Flow Switch for SIL2 compliance

The FS10i Flow Switch/Monitor from Fluid Components International, distributed in Italy by Precision Fluid Controls, is ideal for a wide range of liquid or gas. It has obtained hazardous area approvals and it carries a SIL 2 compliance rating

by Alina Botta

Precision Fluid Controls presents the FS10i Flow Switch/Monitor from Fluid Components International (FCI), which is ideal in chemical, Oil&gas and power generation. Developed for many applications, it is used for monitoring cooling water and fluids, leak detection, lubricant flow assurance, ventilation verification, chemical injection assurance, nitrogen purge verifications and compressor leak detection. Its compact size allows it to be placed in crowded equipment locations.

Hazardous area approvals from multiple agencies
Designed for operation in rugged industrial processes, FS10i now has obtained hazardous area approvals from multiple agencies for a wide range of liquid or gas monitoring applications that require accurate, reliable flow assurance and alarming. The agency approvals include: FM and FMc for nonincendive, Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C, D; Class II, Division 2 Groups E, F, G; Class III, T4@Ta=71°C; ATEX, IECEx nonincendive for gas and dust, Zone 2; EAC (TRCU) Russia, II 3 G Ex nA IIC T4 Gc, II 3 D Ex tc IIIC T81°C Dc, IP64. Ingress protection meets IP65, IP66, IP67 in non-hazardous locations; CE Marking, CRN, complies with Canadian Electrical code requirements of ANSI/ISA 12.27.01-2011 as a single seal device. It also carries a SIL 2 compliance rating per IEC 61508 and has a superior 90% Safe Failure Fraction (SFF). It features an air/gas sensitivity and setpoint range from 0.076 to 122 MPS, and for water or liquids from 0.003 to 0.15 MPS. It is suitable for use in fluid temperatures from -40° to 212°C and at pressures up to 138 bar. The FS10i comes standard with both an SPDT 1A relay output for alarm/trip point setting instead of an open collector, and a 4-20 mA analog output for trending and monitoring. Trip points can be set as high or low, and they can be adjusted with hysteresis and/or time delay settings and the 4-20 mA output is rangeable by the user in the field installation.

Years of service and easy to install
Developed with FCI’s no-moving parts thermal dispersion sensing technology, the FS10i is temperature compensated for dynamic plant and process operating conditions. It is constructed of all wetted parts manufactured with 316L stainless steel and Hastelloy C22 thermowells for years of service with virtually no maintenance. The insertion style FS10i is easy to install with a few simple tools. Set-up is done in the field using either the two-button keypad, or with a PC connection to the FS10i’s serial I/O port. The PC software for configuration and set-up is included at no extra charge. The instrument features a 10-character LED array to indicate actual flow range and trip point setting, changing flash rate to provide an immediate visual alarm indication to the user. For long service life, electronics are enclosed in a stainless steel body housing with aluminum end cap/top with polycarbonate overlay, which carries an IP66/IP67 rating.