Flow Measurement (Basics) : Ashvani Shukla C&I Reliance
Flow Measurement (Basics) : Ashvani Shukla C&I Reliance
Measurement(basics)
Ashvani Shukla
C&I
Reliance
INTRODUCTION
• Combining the above we can classify any flow in to one of four type:
• 1. Steady uniform flow. Conditions do not change with position in the
stream or with time. An example is the flow of water in a pipe of
constant diameter at constant velocity. Fluid Mechanics Fluid Dynamics:
The Momentum and Bernoulli Equations.
• 2. Steady non-uniform flow. Conditions change from point to point in the
stream but do not change with time. An example is flow in a tapering
pipe with constant velocity at the inlet - velocity will change as you
move along the length of the pipe toward the exit.
• 3. Unsteady uniform flow. At a given instant in time the conditions at
every point are the same, but will change with time. An example is a
pipe of constant diameter connected to a pump pumping at a constant
rate which is then switched off.
• 4. Unsteady non-uniform flow. Every condition of the flow may change
from point to point and with time at every point. For example waves in a
channel.
CONTINUOUS
One
dimensional
flow
Two dimensional flow
Flow rate.
• Mass flow rate If we want to measure the rate at which water is flowing along
a pipe. A very simple way of doing this is to catch all the water coming out of
the pipe in a bucket over a fixed time period. Measuring the weight of the
water in the bucket and dividing this by the time taken to collect this water
gives a rate of accumulation of mass. This is know as the mass flow rate.
• Volume flow rate - Discharge. More commonly we need to know the volume
flow rate - this is more commonly know as discharge. (It is also commonly, but
inaccurately, simply called flow rate). The symbol normally used for discharge
is Q. The discharge is the volume of fluid flowing per unit time. Multiplying
this by the density of the fluid gives us the mass flow rate.
Type of flow measurement
• In a differential pressure
drop device the flow is
calculated by measuring
the pressure drop over an
obstructions inserted in the
flow. The differential
pressure flow meter is
based on the Bernoulli's
Equation, where the
pressure drop and the
further measured signal is a
function of the square flow
speed.
• Common types of differential pressure flow meters are:
• Orifice Plates
• Flow Nozzles
• Venturi Tubes
• Variable Area - Rota meters
• Orifice Plate
• Application :
• The Segmental Bore
Is Located In The
Same Way That The
Eccentric Bore Is.
This Type Is Used
Primarily For Slurries
Or Extremely Dirty
Gases Where The
Flow May Contain
Impurities Heavier
Than The Fluid.
Quadrant Bore
• Application :
Used For High Viscous
Fluids Such As Heavy
Crude, Syrups And
Slurries. It Is Always
Recommended For
Flow Where Reynolds
Number Is Less Than
10,000.The Inlet Is
Quarter Of A Circle And
The Plate Thickness
Must Be At Least
Radius Of The Inlet.
6) Ring Type Joint –Integral
• Application :
• These Are
Available In
Oval Or Octal
Shapes.
Orifice Plate
Is A Part Of
RTJ Gasket.
Ring Type Joint- Separate
• Application :
These Are
Available In Oval
Or Octal Shapes.
The Orifice
Plate Is Universal
Type And Snap
Fitted On The
RTJ Gasket By
Screws.
Universal Orifice Plates
Application :
This Is A Circular Plate Designed To Fit In The
Orifice Fittings / Plate Holders / Carrier Rings /
Ring Type Joints(RTJ).
Various Orifice Assemblies
Working:
§The orifice plate, being fixed at a section of the pipe,
creates an obstruction to the flow by providing an opening
in the form of an orifice to the flow passage.
A stainless steel orifice plate which is held between flanges of a pipe carrying the fluid
whose flow rate is being measured.
•It should be noted that for a certain distance before and after the orifice plate fitted
between the flanges, the pipe carrying the fliud should be straight in order to maintain
laminar flow conditions.
