Types Of Flow Measuring Devices

What is a flow measuring Device?

 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.
When choosing flow meters, one should consider such intangible
factors as familiarity of plant personnel, their experience with
calibration and maintenance, spare parts availability, and mean
time between failure history, etc., at the particular plant site.

In this report we will take a look a seven major types of flow

measuring devices, they are :-
1. CORIOLIS METERS

2. DP METERS

3. MAGNETIC METERS

4. MULTIPHASE METERS

5. TURBINE METERS

6. ULTRASONIC METERS

7. VORTEX METERS
 1) CORIOLIS METERS

Coriolis meters are generally considered the most repeatably accurate

flow meters available today. Coriolis meters are ideal for any application
where high accuracy is a key factor for consistent product quality, safety
and revenue. They are often applied in custody transfer applications due
to their excellent accuracy over broad conditions and low maintenance
requirements. A Coriolis flow meter contains a tube which is energized
by a fixed vibration. When a fluid (gas or liquid) passes through this
tube the mass flow momentum will cause a change in the tube vibration,
the tube will twist resulting in a phase shift.

Working Principle and Uses :- A Coriolis meter is based on the

principles of motion mechanics. When the process fluid enters the
sensor, it is split. During operation, a drive coil stimulates the tubes to
oscillate in opposition at the natural resonant frequency. As the tubes
oscillate, the voltage generated from each pickoff creates a sine wave.
This indicates the motion of one tube relative to the other. Coriolis mass
flowmeters measure the mass flow of liquids, such as water, acids,
caustic, chemicals, and gases/vapors. Because mass flow is measured,
the measurement is not affected by fluid density changes.
 2) DP METERS

Differential pressure flow meters use laminar plates, an orifice, nozzle,

or Venturi tube to create an artificial constriction then measure the
pressure loss of fluids as they pass that constriction. According to
Bernoulli's principle, the pressure drop across the constriction is
proportional to the square of the flow rate. The higher the pressure drop,
the higher the flow rate. These rugged, accurate meters are ideal for a
wide range of clean liquids and gases.

Working Principle And Uses :- Differential pressure flowmeters use

Bernoulli’s equation to measure the flow of fluid in a pipe. Differential
pressure flowmeters introduce a constriction in the pipe that creates a
pressure drop across the flowmeter. When the flow increases, more
pressure drop is created. Impulse piping routes the upstream and
downstream pressures of the flowmeter to the transmitter that measures
the differential pressure to determine the fluid flow. The differential
pressure flow meter measures the volume flow in gases, liquids and
steam. They are particularly used in situations where high pressure, high
temperature or a large diameter play a role. They are mainly found in the
chemical, oil, gas and power industries.
 3) MAGNETIC METERS

A magnetic flow meter is a volumetric flow meter that does not have any
moving parts. It is ideal for wastewater applications or any dirty liquid
which is conductive or water based. Magnetic flow meters are also ideal
for applications where low-pressure drop and low maintenance are
required. Magnetic flow meters will generally not work with
hydrocarbons, distilled water, and many non-aqueous solutions.

Working Principle And Uses :- The operation of a magnetic flow meter

or mag meter is based upon Faraday's Law. Magnetic flow meters use a
magnetic field to generate and channel liquid flow through a pipe. A
voltage signal is created when a conductive liquid flows through the
flowmeter’s magnetic field. The faster the flow of the fluid, the greater
the voltage signal generated. Magnetic flowmeters measure the velocity
of conductive liquids in pipes, such as water, acids, caustic, and slurries.
Magnetic flowmeters are used in water treatment plants to measure
treated and untreated sewage, process water, water and chemicals.
 4) MULTIPHASE METERS

Multiphase meter is a device that can register individual fluid flow rates
of oil and gas when more than one fluid is flowing through a pipeline. A
multiphase meter provides accurate readings even when different flow
regimes are present in the multiphase flow. Multiphase meters provide
the advantage of continuous well monitoring, which is not possible using
single phase meters. Additionally, multiphase meters cost less, weigh
less and require less space. Multiphase meters are more common in
deepwater operations, where well-intervention operations are often
prohibitively expensive.

Working Principle And uses :- Magnetic resonance makes use of a

fundamental property of atoms and in effect makes it possible to “count”
hydrogen atoms. Since oil, gas and water all contain hydrogen atoms,
multiphase flow can be measured using magnetic resonance. For this
purpose the fluids are magnetised and subsequently excited by radio
frequency pulses. The hydrogen atoms respond to the pulses and send
back echoes which are recorded. The amplitude of the echoes and the
rate at which they decay is used to calculate the flow rates. The
difference in magnetic resonance properties allows making a distinction
between the flowrates of oil, gas and water.
 5) TURBINE METERS

A turbine flow meter is used for volumetric total flow and/or flow rate
measurement and has a relatively simple working principle. A turbine
flow meter is a volume sensing device. As liquid or gas passes through
the turbine housing, it causes the freely suspended turbine blades to
rotate. The velocity of the turbine rotor is directly proportional to the
velocity of the fluid passing through the flow meter.

Working Principle And uses :- As fluid flows through the turbine meter,
it impinges upon turbine blades that are free to rotate about an axis along
the center line of the turbine housing. The angular (rotational) velocity
of the turbine rotor is directly proportional to the fluid velocity flowing
through the turbine. The resulting output is taken by an electrical pickoff
mounted on the flow meter body. These meters are used in multiple
industries to reliably measure liquids, gases and vapors.
 6) ULTRASONIC METERS

An ultrasonic flow meter can be defined as, a meter that is used to

measure liquid velocity with ultrasound to analyze the volume of liquid
flow. This is a volumetric flow meter that needs bubble or minute
particles within the liquid flow. These meters are suitable in the
applications of wastewater but they will not work with drinking/distill
water. So this type of flow meter is ideal for the applications wherever
chemical compatibility, low maintenance, and low-pressure drop are
required.

Working Principle and uses :- Ultrasonic flowmeters use sound waves to

determine the velocity of a fluid flowing in a pipe. At no flow
conditions, the frequencies of an ultrasonic wave transmitted into a pipe
and its reflections from the fluid are the same. Under flowing conditions,
the frequency of the reflected wave is different due to the Doppler effect.
When the fluid moves faster, the frequency shift increases linearly. The
transmitter processes signals from the transmitted wave and its
reflections to determine the flow rate.
 7) VORTEX METERS

A vortex flow meter is a flow measurement device best suited for flow
measurements where the introduction of moving parts presents
problems. They are available in industrial grade, brass or all plastic
construction. Sensitivity to variations in the process conditions are low
and with no moving parts have relatively low wear compared to other
types of flow meters.

Working Principle and Uses :- Vortex flow meters operate under the
vortex shedding principle, where an oscillating vortexes occur when a
fluid such as water flow past a bluff (as opposed to streamlined) body.
Thefrequency that the vortexes shed depends on the size and shape of
the body. It is ideal for applications where low maintenance costs are
important. Industrial size vortex meters are custom built and require
appropriate sizing for specific applications. Vortex flow meters are ideal
for measuring saturated and supersaturated steam in large facilities to
improve steam production efficiency and allocation. Volumetric water
flow and high flow gas measurements are also strong applications for
vortex flow meters.
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