FLOW MEASUREMENTS

FLOW PRINCIPLES

 Potential Energy
 Kinetic Energy
Potential Energy

F=mgh
Kinetic Energy
Any object that falls through a height (h) under the influence of gravity is said to
Gain kinetic energy.

1
𝑘. 𝐸 = 𝑚𝑣 2
2
 Flow in a Uniform Pipe
 A typical example of flow in a process plant would be flow in a pipe of
uniform and constant cross section (A) as shown .
 The differential pressure(∆P) between the inlet and the outlet causes the
fluid to flow in the pipe.

𝑊 = 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = ∆𝑃 𝑥 𝑉
Work = Energy = (P1- P2) (A*L)
TYPES OF FLOW MEASUREMENT

 Flow rate (Velocity)

∆𝑃
Pressure Head=𝑧 =
𝜌𝑔
 Volumetric flow rate
It indicates the volume of fluid that passes a specific point over a period of time.

Q = Av

And its unit is 𝑚 3 /𝑠𝑒𝑐

TYPES OF FLOW MEASUREMENT
TYPES OF FLOW MEASUREMENT
 Mass Flow Rate
 Mass flow rate determines the amount of mass that passes a specific point
over a period of time.
 Mass flow rate application determines the weight or mass of the substance
flowing through a system.

M =𝜌Q
TYPES OF FLOW MEASUREMENT
TYPES OF FLOW
 Fluids may move in smooth patterns, agitated or turbulent patterns or in a
combination of these patterns.
There are three different type of flow
 a) Laminar flow
 b) Turbulent flow
 c) Transitional flow
Laminar flow
 It is a smooth layered flow.
 In laminar flow the fluid particles move along parallel paths.
 If laminar flow is observed it would appear as several streams of liquid
flowing smoothly alongside each other.
 Turbulent flow
 It is agitated and disturbed flow.
 Turbulent flow appears to have small, high frequency fluctuations that travel
in all direction forming currents.
Transitional flow
 Transitional flow is mix of both laminar and turbulent flow.
 The edges of the fluid flow in a laminar state, while the center of the flow
remains turbulent.
 Like turbulent flows, transitional flows are difficult, if not impossible, to
accurately measure
Reynolds number
 The Reynolds number is an experimental number used in fluid flow to predict
the flow velocity at which type of flow will occur.

1. At low Reynold numbers flow is laminar. Any flow having Reynolds number up to 2000 is considered
laminar.

2. When the Reynolds number is greater than 4000 flow is considered to be in

turbulent region.

3. When Reynolds number is in the range of 2000 to 4000 flow is

considered to be in the transitional region.
http://www.hrs-heatexchangers.com/en/resources/videos/flow-inside-a-corrugated-tube.aspx
ORIFICE PLATE AND ITS TYPES
 The Orifice system has two elements primary and secondary

 The orifice plate, the primary elements, when inserted in the line, causes an increase in flow
velocity and a corresponding decrease in pressure.
 secondary element which is a device used to measure the differential pressure created
ORIFICE PLATE AND ITS TYPES
 Working Principle:
 As the fluid approaches the orifice plate, the pressure P1 increases and the
velocity is decreases because of the orifice hole edges.
 After the fluid passes the orifice hole, the pressure p2 start to decreases and
the velocity start to increases unit it reach the vena contracta.
 The minimum pressure and maximum velocity are occurred on vena contraca.
ORIFICE PLATE AND ITS TYPES
The sharp edge is very important because any cuts, burrs, or rounding of the
sharp edge can result in large errors in measurement.
ORIFICE PLATE AND ITS TYPES
Advantages of Orifice Plates
 Simple construction
 Inexpensive
 Suitable for gas and liquids
 No moving parts
 ease of installation and replacement.

