VENTURI TUBES

INTRODUCTION-VENTURI METER
The differential producing flow meter or Venturi has a long
history of uses in many applications.

The Venturi is among the most common flow meters becoz of its
simplicity and dependability.

With no moving parts or abrupt flow restrictions, the Venturi can

measure fluid flow rates with a minimal total pressure loss.
 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
The principle behind the operation of the Venturi flowmeter is the
Bernoulli effect.

The Venturi measures a fluid's flow rate by reducing the cross

sectional flow area in the flow path and generating a pressure
difference.

After the pressure difference is generated, the fluid is passed

through a pressure recovery exit section where up to 80% of the
differential pressure generated at the throat is recovered.
A Venturi requires two pressure and one temperature
measurement to accurately determine flow.

The first pressure is measured at the Venturi's upstream location,

P1.

This is used for the density calculation and the high side input to
the differential pressure measurement.

The second pressure is measured at the Venturi's throat, P2.

This is connected to the low side of the differential pressure

gauge to form the P2 pressure measurement.
The temperature reading is taken several pipe diameters in length
upstream of the Venturi so as not to disrupt the uniform flow
profile.

With proper instrumentation and flow conditioning, a Venturi's

flowrate can be reduced to about 10% of its full scale range
without adding multiple transducer configurations.

This provides a 10 to 1 turn-down in a Venturi's flow range,

INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS FOR VENTURI FLOWMETERS:

1) 10-20D in length of straight pipe upstream of the Venturi.

2) 5D in length of straight pipe downstream of the Venturi.
3) Flow conditioning tube before the Venturi, if the flow is non-
uniform or swirling.

Venturi tube sizing

Standards for sizing of Venturi Tubes - ISO, ASME, DIN and UNI
 TYPES OF VENTURI TUBES
Based on manufacturing methods

Ie The way of manufacturing of internal surface of the entrance

cone and the profile at intersection of cone and the throat, Venturi
tube is classified as three types.
Three types of Venturi tubes are
1. Cast
2. Machined
3. Rough welded sheet iron
CONSTRUCTION - VENTURI TUBE
 CONSTRUCTION - VENTURI TUBE
Entrance Cylinder (A)

The minimum cylinder length, measured from the plane containing the intersection
of the cone frustum B with the cylinder A, may vary for each type of Venturi tube

The recommended length is equal to dia “D”.

No diameter along the entrance cylinder shall differ by more than 0.4% from the
value of the mean diameter.

Conical Convergent (B)

The angle / overall length of convergent section B is 21°±1°and 2.7(D-d)

respectively.

Section B blended with section A by a curvature of radius R1 which depends on

Venturi type
 CONSTRUCTION - VENTURI TUBE
Cylindrical Throat, C
The length of throat C shall be equal to d ± 0.03d whatever the type of
Venturi tube

Throat C connected to section B and to the section E by radii of curvature

R2 and R3 respectively and vary for each type of Venturi

No diameter along the throat shall differ by more than 0.1% from the value
of the mean diameter

Conical Divergent, E

Conical Divergent- E section with the conical angle between 7° and 15°.

Recommended angle is between 7° and 8°.

Its smallest diameter greater than or equal to the throat diameter

 TRUNCATED AND NOT TRUNCATED
VENTURI TUBE
Truncated Venturi

When outlet diameter of section E is less than the D.

Not truncated Venturi

When outlet diameter of section E is equal to D

The section E may be truncated by 35% of its length without

significantly modifying pressure loss of device or its discharge
co-efficient.

The roughness criterion, Ra shall always be less than 10-4d

 TYPES OF VENTURI TUBES

(a) Standard long-form or classic Venturi tube

(b) Modified short form

(c) Eccentric form Used to handle mixed phases

To minimize buildup of heavy materials

(d) Rectangular form Used in duct work

 CONSTRUCTION - LONG FORM

(a) Long Form Venturi or Classic Venturi Construction

It consists of following sections namely
(i) Cylindrical inlet section
(ii) Convergent conical section
(iii) Cylindrical throat section
(iv) Divergent recovery cone

(i) Cylindrical inlet section equal to the pipe diameter.

(ii) Converging conical section in which the cross sectional area

decreases causing the velocity to increase with a corresponding increase
in the velocity head and a decrease in the pressure head.
CONSTRUCTION - LONG FORM
 CONSTRUCTION - LONG FORM

(iii) Cylindrical throat section where the velocity is constant so that

the decreased pressure head can be measured

(iv) Diverging recovery cone where the velocity decreases and almost
all of the original pressure head is recovered.

The unrecovered pressure head is commonly called as head loss.

The classic venturi is always manufactured with a cast iron body

and a bronze or stainless steel throat section.

