University of Engineering and Technology Taxila

Mechanical Engineering Department

Lecture No: 07

Course Title: Measurement and Instrumentation

(ME-314)
Tutor: Khalid Masood Khan

Flow Measurement
Flow rate is expressed as either volume flow
per unit time or mass flow per unit time

Size, accuracy, cost, pressure drop, pressure

losses, and compatibility with the fluid are
important design considerations for flow
metering devices

Velocity of a fluid at a point is

In Cartesian coordinates:

In cylindrical coordinates:

Categories of Flow Metering Instruments/Devices

Pressure differential meters
Insertion volume flow meters

Mass flow meters

Pressure differential meters manipulate/

obstruct the flow path. These obstruction
meters are
Orifice meter

Venturi meter
Flow nozzles

Usually inserted in-line with a pipe

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Orifice Meter
It consists of a circular plate, containing a hole
(orifice)
The plate is inserted into a pipe such that the
orifice is concentric with the pipe inside
diameter
Among the variety of designs, the squareedged orifice is common
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 Orifice plate represents a relatively

inexpensive flow meter that provides an easily
measurable pressure drop
However, it introduces a large permanent
pressure loss into the flow system

Because loss effects vary along the length of

the flow meter, flow rate estimate based on
pressure drop is very sensitive to the pressure
tap location requiring judicious tap placement
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Venturi Meter
A venturi meter consists of a smooth
converging contraction to a narrow throat
followed by a shallow diverging section
The divergent section angle is 7 or 15. The
meter is inserted between two flanges
intended for this purpose

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 Pressure is sensed between a location upstream of

the throat and a location at the throat and
calculated using the equation

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 The product

is often represented by what is

called the flow coefficient,

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 Venturi meter is more expensive than an

orifice meter in terms of initial cost
However, the system operating cost is much
smaller because of low permanent pressure
loss for a given installation

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Flow Nozzles
ASME Long-Radius Nozzle

Sonic Nozzle
A flow nozzle consists of a gradual contraction
to a narrow throat. It needs less installation
space and is cheaper than a venturi meter
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ASME Long-Radius Nozzle

For this nozzle, the contraction is that of the
quadrant of an ellipse with major axis aligned
with the flow axis
Pressure tapes are usually located at one pipe
diameter upstream of the nozzle inlet and at the
nozzle throat by using either wall or throat taps
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 The flow rate is determined from the same

equation as for the venturi with and based
on the throat diameter while and are
obtained graphically

Because it lacks the gradual divergent section

of a venturi, the permanent loss associated with
the nozzle is larger for the same pressure drop

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Sonic Nozzles
Sonic nozzles are used to meter and to control
the flow rate of a compressible gas. For flow
reaching speed of sound (sonic flow) at the
throat , the mass flow through the nozzle
reaches a maximum for the given inlet
conditions. For choked flow, the critical
pressure ratio is

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 For an ideal gas undergoing an isentropic

process between and

As with all obstruction meters this ideal

mass flow rate must be modified using a
discharge coefficient to account for losses
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Insertion Volume Flow Meters

Electromagnetic Flow Meters
Vortex Shedding Meters

Rotameters
Turbine Meters

Positive-Displacement Meters
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Electromagnetic Flow Meter

The meter employs the fundamental principle
that an emf is induced in a conductor which
moves through a magnetic field, i.e.,

Or,

where is the angle between

usually at 90 .

and ,
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 The volume flow rate is found by

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 It has very low pressure loss. It is

suitable for metering corrosive and
dirty fluids
Use is limited to metering fluids with
electrical conductivity above a
certain value

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 In general, a fluid particle passing through the

meter tube that is rotating (as a result of the
oscillating tube) relative to the fixed pipe
experiences an acceleration
The meter principle is unaffected by changing
fluid properties but temperature changes will
affect the overall meter stiffness, an effect that
can be compensated for electronically
The meter is also used as an effective
densitometer
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