Disadvantages of Orifice Plate

 Not accurate
 Physical damage affect its measurement
 Needs another instrument to measure the differential pressure
ORIFICE PLATE AND ITS TYPES
Types of ORIFICE PLATE:

 Concentric
 Eccentric
 Segmental

Eccentric and segmental orifices are preferable to concentric orifices for

measurement of slurries or dirty liquids as well as for measurement of gas or
vapor where liquids may be present, especially large slugs of liquid.
ORIFICE PLATE AND ITS TYPES
 The basic flow equation was developed based on the assumption that internal
energy (pipe losses, molecular-energy losses, etc.) was zero.
 Since these losses are not zero and there is no direct way of measuring them,
empirical correction factors are given by experiments
 These factors are called flow coefficients or discharge coefficients.
 Following is a list of correction factors required to obtain accurate flow
reading from orifice plates:
ORIFICE PLATE
Advantages of Orifice meter:
 The Orifice meter is very cheap as compared to other types of flow meters.
 Less space is required to Install and hence ideal for space constrained
applications
 Installation direction possibilities: Vertical / Horizontal / Inclined.

Disadvantages of Orifice meter:

 Easily gets clogged due to impurities in gas or in unclear liquids •
 The minimum pressure that can be achieved for reading the flow is sometimes
difficult to achieve due to limitations in the vena-contracta length for an Orifice
Plate.
 High pressure drop compared to the Venturi tube.
 Orifice Plate can get easily corroded with time thereby entails an error. •

Applications of Orifice meter:

 • Natural Gas • Water Treatment Plants • Oil Filtration Plants • Petrochemicals
and Refineries
THE VENTURI TUBE
 The Venturi tube consists of a converging conical inlet section in which the cross section of
the stream decreases and the velocity increases consequently.
 a cylindrical throat that provides small diameter inlet where the fluid pressure decreases
 a diverging recovery cone in which velocity and pressure are recovered.
 Pressure taps are taken at one half diameter upstream of the inlet cone and at the middle of
the throat.
THE VENTURI TUBE
 Pressure recovery for venturi tubes is a lot better as compared to the orifice
plates.
 Venturi tubes are appropriate for clean, dirty and viscous liquid and few
slurry services as well.
 In venturi tubes, pressure loss is low and viscosity effect is high.
 Venturi tubes are resistant to corrosion, erosion, and internal scale build up.
THE VENTURI TUBE
 Advantages of Venturi meter:
• They can handle large flow volumes at low pressure drops.
• Venturi tube flowmeters involve no moving parts.
• They can be used with nearly all liquids, as well as those containing extreme
solids content.
Disadvantages of Venturi meter:
 • Highly expensive •
 Occupies considerable space •
FLOW NOZZLES
 Flow nozzles are commonly used for measurement of steam flow and other
high velocity fluid flows where corrosion may be a problem.
 Because of streamlined curve tend to stroke solids , Flow nozzles are not
recommended for measurement of fluids with a large percentage of solids.
 Discharge coefficients of flow nozzles are larger than those for orifices; their
value change with a change in Reynolds number.
ROTAMETERS
 The rotameter is a variable area-type flowmeter consisting of a tapered
metering Tube.
 And a float that is free to move up and down within the tube.
 The metering tube is mounted vertically with the small end at the bottom.

The fluid to be measured enters at the bottom of

the tube, passes upward around the float, and out
at the top.
ROTAMETERS
 As fluid flows, upward through the tube, differential pressure develops across
the float.
 This differential pressure, acting on the effective area of the float body,
develops an upward force (F1= (P1-P2)*A).
 If this force exceeds the weight of the float, it moves up.
 As the float moves further up in the tube, the area between the float and the
tube walls increases.
 As the area increases, the pressure differential across the float decrease.,
thereby developing less pressure drop across the float’s body.
 At some point, the flowing area reaches a point where the pressure-induced
force on the float body exactly matches the weight of the float.(W=F2=mg)
 When the difference between upward applied force and the pressure across
the float is equal to the float weight the float will be in a stable position.
 This is the point in the tube where the float stops moving, indicating flow
rate by it position relative to a scale mounted (or etched) on the outside of
the tube.
ROTAMETERS

 Advantages
 The Rotameter is an inexpensive flow meter for gas flow measurement.
 Pressure drop is low.
 A rotameter requires no external power
 Rotameters can directly measure flows as high as 4000 gpm.
 The Rotameter tends to be self-cleaning. The velocity of the flow past the float and the
freedom of the float to move vertically allows the meter to clean itself of some
unwanted material.

