The problem of self-regulated fluctuations in vinyltrichlorosilane measured by a mass flow meter

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During the testing process, the medium vinyltrichlorosilane is pumped into the esterification tower using a magnetic pump; the feed rate of this medium is adjusted through an interlock between a control valve and a mass flow meter, thereby regulating the temperature of the esterification tower. It was found that after the mass flow meter had been operating for a few minutes, the displayed value would first decrease and then increase, causing the control valve to operate frequently and resulting in large fluctuations in the temperature of the esterification tower; as a result, automated temperature control could not be implemented. After communicating with the manufacturer of the Dongfeng electromagnetic mass flow meter, it was ruled out that the mass flow meter itself was the problem. After discussion, the customer’s process engineers concluded that cavitation was occurring at the outlet of the magnetic pump, which caused the flow rate detected by the mass flow meter to be unstable.