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Principles of Mass Flow meters

Article · December 2015

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 PRINCIPLES OF MASS FLOW
METER

Author

PREM BABOO
Sr. Manager (Prod)
National Fertilizers Ltd. India
Sr.Advisor www.ureaknowhow.com
Fellow of institution of Engineers (India)
INTRODUCTION

“A flow meter is a device used to measure the flow rate or quantity of a gas or liquid
moving through a pipe. Flow measurement applications are very diverse and each
situation has its own constraints and engineering requirements .” Mass Flow Meter
operating on the "Coriolis principle" contains a vibrating tube in which a fluid
flow causes changes in frequency, phase shift or amplitude. The sensor signal is fed into
the integrally mounted pc-board. The resulting output signal is strictly proportional to
the real mass flow rate, whereas thermal mass flow meters are dependent of the
physical properties of the fluid. Coriolis mass flow measurement is fast and very
accurate. A mass flow meter, also known as an inertial flow meter is a device that
measures mass flow rate of a fluid traveling through a tube. The mass flow rate is
the mass of the fluid traveling past a fixed point per unit time. A mass flow meter, also
known as an inertial flow meter is a device that measures mass flow rate of a fluid traveling
through a tube. The mass flow rate is the mass of the fluid traveling past a fixed point per unit
time.

WHY MASS FLOW METERS?

The mass flow meter does not measure the volume per unit time (e.g., cubic meters per
second) passing through the device; it measures the mass per unit time (e.g., kilograms
per second) flowing through the device. Volumetric flow rate is the mass flow
rate divided by the fluid density. If the density is constant, then the relationship is
simple. If the fluid has varying density, then the relationship is not simple. The density
of the fluid may change with temperature, pressure, or composition, for example. The
fluid may also be a combination of phases such as a fluid with entrained bubbles. Actual
density can be determined due to dependency of sound velocity on the controlled liquid
concentration. If the fluid has varying density, then the relationship is not simple. The density
of the fluid may change with temperature, pressure, or composition, for example. The fluid may
also be a combination of phases such as a fluid with entrained bubbles. Actual density can be
determined due to dependency of sound velocity on the controlled liquid concentration.

Fig-1
In a Coriolis mass flow meter, the “swinging” is generated by vibrating the tube(s) in
which the fluid flows. The amount of twist is proportional to the mass flow rate of fluid
passing through the tube(s). Sensors and a Coriolis mass flow meter transmitter are
used to measure the twist and generate a linear flow signal, Fig.-2

Fig.-2

Coriolis mass flow meters measure the mass flow of liquids, such as Ammonia, water,
acids, caustic, chemicals, and gases/vapours. Because mass flow is measured, the
measurement is not affected by fluid density changes. Attention must be paid regarding the
stated reference conditions when flow sensors are specified in standard volumetric flow such as
sccm or slpm. Standard temperature and pressure (STP) is usually defined as being at 0°C
(273.15 K) and 1013.25 hPa (1 atm). However, standard temperature may also be specified as
20 °C or 25 °C. Sometimes these reference conditions may also be referred to as normal
temperature and pressure (NTP). Special industrial branches may even have their own
definitions, e.g. the gas industry may reference flow volume to a temperature of 70 °F

A Mass Flow Meter operating on the "Coriolis principle" contains a vibrating tube in which a
fluid flow causes changes in frequency, phase shift or amplitude. The sensor signal is fed into
the integrally mounted pc-board. The resulting output signal is strictly proportional to the real
mass flow rate, whereas thermal mass flow meters are dependent of the physical properties of
the fluid. Coriolis mass flow measurement is fast and very accurate. A mass flow meter, also
known as an inertial flow meter is a device that measures mass flow rate of a fluid traveling
through a tube. The mass flow rate is the mass of the fluid traveling past a fixed point per unit
time. It measures the mass per unit time (e.g., kilograms per second) flowing through the device

Coriolis mass flow meters measure the force resulting from the acceleration caused by
mass moving toward (or away from) a centre of rotation. This effect can be experienced
when riding a merry-go-round, where moving toward the centre will cause a person to
have to “lean into” the rotation so as to maintain balance. As related to flow meters, the
effect can be demonstrated by flowing water in a loop of flexible hose that is “swung”
back and forth in front of the body with both hands. Because the water is flowing
toward and away from the hands, opposite forces are generated and cause the hose to
twist. There are two basic configurations of coriolis flow meter: the curved tube flow
meter and the straight tube flow meter. This article discusses the curved tube design.
The animations on the right do not represent an actually existing coriolis flow meter
design. The purpose of the animations is to illustrate the operating principle, and to
show the connection with rotation Fluid is being pumped through the mass flow meter.
When there is mass flow, the tube twists slightly. The arm through which fluid flows
away from the axis of rotation must exert a force on the fluid, to increase its angular
momentum, so it bends backwards. The arm through which fluid is pushed back to the
axis of rotation must exert a force on the fluid to decrease the fluid's angular
momentum again, hence that arm will bend forward.

In other words, the inlet arm is lagging behind the overall rotation, and the outlet arm
leads the overall rotation.