 Disadvantages:
 Due to its use of gravity, a rotameter must always be vertically oriented and right way
up, with the fluid flowing upward.
 the resolution is relatively poor compared to other measurement principles.
ULTRASONIC FLOWMETERS
 Ultrasonic flowmeters can operate on the principle of measuring the velocity of
sound or ultrasound transit-time as it passes through the fluid flowing in a pipe.

1. Doppler Effect Method:

Piezoelectric crystals are used as transmitters to send ultrasound signals through the
fluid flowing through the pipe to receivers that are also piezoelectric crystals.
At no flow conditions, the frequencies of an ultrasonic wave transmitted into a pipe
and its reflections from the fluid are the same.
Under a flow conditions, the frequency of the reflected wave is changing. When the
fluid moves faster, the frequency increases linearly.
The transmitter processes signals from the transmitted wave and its reflections to
determine the flow rate.
ULTRASONIC FLOWMETERS
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Bx2RnrfLkQg
2. Transit time ultrasonic

 Piezoelectric crystals are used together as transmitter an receiver in the same time.
 They send and receive ultrasonic waves in both the upstream and downstream directions in
the pipe.
 At no flow conditions, it takes the same time to travel upstream and downstream between
the transducers.
 Under flowing conditions, the upstream wave will travel slower and take more time than the
(faster) downstream wave.
 When the fluid moves faster, the difference between the upstream and downstream times
increases.
 The transmitter processes upstream and downstream times to determine the flow rate.
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
CONCEPT OF PRESSURE
 Pressure is a universal processing condition.
 It is one of the primary measurements used in instrumentation and control.
 Its measuring, units and measuring devices are important to a proper
understanding of what is occurring in a process and how instruments and
controls are used to monitor the process.
 PRESSURE DEFININTATION
 Pressure is defined as force per unit area i.e.,
 P = F/A
 Where
 P is pressure
 F is force and
 A is the area

 Pressure is also sometimes defined in terms Of ‘Head’ for liquieds

UNITS OF PRESSURE
ATMOSPHERIC, GAUGE, ABSOLUTE, VACUUM
AND DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE
 ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
 This is the pressure experienced on the surface of earth because of atmospheric
 ocean which extends for many kilometers. Each square meter supports a column
 of air giving a pressure 1.013 bars or 101.3 kPa. This pressure reduces
 progressively towards top of column. This is why atmospheric pressure is
 maximum at sea level and reduces as the elevation rises, it will be much less at
 the top of a high mountain.
GAUGE
 It is the pressure measured above the atmospheric pressure.

VACUUM
This is pressure below atmospheric pressure.

Absolute pressure = gauge pressure + atmospheric pressure

Differential pressure

 It is a difference between two pressures say pressure P1 and P2.

 􀀧 P = P1 􀀧 P2
MANOMETERS
 A manometer is one of the most common devices used to measure pressure in the
 laboratory. They are used extensively to calibrate pressure measuring
 instruments in the process industry.
 Manometers measure pressure in terms of liquid column height. The range
 depends on liquid used as the indicator. Pressure is related to column height by
 P=􀀧 􀀧 h􀀧 g
 Where
 P = pressure
 􀀧 = absolute density of liquid
 h = liquid column height
 g = force due to gravity
Working of U tube Manometer:

 The unknown pressure is applied in the one arm of the tube and the mercury
in
 the tube or manometeric liquid filled in the
 tube moves in the tube or rises to the
 constant region and then the movement is stopped. The height of the liquid is
 measured and noted.