Flow Measurements

Prepared by:
Mirroyal Ismayilov (R6KX99)
Pu Ruijie (D13L6M)
Kashif Ali (DL0YNX)
Tobi Eso (DBZIC5)
 Introduction
• Types of Flow
• 1. Volumetric Flow rate – indicates volume of fluid that passes a point over a
period of time.
• 2. Mass Flow rate – indicates the amount of mass that passes a point over a
period of time.

Common Types of Flow meters

1. Head or Differential Pressure Meters
2 Variable Area or Rotameter
3. Turbine Meters
4 Electromagnetic
5. Coriolis
Flow Rates
 Characteristics of Flows
Re<2000
Laminar Flow

Re>4000
Turbulent Flow

2000<Re<4000
Unstable Flow
 Head Pressure or Differential Pressure
Meters

Principle of Measurement
This type of meters works by introducing a restriction into the flow line and then pressure taps
on each side of the restriction measure the pressure differential caused by the fluid flow. The resulting
pressure is proportional to flow rate in accordance with flow rate in with the formula:
FLOW MEASUREMENT
PART 2
 History of flow meters

Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782)

 Flow meter types

Pressure types mechanical types thermal types others

Abstruction meter is belong to pressure type flow meter
Abstruction meters are usually inserted in-line with pipe . Because of its simple structure , suitable for
liquid gas steam so that in any knid of measurement its been wide used .

There are 3 common obstruction meter : orifice plate , venture , flow nozzle
 Principle :The differential pressure generated before
and after the orifice due to the difference in the flow
rate was measured to find the flow rate
Under the real condition there will be many loss . The loss can be accounted for by
incorporating a correction factor :

Calculation formula：
Orifice plate flow meter

A fluid passing though an orifice constriction will

experience a drop in pressure across the orifice. This
change can be used to measure the flowrate of the
fluid. And it have as a simple structure, easy
maintenance, stable performance
Venturi

This device consists of a conical contraction , a

short cylindrical throat and a conical expansion .
The velocity at the throat is assumed to be
constant and an average velocity is used .the
venture tube is reliable flow measuring device
that causes little pressure drop .
Flow nozzle

Flow nozzles are often used in flow measurement due to

their reliable performance and tolerance to extremes in
process and environmental conditions. They offer
advantages over orifice plates in that they require
less upstream piping and incur lower permanent
pressure loss.
 UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN MASS FLOW RATE AND
VOLUME FLOW RATE AND THE MEANS
REQUIRED TO MEASURE IT
VOLUME FLOW RATE
• Q=V/T =VOLUME/TIME
• Q=AV
• COMMON UNITS OF MEASURE FOR
VOLUMETRIC FLOW RATE ARE
METERS3 /SECOND, MILLILITERS/SECOND OR
FEET3/HOUR.
• THE FLOW OF OIL THROUGH
A PIPELINE CAN USE THE
VOLUMETRIC FLOW RATE TO
SATISFY THE CONSERVATION
OF ENERGY BECAUSE THE
DENSITY OF THE OIL IS
CONSTANT.
• BY MAHER A. A. ABDUSSALAM
(OWN WORK) [PUBLIC
DOMAIN], VIA WIKIMEDIA
COMMONS
 MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MFR AND VFR
MASS FLOW RATE (MFR)
• IN MASS FLOW METERS, THE FLOW RATE IS CALCULATED BY
MEASURING THE AMOUNT OF MASS OF A SUBSTANCE
PASSING THROUGH A DEVICE FOR A GIVEN AMOUNT OF
TIME.
• MASS FLOW IS THAT MASS OR WEIGHT DOES NOT VARY
DEPENDING ON THE TEMPERATURE OR PRESSURE.
• THE FLOW METERS USED TO MEASURE MASS FLOW RATES
ARE: CORIOLIS FLOW METERS, THERMAL MASS FLOW
METERS, ULTRASONIC METERS AND ROTOMETERS.
• THE MASS FLOW RATE IS CONSTANT.
VOLUME FLOW RATE (VFR)
• IN VOLUMETRIC FLOW METERS, THE FLOW RATE IS
CALCULATED BY MEASURING THE VOLUME OF A SUBSTANCE
THROUGH A DEVICE OVER A GIVEN PERIOD.
• THE VOLUME FLOW RATE DEPENDS UPON THE
TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE.
• THE FLOW METERS USED TO MEASURE THE VOLUME FLOW
RATE ARE: POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT METERS, TURBINE
FLOW METERS, ORIFICE PLATES, VENTURI, VORTEX METERS
AND PITOT TUBES.
• THE VOLUME FLOW RATE IS NOT CONSTANT.
Mass is always conserved, it is not created or destroyed. Therefore, if water enters
a pipe at 1 kg/s it must leave the pipe at 1 kg/s also, as long as there are no leaks!
However, the volume flow rate can change and will do so if the density changes
either through a change in pressure or temperature.

