MODULE 10: Measurement of flow:
(i) Turbine meter,
(ii) Electro-hydro-dynamic flow meters,
(iii) Hot wire anemometer.
i. Turbine Flow Meters
Turbine flow meters measure the velocity of liquids, gases and vapors in pipes, such as
hydrocarbons, chemicals, water, air, and industrial gases. It consist of a flow tube with end
connections and a magnetic multi bladed free spinning rotor mounted inside; in line with the
flow. The rotor is supported by a shaft that rests on internally mounted supports. Blades on the
rotor are angled to transform energy from the flow stream into rotational energy. The rotor shaft
spins on bearings. When the fluid moves faster, the rotor spins proportionally faster.
Shaft rotation can be sensed mechanically or by detecting the movement of the blades. Blade
movement is often detected magnetically, with each blade or
embedded piece of metal generating a pulse. When the fluid
moves faster, more pulses are generated. The transmitter
processes the pulse signal to determine the flow of the fluid.
Transmitters and sensing systems are available to sense flow in
both the forward and reverse flow directions.
The relationship between volumetric flow rate of the
turbine flowmeter and the frequency of the pulses generated by the pickup sensor can be
expressed in the form of the equation:
=
Where,
= Frequency of pulses generated by pickup sensor (Hz, equivalent to pulses per second)
= Volumetric flow rate (e.g. litres/min)
= pulses per liter
ii. Electro-hydro-dynamic flow meters
Electrohydrodynamics (EHD), also known as electro-fluid-dynamics (EFD) or
electrokinetics, is the study of the dynamics of electrically charged fluids. It is the study of the
motions of ionized particles or molecules and their interactions with electric fields and the
surrounding fluid.
An electric field can influence on the behavior of a fluid, and in situations where ionization is
present, give rise to an induced flow which has been termed the corona. It affects on fluid flow
and convective heat and mass transfer. The application of an electric field between a horizontal
wire and a concentric horizontal cylinder increased the heat transfer rate substantially above the
natural convection level in a gas or liquid. The electric field near a conductor is strong enough to
ionize the dielectric surrounding it but not strong enough to cause an electrical breakdown or
arcing between conductors or other components. This phenomenon is unwanted and dangerous
in high-voltage systems;
however, a controlled corona
discharge may be used to
ionize a fluid and induce
motion by directly
converting the electrical
energy into kinetic energy.
Phenomena that involve the
direct conversion of
electrical energy into kinetic
energy are known as
electrohydrodynamic (EHD) and have a variety of possible applications today such as heat
transfer improvement, boundary layer enhancement, drying, fluid pumping, and cooling.
iii. Hot wire anemometer
The hot wire anemometer is used to measure fluid velocities by measuring heat loss by
convection from a very fine wire which is exposed to the fluid stream. The wire (tungsten or
platinum) is electrically heated by passing an electrical current through it. The diameter and
length of the wire depends on the size of the pipe or flow rate of the fluid. The length of the wire
is approximately half of pipe diameter and placed at the centre of the pipe in perpendicular to the
direction of flow. When the heated wire is cooled by a fluid stream its electrical resistance
decreases, because the resistance of metal wire varies linearly with its temperature.
Hot wire anemometers are used in two modes:
I. Constant current type
II. Constant temperature type.
In the constant current mode, the wire carries a fixed current. The flow of current through the
wire generates heat on account of loss. This heat is dissipated from the surface of the wire by
convection to the surroundings. The wire attains equilibrium when the heat generated due to
loss is equal to the heat dissipated due to convective loss. The circuit is so designed that loss
is essentially constant and therefore the wire temperature must adjust itself to change the
convective loss until equilibrium is reached. The resistance of the wire depends upon the
temperature and the temperature depends upon the rate of flow. Therefore, the resistance of the
wire becomes a measure of flow rate.
In the constant temperature mode, the current through the wire is adjusted to keep the wire
temperature, as measured by its resistance constant. Therefore, the current required to maintain
the resistance and hence temperature constant, becomes a measure of flow velocity.
Heat generated =
Where = Current through the wire;
= Resistance of the wire;
Heat dissipated due to convection = ℎ −
Where ℎ = co-efficient of heat transfer; [W/m2 0C]
= Heat transfer area; m2
= Temperature of the wire; 0C
= Temperature of the flowing fluid; 0C
For equilibrium condition, we can write the energy balance equation for the hot wire as
= ℎ −
‘h’ is a function of flow velocity for a given fluid density and it is given by
ℎ= + √
Where, and are constants and
= Velocity of the fluid in m/s.
Hence,
= + √ −
OR
For no heat loss due to radiation,
Nusselts number = =
Where, = Temperature of the wire
= Temperature of the fluid
= Thermal conductivity of the fluid
Again, Nusselts number = = +
Where, and are constants.
= Reynolds number
=
Where, = Diameter of the wire
= Kinematic viscosity of the fluid
= Velocity of the fluid
