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Compressed air meters

In industrial companies, compressed air is an important source of energy which incurs high consumption costs. Testo compressed air meters enable you to measure compressed air consumption with a high degree of accuracy. This makes it possible for you to save energy and reduce costs.

Compressed air meters can also be used for the targeted implementation of environmental management (e.g. as per ISO 50.001 or ISO 14.001). Another field of application is monitoring leaks in your compressed air system. The compressed air meter can also be used to carry out a peak load analysis in order to determine whether you are generating compressed air of sufficient capacity. The newly developed “all-in-one sensor” not only records the compressed air consumption and the temperature, but even the pressure too. This eliminates the need for you to carry out a separate pressure measurement.

Compressed air meters in the testo 645X series use the calorimetric measuring principle. For you, this means that additional pressure and temperature measurement is not needed. At the same time, there are no mechanically moving parts, which means less wear and tear.

Advantages of compressed air meters from Testo

  • Four measurement parameters, one instrument:
    Flow rate, totaliser, temperature, operating pressure

  • Clear overview: Direct compressed air monitoring with simultaneous display of 3 measurement values
    thanks to TFT display as standard

  • Maximum measuring accuracy:
    Integrated measuring section prevents measurement errors

  • Ideal system integration:
    Two analog outputs 4 to 20 mA

Overview of compressed air meters

Why does industry need compressed air meters?

For media such as electricity, water or even gases, complete transparency exists in every industrial company:

  • main meters reflect the amounts that are drawn;

  • submeters show how the consumption is distributed.

Compressed air, on the other hand, is generated internally and distributed without knowing how much is consumed in total and in individual areas.

  • Without having this knowledge, however, there is no motivation to repair leaks or to aim for more economical consumption.

Leaks – a high cost factor

  • Independent analyses, such as that by the Fraunhofer Institute as part of the "Compressed air efficiency" measurement campaign, have shown that between 25 and 40 % of compressed air produced is wasted due to leakage.

  • Even leakage openings 3 mm in diameter result in costs of EUR 3,000 per year.

  • If we calculate the additional investment required together with the operating costs incurred, this waste adds up to over EUR 100,000 per year for the average industrial company.

Leak detection with the testo 6450

When should you inspect the compressed air lines for leaks?

  • Is compressed air consumption increasing even though nothing has been changed in the application?

  • Installed in front of an individual machine or even a group of machines, the testo 6450 detects even the smallest compressed air volume flows.

How can you detect leaks?

  • Installed in front of an individual machine or even a group of machines, the testo 6450 detects even the smallest compressed air volume flows. These indicate leaks if they occur during system downtimes.

  • Exceeding known max. volume flows with an unchanged consumer profile is also a sign of leakage.

Where do leakages occur?

  • More than 96 % of leakages occur in pipelines DN50 and smaller.

  • Leaky hoses, fittings, couplings and maintenance units are mainly responsible for this.

Peak load management

Peak load management helps to avoid expansion investments

Growth can be expensive:

  • Expanding industrial enterprises also feel compelled to expand their compressed air production (for example: Machine D).

Protecting valuable compressed air consuming devices from excessively high or excessively low supply

Protecting valuable compressed air consuming devices from excessively high or excessively low supply

Compressed air consumers require a minimum supply in order to achieve the desired performance.

Some consuming devices also need to be protected from excessive inflow. In critical cases, even the warranty of the system manufacturer is contingent upon this.

The testo 6450 optimally solves both monitoring tasks.

For continuous protection of your investment.

Calorimetric measuring principle

The optimum measuring principle ...

... for compressed air standard volumetric flow measurement is thermal mass flow measurement.

Only this

is independent of process pressure and temperature

causes no permanent loss of pressure

To this end, two glass-coated ceramic sensors, specially developed for demanding compressed air applications, are exposed to the process temperature and connected in a Wheatstone bridge.

Mass, pressure, temperature

Why is the measurement of mass flow independent of pressure and temperature?

- Volume is compressed with rising pressure.

- The mass, on the other hand, remains unchanged, as the adjacent illustration shows.

  • It follows that only mass flow measurement is suitable for use in fluctuating pressure conditions.

  • At the same time, compensation prevents the temperature from having any influence.

  • Therefore the measuring value can be used optimally within the entire defined range of process temperatures.

P = 1 bar

V = 10 m³

rho = 1,4 kg/m³

-> m = 14 kg

P = 5 bar

V = 2 m³

rho = 7 kg/m³

⇾ m = 14 kg

Mass flow, standard volume flow

testo 6450: Highest accuracy

Defined inner diameter and volume flow adjustment for maximum accuracy

In contrast to commercially available piercing probes, testo 6450 has a precisely known diameter - and is calibrated directly to standard volume flow, not to flow.

This ensures maximum reliability for the accuracy of your measurement and convenient integration into your process!

(1) Defined outer diameter for easy integration to your existing piping

(2) Known inner diameter and flow rate matching to ensure measurement accuracy

(3) Optimally designed pipe length serves as a calming section and prevents turbulence