『Refrigerant Flow Meter High Pressure Rating: Bursting Disc and Shell Safety Rules』Related information(clamp on meter|electromagnetic meter|venturi meterrotameter|orifice meter|ultrasonic flow meter|mass flow meter|coriolis mass flow meter|coriolis flow meter|magnetic flow meter|magmeter flow meter|magflow flow meter|mag meter flow meter|electromagnetic flow meter|vortex flow meter|turbine flow meter|thermal mass flow meter|thermal flow meter|rotameter flow meter)
Refrigerant Flow Meter High Pressure Rating: Bursting Disc and Shell Safety Rules
Quick Answer: Refrigerant flow meters in high-pressure systems need a bursting disc and a vented safety shell. The bursting disc protects the sensor against pressure spikes above the Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP). Silver Instruments supplies Coriolis mass flow meters with integrated burst discs rated up to 400 bar for refrigerants like ammonia, CO2, and HFC blends. Always submit your pipe size (DN), pressure (bar), and temperature (°C) to get a correctly configured meter.
Why a Bursting Disc Belongs on Every High-Pressure Refrigerant Flow Meter
Refrigerant lines can hit surges well above normal operating pressure. A compressor fault or a blocked expansion valve can push a 60 bar ammonia system past 100 bar in seconds. Without a bursting disc, the sensor tube may fail, leak refrigerant, and create a safety hazard. Most engineers skip this part during initial specification, but we have seen it on customer sites many times. A simple disc set to 1.5 times MAWP dumps the pressure into a controlled vent path before the meter body reaches its proof pressure. For CO2 transcritical systems running at 120 bar, discs are not optional. ASHRAE 15 and EN 378 mandate overpressure protection. A Coriolis meter with a factory-fitted bursting disc and a secondary containment shell ticks all these boxes without extra piping.
Silver Instruments High-Pressure Coriolis Meter Design
Our refrigerant flow meters use a twin-tube Coriolis sensor in stainless steel 316L or duplex 2205. The meter comes with a calibrated bursting disc mounted directly on the sensor housing. Disc burst pressure is set between 1.1 and 1.7 times your stated MAWP. Standard models cover DN15 to DN150 and pressure classes up to 400 bar. The secondary safety shell is welded around the sensor and tested to 2 times MAWP. If the disc ruptures, refrigerant flows into the shell and out through a DN25 vent connection. You can connect that vent to a flare stack or a recovery tank. The shell also makes the whole assembly ATEX Zone 1 compliant. Each unit ships with a 3.1 material certificate and a PED 2014/68/EU declaration. For a quick quote, tell us your refrigerant type, minimum and maximum flow (kg/h), and working pressure.
Shell Safety Rules for Field Installation
Vent the shell to a safe location. Never plug the burst disc outlet or the shell vent. A paint manufacturer in Vietnam learned this the hard way when a plugged vent turned their safety shell into a pressure vessel. We recommend a discharge pipe sloping downward to prevent liquid pooling. If you use a remote rupture sensor, wire it into the emergency shutdown loop. The shell is not a structural support. Do not hang valves, filters, or pipe weight on the meter body. In outdoor installations across the Middle East and Northern Australia, add a rain hood but keep the vent path clear. Cable glands must maintain the IP67 rating of the transmitter enclosure. Inspection int
Real-World Examples
Last year a customer in Bangkok asked us to replace 8 aging turbine meters on an R717 liquid line. Their working pressure was 52 bar at -10 °C, with occasional spikes to 75 bar. We supplied DN25 Coriolis meters with a bursting disc set at 90 bar. The safety shells were manifolded to a common vent pipe. They eliminated turbine bearing failures and got mass flow accuracy of 0.15% of rate. Another site in Durban runs R744 at 135 bar. Here we used a duplex sensor with a 200 bar disc. The installation team lashed the vent line to a steel column and tied the signal cable away from the vent path. Simple, safe, and it has been running without interruption for two years.
How to Specify Your Meter — and Get a Same-Day Quote
Send us these five numbers: refrigerant type, maximum working pressure (bar), pipe size (DN), mass flow range (kg/h), and fluid temperature (°C). We pre-configure the bursting disc and shell vent size to match your data. You get a complete assembly with transmitter, fill fluid, and factory calibration. In practice, 90% of refrigerant applications fall within DN15 to DN80 and 300 bar. Lead time is 2 to 4 weeks from our Nanjing plant. We ship to over 60 countries from our hubs in Australia, Singapore, and China.
Contact Silver Instruments now:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +86-135-1213-1526
Whatsapp: 86-135-12131526
WeChat: +86 13512131526
FAQ
Q: Which refrigerants are compatible with the Coriolis meter?
R717 (ammonia), R744 (CO2), R134a, R410A, R32, R513A, and most HFC/HFO blends. Not for use with pure R-290 (propane) without additional gas group IIA approval. Ask for ATEX marking if needed.
Q: What is the maximum pressure rating with a bursting disc?
400 bar at 20 °C. Higher ratings up to 600 bar are available on special order with a duplex 2507 sensor and a strengthened shell.
Q: Can the bursting disc be replaced in the field?
Yes. The disc holder is a threaded fitting. We supply spare discs with a tamper-proof tag. After replacement, you must perform a leak test with nitrogen at 1.1 times MAWP. We include a procedure sheet with every meter.
Q: Do these meters need a straight pipe run?
No. Coriolis meters are immune to velocity profile distortion. You can mount the meter directly after an elbow, a tee, or a control valve. That saves up to 20 pipe diameters of space compared with ultrasonic or turbine meters.
Q: What certifications come with the bursting disc assembly?
Standard documents: 3.1 mill certificate, PED declaration, hydrostatic test report, and calibration certificate traceable to NIST. Optional: ATEX, IECEx, CRN (Canada), ASME B31.5 compliance letter. Let us know which certs your local inspector requires.
Hot Product
Related AD
