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Sunflower Oil Flow Meter DN100: Streamlining Bulk In-Line Bleaching Operations
Quick Answer: A bulk in-line bleaching line needs a sunflower oil flow meter that handles 80-120 °C, tolerates thin oil viscosity, and gives batch accuracy better than 0.2%. The Silver Automation Instruments DN100 Coriolis mass flow meter does exactly that, with direct mass flow and density output, no need for separate temperature or pressure compensation.
What Happens When a DN100 Flow Meter Does Not Fit the Bleaching Process
A palm and sunflower oil refinery in East Java ran bleaching at 8 m³/h on a DN100 pipe. Their old turbine meter drifted after two months. Solids from bleaching earth residue and small temperature swings changed the reading. Every batch overrun meant rework and wasted bleaching earth. The plant manager asked us for a meter that measures mass directly, not volume, and needs almost no maintenance.
Most engineers skip this part. They pick a volumetric meter, add a temperature sensor, and assume density correction will fix the offset. In practice, sunflower oil density changes enough between 90 °C and 110 °C that a 2 °C lag in the PT100 causes a 0.5% error on a 30 tonne batch. Over a week of continuous bleaching, that is too much. So we specified a DN100 Coriolis meter.
Why a Coriolis Meter Works for Sunflower Oil Bleaching
Sunflower oil in the bleaching stage sits around 100-110 °C. Viscosity is low, near 5-8 cP, so you do not need a positive displacement meter. Electromagnetic meters simply do not work because sunflower oil is not conductive. That leaves Coriolis or ultrasonic. Ultrasonic clamp-on meters struggle with thin, clean oil at temperatures above 100 °C because of signal attenuation. Coriolis wins on direct mass, density, and ability to measure even when the line has small entrained air pockets from vacuum bleaching.
Silver Automation Instruments supplies a DN100 Coriolis mass flow meter with 316L stainless steel sensor tubes and a compact transmitter. The accuracy is ±0.1% of mass flow rate, density accuracy ±0.0005 g/cm³. The transmitter gives 4-20 mA HART plus Modbus RTU, so the DCS can read mass flow, temperature, and density on one pair of wires. The meter is rated for process temperature -50 °C to 200 °C, covers bleaching conditions with margin.
The DN100 Installation Detail That Avoids Bad Readings
In bleaching lines, the meter often sits right after a static mixer where bleaching earth contacts oil. If you mount a Coriolis meter too close to a pump or a control valve, vibration can offset zero. We tell customers to keep a straight run of 5D upstream and 3D downstream, even though Coriolis meters do not need straight pipe like a turbine meter. Why? Because a partially open butterfly valve creating swirl still disturbs the Coriolis tube amplitude. We saw this on a site in Nigeria where a DN100 meter lost zero every time the upstream dosing pump started. Fixing the piping moved the zero error from 0.15% to under 0.02%.
For the DN100 sunflower oil meter, we recommend horizontal installation with the flow tubes downward to self-drain. Even in lines that run 24 hours, maintenance shutdowns happen. Oil left in the tubes can polymerize if heated for days.
Batching Accuracy and Real-Time Density for Bleaching Earth Control
Bulk in-line bleaching is not continuous in many mid-size refineries. They fill a buffer tank, add bleaching earth, mix, and send it through the bleacher. A batch controller triggers the meter. Silver Instruments supplies the DN100 Coriolis meter with a batch function built into the transmitter. You set the target mass in kg, the meter opens the supply valve, accumulates mass, and closes the valve at setpoint. The density reading also tells operators if bleaching earth dosing is consistent. When density spikes, too much earth went in. When it drops, earth dosing fell. That simple check prevents overuse and saves filtering cost.
A customer in Durban, South Africa, reported they reduced bleaching earth consumption by 4% just by watching density trending from the Coriolis meter and adjusting the dosing screw feeder.
What to Send Us When You Ask for a Quote
Tell us your actual process values. We do not need a long RFQ at first contact. Write us an email or use the form on our site with these four numbers:
1. Operating pressure (bar)
2. Oil temperature at the meter (°C)
3. Pipe size (DN) and flow range (kg/h or litre/h)
4. Hazardous area classification (e.g., safe area, Zone 1, or Zone 2)
If you have a target accuracy for the batch, mention that too. We will propose the right meter model, confirm wetted material compatibility (316L is standard, Hastelloy available), and include the wiring diagram for 4-20 mA HART, Modbus, or pulse output. Reach us at flow-meter.com.au.
FAQ
Can this DN100 Coriolis meter handle sunflower oil with traces of bleaching earth?
Yes. The straight twin-tube design of our DN100 meter allows small soft particles to pass. Hard silica-based earth can cause minor tube erosion over years, but at typical 0.2-0.5% earth dose rates, operational life exceeds 8 years. We have sites running 10 years on the same tubes.
Do I need a separate flow computer for batch control?
No. The Silver Instruments Coriolis transmitter has built-in batch functions. You wire the start/stop signals directly to your PLC or use the local display keypad. This eliminates one extra component and simplifies commissioning.
What is the maximum pressure for DN100 sunflower oil flow meter?
Our standard DN100 model is rated PN40 (40 bar). Higher pressure up to PN100 is available on request. Most bleaching lines run below 10 bar, so the standard model gives a safe margin.
Does the meter need recalibration after installation?
Factory calibration on sunflower oil equivalent is standard. On-site zeroing with the process valve closed is enough. No wet calibration is needed. We provide a calibration certificate traceable to NIST standards.
Is the meter suitable for use in ATEX Zone 1 area?
Yes. Our DN100 Coriolis meter can be supplied with ATEX Ex ia or Ex d certification, depending on your zone and gas group. Mention Zone 1 requirement in your inquiry so we select the correct transmitter housing and cable glands.