Just as with electricity consumption, gas meters are evolving from conventional mechanical solutions to smart electronic meters with automatic reading capabilities. There are over 400 million mechanical gas meters worldwide, and gas suppliers are preparing to replace their traditional meters with more accurate and reliable electronic devices.
In addition to their greater accuracy and reliability, the OMRON/ST sensor solution enables the development of smart gas meters that are significantly smaller, less expensive, and more energy-efficient than conventional equipment, resulting in substantial cost savings for both gas suppliers and end users. Industry analysts predict that the global market for smart gas meters will exceed 10 million units per year by 2015.<sup>1</sup>
The new gas flow sensor combines Omron's most advanced MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) thermal flow transducer and ST's high-performance analog input IC to deliver highly accurate and reproducible flow velocity measurement. Gas meters based on this OMRON/ST solution do not require configuration for a specific gas type upon delivery or installation. They are intrinsically compensated for temperature and pressure variations, and the built-in circuitry compensates for variations in gas composition. The sensor is dust-resistant to meet international standards for gas meters.
