Mass flow meter

A mass flow meter, also known as an inertial flow meter, is a device that measures mass flow rate of a fluid traveling through a tube. The mass flow rate is the mass of the fluid traveling past a fixed point per unit time, in SI units of kilograms per second.

The mass flow meter should not be confused with volumetric flow meters, which measure the volumetric flow rate (volume per unit time, in units such as cubic meters per second). The two are related by the fluid density: if the density is constant, then the relationship is simply a scaling constant. However, the density of the fluid may change with temperature, pressure, or composition.

The Coriolis flow meter is based on the Coriolis force, which bends rotating objects depending on their velocity.