ANNUBARS

BY: RECTO, JOHN PATRICK C.

Background
What is annubar?
Annubar flow meter are sometimes referred to as Averaging pitots and contain multiple pressure
tappings to “average” the flow; this is to try to compensate for a non-ideal flow profile.
The averaging pitot tube is inserted across the pipe. One side of the bar has pressure taps facing
the flowing fluid that are coupled into an “averaging” chamber that measures the total pressure
of the fluid.

There may be a single port or multiple tapping ports on the opposite side of the bar to measure
the low static pressure in the downstream region.
The difference between the total and static pressures is effectively a measure of the fluid velocity
head, which together with the pipe area enables the volumetric flowrate to be determined.
Installation
Annubar Flow Meters’ parameters
Suitable for measuring the flow of liquids, gases, and steam.
The maximum working temperature of 1300 °C
The highest working pressure up to 400Bar (40MPa)
The highest viscosity is 500cp (1cp=1mPa-s)
Advantages
1. Can be inserted through a small opening.
2. Can be used to sample the velocity at several points.
3. Low pressure drop, minimal obstruction.
4. Cheap compared to other flow meter devices
Disadvantages
1. Single point measurement.
2. Pitot tube is fragile
Applications
The industrial production process
Flow meter is one of the large-scale instruments in process automation instruments and devices. It is widely used
in metallurgy, electric power, coal, chemical, petroleum, transportation, construction, textile, food, medicine,
agriculture, environmental protection and people's daily life. In all areas of the national economy, it is an important
tool for developing industrial and agricultural production, saving energy, improving product quality, and improving
economic efficiency and management level. It plays an important role in the national economy. In process
automation instruments and devices, flow meters have two functions: as a test instrument for the process
automation control system and a total meter for measuring the quantity of materials.
Energy measurement
Energy is divided into primary energy (coal, crude oil, coalbed methane, petroleum gas and natural gas), secondary
energy (electricity, coke, artificial gas, refined oil, liquefied petroleum gas, steam) and energy-carrying medium
(compressed air, oxygen, Nitrogen, hydrogen, water, etc). Energy metering is an important means of scientifically
managing energy, achieving energy conservation and reducing consumption, and improving economic efficiency.
Flow meters are an important part of energy metering. Water, artificial gas, natural gas, steam and oil use a very
large number of flow meters, which are indispensable tools for energy management and economic accounting.
Working Principle
The Annubar primary flow element is a device used to measure the
flow of a liquid, gas or steam fluid that flows through a pipe. It
enables flow measurement by creating a differential pressure (DP)
that is proportional to the square of the velocity of the fluid in the
pipe, in accordance with Bernoulli’s theorem.
This DP is measured and converted into a flow rate using a secondary
device, such as a DP pressure transmitter.
Development
MultiVariable Transmitter measures Differential Pressure (DP) Static Pressure and also process
Temperature resulting in accurate energy flow measurement.
Some multi-tech flowmeters use other technologies in addition to their flowmeter operating
principle. For example, multivariable flowmeters use pressure and/or temperature sensors to help
determine the density of the fluid. They then compute fluid density in light of the actual process
conditions. These meters use the density measurement together with a volumetric flow
measurement to determine mass flow. Mass flow controllers use either a thermal or differential-
pressure method to compute mass flow and add a control valve to control the flow. Mass flow
controllers, which can be considered a type of flowmeter with a control function, are another
type of multi-tech flowmeter.
Conclusion
The biggest difference between an Annubar averaging Pitot tube and a Pitot tube
is that an Annubar averaging Pitot tube takes multiple samples across a section of
a pipe or duct. In this way, it averages the differential pressures encountered
accounting for variations in flow across the section. A Pitot tube will give a similar
reading if the tip is located at a point in the pipe cross section where the flowing
velocity is close to the average velocity.
An Annubar averaging Pitot tube is economical to install and has negligible
pressure drop but it is unsuitable when dirty or sticky fluids are used.