Al Farabi university college

Second year

Fluid flow lab

Report about
Differential flow meters

By

• Mohammed Abdullah Ibrahim

• Abdullah Faraj
• Haneen Hussain
• Hussain Kahlid

Date:8/6/2020
Abstract
Flow meters are used in the industry to measure the volumetric flow
rate of fluids. Differential pressure type flow meters ( Head flow
meters)measure flow rate by introducing a constriction in the flow.
The pressure difference caused by the constriction is correlated to the
flow rate using Bernoulli's theorem.

Introduction

If a constriction is placed in a pipe carrying a stream of fluid, there

will be an increase in velocity,and hence an increase in kinetic energy
,at the point of constriction.From an energy balance as given by
Bernoulli’s theorem, there must be a corresponding reduction in
pressure.Rate of discharge from the constriction can be calculated by
knowing this pressure reduction, the area available for flow at the
constriction ,the density of the fluid and the coefficient of discharge
Cd. Coefficient of discharge is the ratio of actual flow to the
theoretical flow and makes allowances for stream contraction and
frictional effects. Venturi meter, orifice meter, and Pitot tube are
widely used head flow meters in the industry. The Pitot- static is often
used for measuring the local velocity in pipes or ducts. For measuring
flow in enclosed ducts or channels, the Venturi meter and orifice
meters are more convenient and more frequently used. The Venturi
is widely used particularly for large volume liquid and gas flows since
it exhibits little pressure loss. However, for smaller pipes orifice meter
is a suitable choice. In order to use any of these devices for
measurement it is necessary to empirically calibrate them. That is,
pass a known volume through the meter and note the reading in order
to provide a standard for measuring other quantities.
Venturi meter:

One of the disadvantages of orifice meters is the large irreversible

pressure loss across the orifice, which results in substantial pumping
costs in case of large diameter pipes. However, the same principle can
be exploited with only minimal pressure loss with the use of a Venturi
meter. In this case, the meter consists of a section with both a smooth
contraction and a smooth expansion. Because of the

smoothness of the contraction and expansion, the irreversible

pressure loss is low. However, in order to obtain a significant
measurable pressure drop, the downstream pressure tap is placed at
the “throat” of the meter; i.e., at the point of the smallest diameter.
Venturimeter is used to measure the rate of flow through a pipe.
Venturimeter consists of a converging portion, throat and a diverging
portion. The function of the converging portion is to increase the
velocity of the fluid and temporarily lower its static pressure. The
pressure difference between inlet and throat is developed. This
pressure difference is correlated to the rate of flow. The expression
for theoretical flow rate is obtained by applying the continuity
equation and energy equation at inlet and throat section.
For measuring discharge we should apply Bernoulli’s equation at
point 1 and at point 2.The following treatment is limited to
incompressible fluids. Friction is neglected , the meter is assumed to
be horizontal and there is no pump. If v1 and v2 are the average
velocities at point 1 and point 2 respectively and ρ is the density of
fluid.

(P1/ρg) + (v12/2g) + z1 = (P2/ρg) + (v22/2g) + z2

Since z1=z2
(v22/2g) – (v12/2g) = (P1/ρg) – (P2/ρg)

(v2 – v1 )/2g = (P1/ρg) – (P2/ρg) ------- (1)

Now applying the equation of continuity at both points, we have
A1 v1 = A2 v1 ------(2)
v2 = (A1 x v1)/ A2 --------(3) 22
v2=(d1 x v1)/ d2 --------- (4)
where d1 and d2 are the diameters at point 1(pipe) and at point
2(throat) respectively. Now putting the value of V2 in the above
expression (1) and if β= d2/d1, we have
The advantages of Venturi Meter

• low head loss.Around 90% of the pressure is recovered.

• less affected by upstream flow disturbance
• good performance at higher β
• even more robust
•The Venturi tube is suitable for clean, dirty and viscous liquid and
some slurry services
• self-cleaning
• less affected by erosion
The disadvantages compared to the orifice are
• occupies longer length of pipe
• more expensive (manufacture and installation)

Orifice meters and Orifice Plates

The most commonly used inferential or rate meter is the thin-plate,
concentric orifice meter which is the primary device discussed in this
paper.
Orifice Meter Technology a differential pressure meter creates a
pressure drop by combining a conduit and a restriction. A nozzle,
Venturi or thin, sharp-edged orifice can be used as the flow
restriction. Prior to using any of these devices for measurement, it is
necessary to empirically calibrate them by passing a known volume
through the meter and noting the reading to provide a measurement
standard for other quantities.
Due to the ease of duplication and the simple construction, the thin,
sharp-edged orifice has been adopted as a measurement standard.
Extensive calibration work has also been performed on the device,
making it widely accepted as
a standard means for measuring fluids. Provided the standard
mechanics of construction are followed, no calibration is required. An
orifice installed in a pipeline along with a manometer for measuring
the drop in pressure (differential) as the fluid passes through the
orifice is shown in Figure 2. The minimum cross-sectional area of the
jet immediately after the orifice is known as the “vena contracts.

