NAME OF DEPARTMENT: Electrical Engineering

SEMESTER: Fourth (Second year)

NAME OF SUBJECT: Electrical Measurement & Control
(EMC)
CHAPTER NAME: Flow-meters (Unit-1 / part-1.3.9)
NAME OF FACULTY: Sri Pratik Roy (Lecturer in EE)
NAME OF INSTITUTE: Medinipur Sadar Govt. Polytechnic
Contents
1 Flow-meters 2
1.1 Turbine Flow meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.1 Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.2 Working Principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.3 Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.4 Advantages & limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 Electromagnetic Flow meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.1 Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2.2 Working principle: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.2.3 Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.4 Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2.5 Disadvantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2 References 7

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1 Flow-meters
A flow meter (or flow sensor) is an instrument used to measure linear, nonlinear, mass or volumetric flow
rate of a liquid or a gas. Flow meters can be broadly classified into two types, depending on the type of
flow-rates they measure, which are

1. Volumetric Flow meters: 2. Mass Flow meters: Likewise depending on the

Depending on the working principle & working principle & construction, mass flow me-
construction, volumetric flow meters are of ters are of the following two types,
the following types,

(a) Differential Head type. (a) Coriolis Mass flow meter

(b) Differential Area type (Rota-meters.) (b) Thermal Mass flow meters.
(c) Electromagnetic flow meters.
(d) Ultrasonic flow meters.
(e) Turbine flow meters.
(f) Vortex flow meters.
(g) Positive Displacement Meters.

In this article we will be discussing about Turbine flow meters. & Electromagnetic flow meters
(type of volumetric flow meters in detail.

1.1 Turbine Flow meter

Turbine Flow Meter is turbine type volumetric flow measuring sensor (or meter). The (axial turbine type)
turbine flow meter was invented by Reinhard Woltman and is an accurate and reliable flow meter for
liquids and gases.

1.1.1 Construction
An axial type turbine flow meter consists of the following parts

Figure 1: An axial turbine flow meter

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1.1.2 Working Principle
The flowing fluid engages with the magnetic multi bladed free spinning rotor (impeller) causing it to rotate
at an angular velocity proportional to the fluid flow rate. Diffuser & flow straighteners are provided
to stabilize the flow and minimizing negative effects of turbulence with in the fluid under measurement
A pick-up sensor (magnetic / reluctance type) is mounted above the rotor. When the magnetic
blades pass by the pickup sensor, a signal is generated for each passing blade due to the change of the
path reluctance of the magnetic field of the pre-installed magnet inside the pickup. This pulsed electrical
signal (AC sine wave type) is proportional to the speed of the rotor and represents pulses per volumetric
unit. The summation of the pulsing electrical signal is related directly to total flow.The frequency of the
signal relates directly to flow rate.

1.1.3 Application
Turbine flow meters has a wide range of application from smallest to largest, which include (but not limited
to):

1. used in oil and gas plants
2. water and waste water treatment plants
3. gas utility industries.
4. chemical industries
5. power, food and beverage processing units
6. aerospace, pharmaceutical industries.
7. metals and mining, and pulp and paper plants.

1.1.4 Advantages & limitations

The advantages of a turbine flow meter include:

• Works over a wide flow range including low • Flexible connection to flow instruments for
flow rates. flow control.

• Turn-down ratio is up to 35:1. • Wide variety of process connections.

• Has a good level of accuracy at an economic • Can operate over a wide range of temperatures
price. and pressures.

• Construction is simple & durable. • Low pressure drop across the turbine.

• Easy to install and maintain. • Provides a convenient signal output.

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 The certain limitations that a turbine flow meter has are

• Requires constant back pressure to prevent • Sensitive to changes in fluid viscosity

cavitation
• Require a straight run of pipe before and after
• Accuracy adversely affected by bubbles in liq- the turbine meter to allow swirl patterns in the
uids flow stream to dissipate.
• Can be used with clean liquids and gases only • May not function properly with high viscosity
(may need to install a strainer upstream to pre- fluids where the flow profile is laminar
vent damage from particulates)
• Not applicable for measuring corrosive fluids
• Requires a turbulent flow profile (consistent
fluid velocity across the pipe diameter) for ac-
curacy

1.2 Electromagnetic Flow meter

Electromagnetic Flow Meter (a.k.a Mag-flow meter) is a true non-invasive volumetric flow meter which is
ideally used for waste water applications and also for flow rate measurement of liquids that experience low
pressure drop and have appropriate liquid conductivity. They are not suitable for measuring flow rates of
hydrocarbons and distilled water.
This type of flow-meters can measure reverse flows and are insensitive to viscosity, density, and flow distur-
bances. Electromagnetic flow-meters can rapidly respond to flow changes and have a linear characteristic
for a wide range of measurements.
The accuracy of these meters can be as low as 0.25 % and, in most applications, an accuracy of 1% is used.