•Openings are provided at two places 1 and 2 for attaching a differential pressure sensor
(U-tube manometer, differential pressure gauge etc) as shown in the diagram.
Operation of Orifice Meter
•
The detail of the fluid movement inside the pipe and orifice plate has to be
understood.
• The fluid having uniform cross section of flow converges into the orifice plate’s
opening in its upstream. When the fluid comes out of the orifice plate’s
opening, its cross section is minimum and uniform for a particular distance and
then the cross section of the fluid starts diverging in the down stream.
• At the upstream of the orifice, before the converging of the fluid takes place,
the pressure of he fluid (P1) is maximum. As the fluid starts converging, to
enter the orifice opening its pressure drops. When the fluid comes out of the
orifice opening, its pressure is minimum (p2) and this minimum pressure
remains constant in the minimum cross section area of fluid flow at the
downstream.
• This minimum cross sectional area of the fluid obtained at downstream from the
orifice edge is called VENA-CONTRACTA.
• The differential pressure sensor attached between points 1 and 2 records the
pressure difference (P1 – P2) between these two points which becomes an
indication of the flow rate of the fluid through the pipe when calibrated.
• Applications of Orifice Meter
•
The concentric orifice plate is used to measure flow rates of pure fluids and has a wide applicability as it has
been standardized.
• The eccentric and segmental orifice plates are used to measure flow rates of fluids containing suspended
materials such as solids, oil mixed with water and wet steam.
•
Advantages of Orifice Meter
•
It is very cheap and easy method to measure flow rate.
• It has predictable characteristics and occupies less space.
• Can be use to measure flow rates in large pipes.
•
Limitations of Orifice Meter
•
The vena-contracta length depends on the roughness of the inner wall of the pipe and sharpness of the orifice
plate. In certain cases it becomes difficult to tap the minimum pressure (P2) due to the above factor.
• Pressure recovery at downstream is poor, that is, overall loss varies from 40% to 90% of the differential
pressure.
• In the upstream straightening vanes are a must to obtain laminar flow conditions.
• Gets clogged when the suspended fluids flow.
• The orifice plate gets corroded and due to this after sometime, inaccuracy occurs. Moreover the orifice plate
has low physical strength.
• The coefficient of discharge is low.
Venturi Tube
• Flow nozzles
are often
used as
measuring
elements for
air and gas
flow in
industrial
applications
• The flow nozzle is relative simple and cheap, and available for
many applications in many materials.
• The Turndown Rate and accuracy can be compared with the orifice
plate.
• The Sonic Nozzle - Critical (Choked) Flow Nozzle
• When a gas accelerates through a nozzle, the velocity increase
and the pressure and the gas density decrease. The maximum
velocity is achieved at the throat, the minimum area, where it
breaks Mach 1 or sonic. At this point it's not possible to increase
the flow by lowering the downstream pressure. The flow is
choked.
• This situation is used in many control systems to maintain fixed,
accurate, repeatable gas flow rates unaffected by the downstream
pressure.
Recovery of Pressure Drop in Orifices, Nozzles
and Venturi Meters
• The float rises until the annular area between the float and tube
increases sufficiently to allow a state of dynamic equilibrium
between the upward differential pressure and buoyancy factors,
and downward gravity factors.
• The height of the float is an indication of the flow rate. The tube
can be calibrated and graduated in appropriate flow units.
• The rotameter meter typically have a TurnDown Ratio up to 12:1.
The accuracy may be as good as 1% of full scale rating.
• Magnetic floats can be used for alarm and signal transmission
functions.
Velocity Flow meters
•
Calorimetric Flow meter
• The calorimetric principle for fluid flow measurement is based on
two temperature sensors in close contact with the fluid but
thermal insulated from each other.