Mechanism of orifice meters

As fluid approaches the orifice, the pressure increases slightly and

then drops suddenly as the fluid passes through the orifice. The
pressure continues to drop until it reaches the “vena contracta” and
then it gradually increases until it is approximately 5D to 8D. At this
point, it reaches maximum downstream pressure which is lower than
the pressure upstream of the orifice.
The pressure decrease as fluid passes through the orifice is due to the
increased velocity of the natural gas passing through the reduced area
of the orifice. When the velocity decreases as the fluid leaves the
orifice, the pressure increases and tends to return to its original level.
The pressure loss is not fully recovered due to loss of friction and
turbulence in the stream. The pressure drop across the orifice
increases when the rate of flow increases. When there is no flow, there
is no differential pressure. The differential pressure is proportional
to the square root of the velocity. Therefore, it follows that if all other
factors remain constant the differential is proportional to the square
root of the flow rate.

Advantages of Orifice Meter

• The Orifice is small plates and easy to install/remove.
• Offer very little pressure drop from which 60% to 65% is
recovered.
• The orifice meter can be easily maintained.
• Measures a wide range of flows.
• They have a simple construction.
• They have easily fitted between the flanges.
• They are the most suitable for most gases and liquids.
• They are cheap, The price does not increase dramatically with
size.

Tools of experiment

1. Orifice
2. Rotameter
3. U tube nanometer
4. Pump
5. Bypass valve
6. Main valve
7. Float
 Comparison between Orifice and Venturi Meter
Venturi meter
1. Less chance of getting stuck with sediment.
2. The discharge coefficient is high.
3. Its behaviour can be predicted perfectly.
4. It can be installed vertically, horizontally,
inclined.
5. They are more precise and can be used for a
wide range of flows.
6. About 90% of the pressure drop can be
recovered.
7. They are large in size and, therefore, where
space is limited, they can not be used.
8. Initial costs, installation and expensive
maintenance.
9. Requires a long placement length. That is, the
venturi meter must be driven by a straight tube
that has no connections or misalignments to
avoid turbulence in the flow, for satisfactory
operation.
10. It can not be used in pipes of less than 7.5 cm
in diameter.
11. Maintenance is not easy.
12. It can not be modified to measure the pressure
beyond a maximum speed
Orifice meter
1. The Orifice is small plates and easy to
install/remove.
2. Offer very little pressure drop from which
60% to 65% is recovered.
3. The orifice meter can be easily maintained.
4. Measures a wide range of flows.
5. They have a simple construction.
6. They have easily fitted between the flanges.
7. They are the most suitable for most gases
and liquids.
8. They are cheap, The price does not increase
dramatically with size.
9. Requires homogeneous fluid.
10. Requires single phase liquid
11. It requires the flow of axial velocity vectors.
12. It causes a pressure drop in the fluid.
13. Its accuracy is affected by the density,
pressure and viscosity of the fluid.
14. Its accuracy is affected by the density,
pressure and viscosity of the fluid.
15. The range of measurement of viscosity
limits of fluids.
Procedure

1. We opened the flow rate and the fluid started pouring then we make
the flow on 1 LPM and we recorded H1 and H2.

2. then we changed the flow speed five times and we recorded the delta
H in this times.

3. we calculated A1 and A2 then we calculated the flow rate from

Prinoli’s equation.

4. we calculated the Cd from it's law.

5. We made chart including all the calculations.

Calculations
▪ The same method to calculate the other values
Discussion

The coefficient of discharge

The coefficient of discharges in Orifice Meter for the five reading are
smaller than the coefficient of the Venturimeter experiment.

What is the Purpose of a Flow Meters?

A flow meter is used in different types of applications to measure the

volumetric flow rate or mass flow-rate. The specific application
defines the type and capacity of the flow meter. Fluids, gases and
liquids, are measured in terms of volumetric flow-rate and mass flow-
rate. Both are related to material’s density with volumetric flow-rate
denoted by Q and mass flow-rate by ṁ in the equation ṁ=Q x ρ.

What are the Different Kinds of Flow Meters?

There are numerous types of flow meters depending upon the

application, the specific fluid and the construction, including
materials, of the flow meter. The 5 basic classification of flow meters
include:

1. Differential Pressure Flow Meters

2. Positive Displacement Flow Meters
3. Velocity Flow Meters
4. Mass Flow Meter
5. Open Channel Flow Meters
References

Thermopedia
http://thermopedia.com

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orifice_plate

Go practical
www.gopracticals.com