1.2.1 Construction

. In electromagnetic flow-meters, the coils

wounded on laminated core, create a magnetic
field that passes through the flow tube and process
fluid. As the conductive fluid flows through the flow-
meter, a voltage is induced between the electrodes
in contact with the process liquid. The electrodes
are placed at positions where maximum potential
differences occur. The electrodes are electrically iso-
lated from the pipe walls by non-conductive liners
to prevent short-circuiting of electrode signals. The
liner also serves as protection to the flow tube to
eliminate galvanic action and possible corrosion due
to metal contacts. Electrodes are held in place by
holders that also act as sealing.
The magnetic coils and sensory probes are placed in
such a way, that they are perpendicular to the flow
direction of the liquid under test & also with respect
to each other

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1.2.2 Working principle:
An electromagnetic flow-meter works on the principle of Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction.
This law states that if a conductor of length ’l’ (m) is moving with a velocity ’v’ (m/s), perpendicular to a
magnetic field of flux density ’B’ (Tesla), then the induced voltage ’e’ (volts) across the ends of conductor
can be expressed by:
e = Blv
The magnetic field, the direction of the movement of the conductor, and the induced emf are all perpen-
dicular to each other.

If the average velocity of the liquid flow be ’V’ in m/sec, then the volume of liquid flow (Q) in L/s can
be expressed as
Q = AV
where ’A’ is the area of cross-section (in m2 ) of the pipe through which the liquid is flowing. If ’D’ be
πD2
the diameter of the pipe (in m) then, A = .
4
πD2
∴Q= ×V
4
If the diameter of the tube (D) is fixed, then
Q∝V
In the case of electromagnetic flow-meters,

• the conductor is the liquid flowing through the pipe, and the length (l) of the conductor is the
distance between the two electrodes, which is equal to the tube diameter (D), i.e l = D

• The velocity of the conductor (v) is proportional to the mean flow velocity of the liquid (V),
i.e v ≈ V

• the magnetic flux density (B) is equal to flux produced by the field coils positioned at both side of
the tube.

Hence, the induced voltage becomes:

e = BDV

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 If the magnetic field (B) is constant and the diameter of the pipe (D) is fixed,the magnitude of the
induced voltage (e) will only be proportional to the velocity of the liquid (V).
e∝V
As seen earlier that the volumetric flow rate (Q) is proportional to the average velocity of the liquid
(V), thus we can conclude that the induced emf (e) is proportional to the volumetric flow rate (Q),
e∝Q
or, e = kQ
(where ’k’ is the meter constant.)

If the ends of the conductor, in this case the sensors, are connected to an external circuit, the induced
voltage causes a current (i)to flow, which can be processed suitably as a measure of the flow rate.

1.2.3 Applications
The electromagnetic flow meter being non intrusive type, can be used in general for any fluid which is
having a reasonable electrical conductivity above 10 µsiemens/cm.
Fluids like sand water slurry, coal powder, slurry, sewage, wood pulp, chemicals, water other than distilled
water in large pipe lines, hot fluids, high viscous fluids specially in food processing industries, cryogenic
fluids can be metered by the electromagnetic flow meter.

1.2.4 Advantages
The advantages of using electromagnetic type flow-meters include:
1. The obstruction to the flow is almost nil and
therefore this type of meters can be used for
measuring heavy suspensions, including mud,
sewage and wood pulp.
2. There is no pressure head loss in this type of
flow meter other than that of the length of
straight pipe which the meter occupies.
3. They are not very much affected by upstream
flow disturbances.
4. They are practically unaffected by variation in
density, viscosity, pressure and temperature.
6. These meters can be used as bidirectional me-
ters.
7. The meters are suitable for most acids, bases,
water and aqueous solutions because the lining
materials selected are not only good electrical
insulators but also are corrosion resistant.
8. The meters are widely used for slurry ser-
vices not only because they are obstruction
less but also because some of the liners such as
polyurethane, neoprene and rubber have good
abrasion or erosion resistance.

5. Electric power requirements can be low (15 or 9. They are capable of handling extremely low
20 W), particularly with pulsed DC types. flows.

1.2.5 Disadvantages
The major disadvantages include:
1. These meters can be used only for fluids which have reasonable electrical conductivity.
2. The size and cost of the field coils and circuitry do not increase in proportion to their size of pipe
bore. Consequently small size meters are bulky and expensive.
**********

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2 References
1. The measurement, instrumentation & sensors handbook by John.G.Webster.

2. https://www.maxmachinery.com/

3. https://instrumentationtools.com/

4. https://www.omega.com/