One of the two sensors is constantly heated and the cooling effect of the flowing fluid is used to
monitor the flow rate. In a stationary (no flow) fluid condition there is a constant temperature
difference between the two temperature sensors. When the fluid flow increases, heat energy is
drawn from the heated sensor and the temperature difference between the sensors are reduced.
The reduction is proportional to the flow rate of the fluid.
Response times will vary due the thermal conductivity of the fluid. In general lower thermal
conductivity require higher velocity for proper measurement.
The calorimetric flow meter can achieve relatively high accuracy at low flow rates
• The effect of motion of a sound source and its effect on the frequency
of the sound was observed and described by Christian Johann Doppler.
• The frequency of the reflected signal is modified by the velocity and
direction of the fluid flow
• If a fluid is moving towards a transducer, the frequency of the returning
signal will increase. As fluid moves away from a transducer, the
frequency of the returning signal decrease.
• The frequency difference is equal to the reflected frequency minus the
originating frequency and can be use to calculate the fluid flow speed.
• The Ultrasonic Doppler and Time of Flight Flow meter
Positive Displacement Flowmeter
•
• The positive displacement flow meter measures process fluid flow by precision-fitted rotors as flow
measuring elements. Known and fixed volumes are displaced between the rotors. The rotation of
the rotors are proportional to the volume of the fluid being displaced.
• The number of rotations of the rotor is counted by an integral electronic pulse transmitter and
converted to volume and flow rate.
• The positive displacement rotor construction can be done in several ways:
• Reciprocating piston meters are of single and multiple-piston types.
• Oval-gear meters have two rotating, oval-shaped gears with synchronized, close fitting teeth. A
fixed quantity of liquid passes through the meter for each revolution. Shaft rotation can be
monitored to obtain specific flow rates.
• Notating disk meters have movable disks mounted on a concentric sphere located in spherical side-
walled chambers. The pressure of the liquid passing through the measuring chamber causes the disk
to rock in a circulating path without rotating about its own axis. It is the only moving part in the
measuring chamber.
• Rotary vane meters consists of equally divided, rotating impellers, two or more compartments,
inside the meter's housings. The impellers are in continuous contact with the casing. A fixed volume
of liquid is swept to the meter's outlet from each compartment as the impeller rotates. The
revolutions of the impeller are counted and registered in volumetric units.
• The positive displacement flowmeter may be used for all relatively nonabrasive fluids such as
heating oils, lubrication oils, polymer additives, animal and vegetable fat, printing ink,
Dichlorodifluoromethane R-12, and many more.
• Accuracy may be up to 0.1% of full rate with a TurnDown of 70:1 or more.
Mass Flow meters
•
• Mass meters measure the mass flow rate directly.
• Thermal Flow meter
• The thermal mass flowmeter operates independent of density, pressure, and viscosity. Thermal
meters use a heated sensing element isolated from the fluid flow path where the flow stream
conducts heat from the sensing element. The conducted heat is directly proportional to the mass
flow rate and the temperature difference is calculated to mass flow.
• The accuracy of the thermal mass flow device depends on the calibrations reliability of the
actual process and variations in the temperature, pressure, flow rate, heat capacity and
viscosity of the fluid.
• Coriolis Flow meter
• Direct mass measurement sets Coriolis flowmeters apart from other technologies. Mass
measurement is not sensitive to changes in pressure, temperature, viscosity and density. With
the ability to measure liquids, slurries and gases, Coriolis flowmeters are universal meters.
• Coriolis Mass Flowmeter uses the Coriolis effect to measure the amount of mass moving through
the element. The fluid to be measured runs through a U-shaped tube that is caused to vibrate in
an angular harmonic oscillation. Due to the Coriolis forces, the tubes will deform and an
additional vibration component will be added to the oscillation. This additional component
causes a phase shift on some places of the tubes which can be measured with sensors.
• The Coriolis flow meters are in general very accurate, better than +/-0,1% with an turndown rate
more than 100:1. The Coriolis meter can also be used to measure the fluids density.
Open Channel Flow meters