Measurement Systems

Asst. Prof. Ahmed A. Al-Rajihy

University of Babylon
College of Engineering-Almusyyab
Department of Automobile Engineering

Text: Measurement Systems, Application

and Design by Ernest O. Doebelin.
Flow Measurement
Measurement of volume flow Rate:
Differential pressure flow meters
Assumptions:
1. Frictionless flow – i.e. no energy losses
due to friction, either in the fluid itself
or between the fluid and the pipe walls.
2. No heat losses or gains due to heat
transfer between the fluid and its
surroundings. Principles of Measurement
3. Conservation of total energy 
(pressure + kinetic + potential):

4. Incompressible fluid, i.e. ρ = ρ = ρ.

1 2

5. Horizontal pipe, i.e. z = z

1 2

6. Q1 = Q2 = Q where, Q1 = A1v1 and Q2 = A2v2

 Types of flow and velocity profiles in a circular pipe:
(a) Laminar (b) Turbulent
.
The above equation is not applicable to
practice flowmeters for two main
reasons:
A- Assumption 1 of frictionless flow is
not obeyed in practice.
B- A1 and A2 are the cross-sectional
areas of the fluid, which cannot be
measured and which may change with
flow rate.
For these reasons, the theoretical
equation is corrected for practical use
by introducing a correction factor
termed the coefficient of discharge C.
The modified equation is:
Turbine Flowmeter
the rotor angular velocity ωr is
proportional to Q, i.e. :
ωr = kQ
where k is a constant which depends
on the geometry of the blade system.
Variable area 
flowmeters
(Rotameters)
 g g
Fd   f Vb   bV b
 gc gc D                d
 fu 2

Fd  C d Ab
m
 2gc y     Bob
1l 2
 1 2gVb  b 
um    1
  
  d b  f 
C A
Flow
 1l 2
 1 2 gVb   b 
Q  Au m  A   1
 d   
C Ab  f 

4

A  d  ay  d
2 2

m  C 1 y ( b   f )f

Where is the slop of the flowmeter tube,

C1 is an appropriate meter constant.
The optimum bob density is found as:
m
0  b  2 f
 f
Thank You & Good Luck