At the midpoint of the throat, 6 to 8 pressure taps connect the

throat to an annular chamber so the throat pressure is averaged.
 CONSTRUCTION - LONG FORM

The cross sectional area of the chamber is 1.5 times the cross
sectional area of the taps.

Since there is no movement of fluid in the annular chamber, the

pressure sensed is strictly static pressure.

Usually 4 taps from the external surface of the Venturi into the
annular chamber are made.

These are offset from the internal pressure taps.

It is through these taps that throat pressure is measured.

 PRINCIPLE- LONG FORM
Converging conical section –
in which the cross sectional area decreases causing the velocity to
increase and the pressure head to decrease.

Cylindrical throat section-

where the velocity is constant so the decrease pressure head can
be measured.

Diverging recovery cone-

where the velocity decreased almost all of the original pressure
head is recovered.

The unrecovered pressure head is commonly called head loss

 CONSTRUCTION - LONG FORM
Limitations
This long form venturi tube is limited to use on clean, non-corrosive
liquids and gases.

Because it is impossible to clean out or flush out the pressure taps if

they clog up with dirt or debris.
 CONSTRUCTION - SHORT FORM
(b) Short Form Venturi Tubes

To reduce costs and laying length, manufactures developed a

second generation, or short-form Venturi tubes.

There were two major differences in this design.

(1) The internal annular chamber was replaced by a single pressure
tap or in some cases an external pressure averaging chamber.
(2) The recovery cone angle was increased from 7º to 21º .
 CONSTRUCTION - SHORT FORM

The short form venturi tubes can be manufactured from cast iron
or welded from a variety of materials compatible with the
application.

The pressure taps are located 0.4 D to 0.5D upstream of the inlet
cone and at the middle of the throat section.
 ECCENTRIC VENTURI

The eccentric Venturi was used for more difficult fluids.

In Oil and gas (petro chemical) processes, sand-oil or dirty fluid

applications.

Accuracy of .5% and extremely low head loss

36 INCH E- WEDGE VENTURI
 E-WEDGE VENTURI

The e-Wedge Venturi has the following advantages over the

eccentric Venturi or ASME standard Venturies.

1. Discharge coefficients constant over a wider Reynolds number

range than eccentric or standard Venturies.
2.Overall pressure loss same as an equivalent beta ratio ASME
Venturi.
3. Substantially lower cost by 1/3 over a standard ASME Venturi..
4. Cladding and improved favorable pressure boundary layer
control should extend meter life.
5.Accuracy ± 1.5 %
 CONSTRUCTION – GENEARL FEATURE
Piezo ring

A piezometer ring is sometimes used for differential pressure

measurement.

It consists of several holes in the plane of the tap locations.

Each set of holes is connected together in an annular ring to give an

average pressure.

Venturi with piezometer connections are unsuitable for use with purge
systems used for slurries and dirty fluids since the purging fluid tends to
short circuit to the nearest tap holes.
 CONSTRUCTION – GENERAL FEATURE
Piezometer connections are normally used only on very large tubes
where the most accurate average pressure is desired to compensate for
variations in the hydraulic profile of the flowing fluid.

If it is necessary to meter dirty fluids with piezometer taps, sealed

sensors are used along with mount flush.

Single pressure tap Venturi can be purged in the normal manner when
used with dirty fluids.

Because the Venturi tube has no sudden changes in contour, no sharp

corners, and no projections, it is often used to measure slurries and dirty
fluids which tend to build up on or clog of the primary devices.
 INSTALLATION OF VENTURI TUBES
A Venturi tube may be installed in any position to suit the
requirements of the application and piping.

The only limitation is that with liquids the Venturi is always full.

In most cases, the valved pressure taps will follow the same
installation guidelines as for orifice plates.

It is recommended that the use of straightening vanes upstream of the

Venturi to reduce the inlet pipe length.

The vane installation should have a minimum of 2D upstream and 2D

downstream before entering the Venturi.

There is no limitation on piping configuration downstream of the

venturi except that a value should be no closer than 2D.
In the original Venturi, pressure is sensed as pure static pressure
via annular chambers in the inlet and throat.

Sensing the pressure where it is parallel to the pipe wall and

perpendicular to the pressure tap is known as a static pressure
tap, because the flow is not changing direction where the
pressure is being sensed.

This maximizes the accuracy of the flow measurement, because

the exact area of the flowing fluid is known at the point of
pressure measurement.
The flow coefficient of the original Venturi was 0.984 with
an uncertainty of 0.75% of rate.
 VENTURI TUBE’S MANUFACTURERS

1.samarth engineers,Pune
2.Shree ganesh process equipments private limited,Kalyan
3.Irshad enterprises,Pune
4.Gree autocage,Sarampore
5.Delta engineering,Pune
6.Navdura engineering works,Mumbai