First Bidirectional Flow and Pressure Controller Developed

Alicat Scientific Inc’s (USA) new MCD-Series Bidirectional Mass Flow and Pressure Controllers precisely and rapidly control mass flow rate, volumetric flow rate and absolute pressure of gases in two flow directions. This flexible dual-valve design is the first of its kind, accommodating demanding process control requirements in gas analysis, leak testing and environmental applications. In laboratory settings, it allows researchers to replace multiple dedicated instruments and make rapid changes to experimental setups.

With a dedicated inlet valve and a dedicated exhaust valve, a single MCD can control upstream and downstream flows, as well as positive pressure or backpressure in both open and closed systems. It’s ideal for processes that require bidirectional flow control and/or pressure control, as well as for pressure control in closed systems, while also monitoring mass flow. User-selectable control modes allow users to switch quickly between mass flow, volumetric flow and absolute pressure measurement and control for maximum flexibility. As a universal control element, it can be used to monitor or control a number of parameter combinations, making it useful in a variety of laboratory configurations.

Alicat’s patented, internally compensated laminar differential pressure measurement yields linear results over a very wide flow range. The resulting volumetric and mass flow data is fully compensated for changes in pressure and temperature and corrected for the user’s standard temperature and pressure (STP). Available 0.4% accuracy +0.2% full-scale repeatability and less than 100ms control response times ensure top performance of gas flow processes.

The MCD-Series’ large integrated display allows users to access setpoint control and PID valve tuning without need for a computer. While it can operate as a standalone device, it also comes with both analogue and RS-232 digital communications to integrate easily into process control instrumentation. It comes with 30 field selectable calibrations, and is available in full-scale mass flow rates from -0.5/+0.5 sccm to -3000/+3000 slpm. All units are backed by NIST-traceable calibration, comprehensive technical support, and a lifetime warranty.