The Principle of Centripetal Force

Why is the CentriFlow^® Meter so accurate?

The secret lies in its zero friction patented design, which is based on the principle of centripetal force.

Centripetal force is the inward force required to keep an object moving in a circular path. It can be shown that an object moving in a circular path has acceleration toward the center of the circle along a radius.

This radial acceleration, called the centripetal acceleration, is such that, if an object has a linear or tangential velocity when moving in a circular path of radius R, the centripetal acceleration is V²/R. If the object undergoing the centripetal acceleration has a mass M, then by Newton’s second law of motion, the centripetal force Fc is in the direction of acceleration. This is expressed by the formula:

Force =	Mass x Velocity˛
	Radius

From Newton's first law of motion, it follows that the natural motion of an object is one with constant speed in a straight line, and that a force is necessary if the object is to depart from this type of motion. Whenever an object moves in a curve, a centripetal force is present.

The CentriFlow^® Meter measures the centripetal force exerted on the element as the particles travel over it. It is not measuring the impact of the particles because they do not impact the element. They travel across the element for a longer time period resulting in a significantly more accurate signal.

The CentriFlow^® Meter's uniqueness is its ability to identify and cancel the friction component. Combined with a velocity that is constant and a radius that is unchanging, flow equals mass.

That is zero friction flow measurement. The remaining signal is an actual mass flow, which is linear and accurate, not effected by density variations or slight particle size variations.