Fig.-3

The Fig.-3 on the above represents what happens during mass flow. When there is mass
flow, there is some twisting of the tubes. The arm through which fluid flows away from
the axis of rotation must exert a force on the fluid to increase its angular momentum, so
it is lagging behind the overall vibration. The arm through which fluid is pushed back
towards the axis of rotation must exert a force on the fluid to decrease the fluid's
angular momentum again; hence that arm leads the overall vibration. The inlet arm and
the outlet arm vibrate with the same frequency as the overall vibration, but when there
is mass flow the two vibrations are out of sync: the inlet arm is behind, the outlet arm is
ahead. The two vibrations are shifted in phase with respect to each other, and the
degree of phase-shift is a measure for the amount of mass that is flowing through the
tubes.
Fig.-4

Coriolis forces Fc are generated in oscillating systems when a liquid or a gas moves
away from or towards an axis of oscillation.

A Coriolis measuring system is of symmetrical design and consists of one or two

measuring tubes, either straight or curved. A driver sets the measuring tube (AB) into a
uniform fundamental oscillation mode. When the flow velocity v = 0 m/s / 0 ft/s, the
Coriolis force Fc is also 0. At flowing conditions, i. e. flow velocity v > 0 m/s / 0 ft/s, the
fluid particles in the product are accelerated between points AC and decelerated
between points CB. As shown in the fig-5

Fig.-5

The Coriolis force Fc is generated by the inertia of the fluid particles accelerated
between points AC and of those decelerated between points CB. This force causes an
extremely slight distortion of the measuring tube that is superimposed on the
fundamental component and is directly proportional to the mass flow rate. This
distortion is picked up by special sensors. Since the oscillatory characteristics of the
measuring tube are dependent on temperature, the temperature is measure d
continuously and the measured values corrected accordingly.

DENSITY AND VOLUME MEASURMENTS

The mass flow of a u-shaped coriolis flow meter is given as:

Where Ku is the temperature dependent stiffness of the tube, K a shape-dependent

factor, d the width, τ the time lag, ω the vibration frequency and Iu the inertia of the
tube. As the inertia of the tube depend on its contents, knowledge of the fluid density is
needed for the calculation of an accurate mass flow rate. If the density changes too often
for manual calibration to be sufficient, the coriolis flow meter can be adapted to
measure the density as well. The natural vibration frequency of the flow tubes depend on the
combined mass of the tube and the fluid contained in it. By setting the tube in motion and
measuring the natural frequency, the mass of the fluid contained in the tube can be
deduced. Dividing the mass on the known volume of the tube gives us the density of the
fluid. An instantaneous density measurement allows the calculation of flo w in volume
per time by dividing mass flow with density.

CALIBRATION

Both mass flow and density measurements depend on the vibration of the tube.
Calibration is affected by changes in the rigidity of the flow tubes .Changes in
temperature and pressure will cause the tube rigidity to change, but these can be
compensated for through pressure and temperature zero and span compensation
factors. Additional effects on tube rigidity will cause shifts in the calibration factor over
time due to degradation of the flow tubes. These effects include pitting, cracking,
coating, erosion or corrosion. It is not possible to compensate for these changes
dynamically, but efforts to monitor the effects may be made through regular meter
calibration or verification checks. If a change is deemed to have occurred, but is
considered to be acceptable, the offset may be added to the existing calibration factor to
ensure continued accurate measurement.
Fig.-6

APPLICATION CAUTIONS FOR CORIOLIS MASS FLOW METERS

If the pressure drop is acceptable, operate a Coriolis mass flow meter in the upper part
of its flow range because operation at low flow rates can degrade accuracy. Note that
high viscosity fluids increase the pressure drop across the flow meter. For liquid flows,
make sure that the flow meter is completely full of liquid. Be especially careful when
measuring gas/vapour flow with Coriolis mass flow meters. Pay special attention to
installation because pipe vibration can cause operational problems.

Thermal mass flow meters work by measuring the amount of heat transfer a gas
produces as it flows past a heating element. A reference probe checks the ambient
temperature of the surrounding gas, while a measurement probe senses the heat
transfer from the heating e lement. The amount of energy required to keep the
measurement system in equilibrium depends directly on the mass of the passing gas or
gas mixture.

The third type of mass flow technology is the multivariable DP flow meter which
measures temperature and pressure as well as flow. This information is then used to
assess density and volumetric flow, from which a mass value can be derived. In contrast
to coriolis and thermal mass flow meters, which are in direct contact with the gas or
liquid, multivariable flow meters are considered an indirect method of measurement, as
the mass flow information is inferred using temperature and pressure values.
 Volumetric measuring devices, like variable area meters Orifice or turbine flow
meters are unable to distinguish temperature or pressure changes. Mass flow
measurement would require additional sensors for these parameters and a flow
computer to compensate for the variations.

VOLUMETRIC FLOW METERS

Fig.-7(a) Vapour eliminator Fig.7 (b) Turbine Flow meter

“Volumetric measuring devices, like variable area meters or turbine flow meters, are
unable to distinguish temperature or pressure changes. Mass flow measurement would
require additional sensors for these parameters and a flow compute r to compensate for
the variations in these process conditions. Thermal mass flow meters are virtually
insensitive to variations in temperature or pressure.”

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