medium temperature (LN2 config) | –200 to +200 °C | –200 to +200 °C | –200 to +200 °C |
| Accuracy options | ±0.1% / 0.15% / 0.2% / 0.5% | Same | Same |
| Repeatability | 1/2 of accuracy class | Same | Same |
| Density measurement | 0.3–3.0 g/cm³, ±0.002 g/cm³ | Same | Same |
| Standard pressure | 0–4 MPa | 0–4 MPa | 0–4 MPa |
| High-pressure option | up to 30 MPa | up to 30 MPa | up to 30 MPa |
| Heat preservation jacket option (for LN2) | Available (K) | Available (K) | Available (K) |
| Output | 4–20 mA + Pulse + RS485 / HART | Same | Same |
| IP rating | IP67 | IP67 | IP67 |
| Hazardous area rating | Ex d [ia] ⅡC T6 Gb | Ex d [ia] ⅡC T6 Gb | Ex d [ia] ⅡC T6 Gb |
| Certifications & approvals | SIL 3 (IEC 61508) · ATEX · CE · 3A Sanitary · Ex db ia ⅡC T6 Gb · IP67 — Coriolis Mass Flow Meters For Liquids & Gases | ||
A U.S. aerospace thermal vacuum systems integrator specified a Sino-Inst U-type Coriolis mass flow meter for cryogenic LN2 measurement in their thermal vacuum (TVAC) chamber feed line. Final configuration:
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Sensor type | U-type Coriolis with heat-preservation jacket |
| Diameter | DN20 |
| Medium | Liquid nitrogen (LN₂) |
| Flow range | 0 – 720 kg/h |
| Medium temperature | –200 to +200 °C |
| Pressure rating | 0 – 1.6 MPa |
| Accuracy | ±0.1% of measured value (liquid) |
| Measuring tube | SS 316L |
| Housing | SS 304 |
| Display | Cumulative flow + Instantaneous flow + Temperature + Density |
| Power supply | 24 VDC / 220 VAC universal |
| Output | 4–20 mA + Pulse + RS485 |
| Connection | Custom flange |
| Installation | Integrated (sensor + converter as one unit) |
| Hazardous area rating | Ex db ia ⅡC T6 Gb |
| Ingress protection | IP67 |
| Applicable certifications | SIL 3 · ATEX · CE (ECM) · CE (SGS) · 3A Sanitary · Ex db ia ⅡC T6 Gb |
Why this configuration:
The integrator selected the heat-preservation jacket variant to insulate the measuring tube from ambient heat ingress, preventing condensation, ice formation, and cold-induced drift on the vibration tube. The 0.1% accuracy class was required for thermal-control mass balance in the TVAC chamber, where LN2 consumption is a process-validation metric. Integrated installation eliminated
the field cabling step typical of split-type meters, reducing installation risk in a clean-room build environment. The full LCD readout (mass flow, density, temperature, totalizer) supports both local operator monitoring and remote DCS integration via the 4–20 mA + Pulse + RS485 outputs.
Target flow meters also known as drag force flow meters. Insert a target (drag element), usually a flat disc or a sphere with an extension rod, into the flow field. They then measure the drag force on the inserted target and convert it to the flow velocity. The structure of target type flowmeter: a measuring tube (housing), a new capacitive sensor, a choke, an integrated display and an output part. The target type flowmeter has the characteristics of high accuracy. Capable of measuring various media. For example: water flow, fuel oil, liquid diesel, air flow measurement.
Gear flow meters are a newly launched product of our company. A gear flow meter is a positive displacement flow transmitter used for high-precision measurement of volumetric flow rate with fewer installation restrictions.
Compared to oval gear flow meters, the GF series gear flow meters have a greater advantage in measuring minute flow rates. This series of flow meters is made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel and can measure hydraulic oil, diesel oil, and even high-viscosity fluids. Furthermore, the GF gear flow meter has unique advantages in measuring high-temperature and low-temperature media: 200℃ and -200℃. Therefore, the GF gear flow meter is also a good choice for measuring minute LN2 flow rates.
As the medium flows, the gears mesh and rotate. The fluid flow creates a pressure differential between the inlet and outlet of the meter. Without power, a pair of gears rotate freely, filling the cavity between them with liquid. The liquid is expelled as the gears rotate, and measuring the number of gear revolutions provides the flow rate of the liquid passing through the meter.
The speed of the circular gear transmitter is detected by a sensor coil in a signal amplifier mounted on the meter case. The signal amplifier is not in contact with the measured medium. When the transmitter gears cut through the magnetic flux generated by the permanent magnets in the housing, this causes a change in the magnetic flux in the sensor coil.
The sensor coil feeds the detected signal into a preamplifier, which amplifies and shapes the signal to generate a pulse signal proportional to the flow rate. The signal is then fed into the unit conversion and flow totalizer circuits to display the accumulated flow value. It is also fed into the frequency-to-current conversion circuit, which converts the pulse signal into an analog current, indicating the instantaneous flow value.
A customer from the United States wanted to measure the flow rate of cryogenic liquid nitrogen. He saw our product on our website and contacted us. The final specifications are as follows:
User Type: U.S. aerospace thermal vacuum systems integrator
Application Scenario: Thermal vacuum (TVAC) cryogenic shroud cooling loop
Due to the user’s cost constraints, and the need to maintain high accuracy at a low flow rate of 300 L/H, and to operate under low pressure, we recommended the GF06 gear flow meter. Its split design, added insulation, and upstream filtration ensure stable operation and high totalization accuracy.
Parameter configuration is as follows:
A vortex flow meter is a type of flow meter applicable to gases, liquids, and steam.
For liquid nitrogen flow measurement, a vortex flow meter is a good choice. It operates based on the Karman vortex street principle and can withstand temperatures as low as -196°C when measuring cryogenic fluids like liquid nitrogen. It also has a wide measurable flow range; for example, with a pipe diameter of 50mm, the measurement range can reach 0.6-6 m²/h, with an accuracy controllable within ±0.5%-±1%.
In addition to liquid nitrogen flow meters, Sino-Inst also supplies nitrogen flow controllers, nitrogen flow meters, liquid nitrogen level transmitters, level and pressure transmitters, and other specialized cryogenic testing instruments.
Over 10 liquid nitrogen flowmeter products are offered for sale by Sino-Inst on sino-inst.com. A wide variety of liquid nitrogen flowmeter options are available to you. Sino-Inst are supplier sells liquid nitrogen flowmeter on sino-inst.com,located in China. The top countries of supplier is China, from which the percentage of liquid nitrogen flowmeter supply is 100% respectively.
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