THERE ARE FOUR WAYS TO MEASURE MASS FLOW IN LABORATORY:

1. INERTIA AND THE POWER OF MOTION – CORIOLIS
FLOWMETERS
2. HEATING IT UP – THERMAL MASS FLOW DEVICES
3. SOUND MEASUREMENTS – ULTRASONIC FLOWMETERS
4. LIGHTING THE WAY FORWARD – FLOW CYTOMETRY
TYPES OF FLOW METERS USED TO MEASURE VFR
TYPES OF FLOW METERS USED TO MEASURE MFR
Flow Measurement:
Physical principle employed in
various types of flow meters.

PART 4
PREPARED BY: ESO OLUWATOBILOBA
 Pressure Differential Flow
Meters
In a differential pressure drop device the flow is calculated by measuring the pressure drop over an obstructions inserted in the flow. The differential pressure flow meter is based on the Bernoulli

equation where the pressure drop and the further measured signal is a function of the square flow speed.

Common types of pressure differential flow meters:

Orifice Meter

Venturi Meter

Flow Nozzles
 Electromagnetic Flow
Meter
An electromagnetic flowmeter operates on Faraday’s law of
electromagnetic induction, which states that a voltage will be
induced when a conductor moves through a magnetic field.
It is used in systems with electrically conductive liquids. The
magnetic feld is created by energised coils outside the flow tube.
It is based on a fundamental principle that the electromotive
force of electric potential (E), is induced in a conductor of length
(L), which moves with a velocity (U), through a magnetic field of
magnetic flux (B). [ E = U*B*L ]
Vortex Flow Meter
`flow measurement involves placing a bluff body (called a
shedder bar) in the path of the fluid. As the fluid passes this bar,
disturbances in the flow called vortices are created. The
vortices trail behind the cylinder, alternatively from each side of
the bluff body. The frequency at which these vortices alternate
sides is essentially proportional to the flow rate of the fluid.
The frequency is measured and the flow rate is calculated by
the flowmeter electronics using the equation [ f = SV/L ] where
f is the frequency of the vortices, L the characteristic length of
the bluff body, V is the velocity of the flow over the bluff body,
and S is the Strouhal number , which is essentially a constant for
a given body shape within its operating limits.
Rotameter
The meter consists of a float within vertical
tube, tapered to an increasing cross-
sectional area at its outlet. Flow entering
through the bottom passes over the float
(which is free to move). The equilibrium
height of the float indicates the flow rate.
The operating principle of a rotameter is
based on the balance between the drag
force and the weight (W), and buoyancy
forces (FB), acting on the float in the moving
fluid. [ W= FD + FB ].
Turbine Meter
If a fluid moves through a pipe and acts on the vanes
of a turbine, the turbine will start to spin and rotate. The
rate of spin is measured to calculate the flow rate.
In principle the exchange of momentum within the flow
turns the rotor at a rational speed that is proportional to
the flow rate.
The rotor angular velocity (W), depends on the average
flow velocity (u), the fund kinematic viscosity (v),
through the meter bore of diameter (d1).
Ultrasonic Flow Meter
Ultrasonic maters use sound waves to determine
flow rate.
A pair of transducers separated by some distance,
fixed to the outside of a pipe wall and a reflector
applied to the opposite outside wall of the pipe, to
increase the signal to nose ratio.
An ultrasonic wave emitted by one transducer
passes through the fluid, reflects off the pipe was
and received by the other transducer. The
difference in transit time for a wave to travel from
transducer 1 to 2 and from transducer 2 to 1 is
directly related to the average velocity of flow in
the pipe.
Thermal Flow Meter
The rate at which energy(E), must be added to a
flowing fluid to raise its temperature between two
control surfaces is directly relates to the mass flow rate.
[ E = mcpDT ], where cp is the fluid specific heat.

Thermal meters use a heated sensing element isolated

from the fluid flow path where the flow stream
conducts heat from the sensing element. The
conducted heat is directly proportional to the mass
flow rate and the temperature difference is calculated
to mass flow.
 CALIBRATION

1)WHAT IS CALIBRATION?
2)2 CALIBRATION METHODS FOR FLOW
METERS
PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY STANDARDS
THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!