Flow Measurement

Principles
Dr. Udaya Bhaskar Reddy Ragula
The need for Flow
Measurement
 Stream variables
 Pressure
 Temperature
 Composition
 Mass / Volumetric Flow rate
Criteria for flow meter selection

 Process conditions – Corrosion / suspended

particles
 Required precision
 Robustness
 Flow channel size / Instrument size
 Response time
 Flow measurement using
differential pressure
For liquids
Re call , Bernoulli' s Equation
2 2
1   2  a1v1  a2v2
P1 v1 P2 v2
 z1    z2  v1 a2
1 g 2g 2 g 2g  
v2 a1
Velocity from differenti al pressure
d1 1
Can we relate v1 & v2 ? 
d2 
Mass conservation at steady state
v2

m1  m2

v1 
2
1a1v1   2 a2 v2 If z1  z2
P1 v12 P2 v2 2
  
 g 2g  g 2g
 Flow measurement using
differential pressure contd…

2 2 P1  P2 P1  P2
v2  v1  2 2
v2  2
  1 
 1  4 
  
2
2 v2 P1  P2
v2  2
 4
 P1  P2
v2  2
 1  P1  P2  1 
2
v2 1  4   2  1  4 
      
 Flow measurement using
Orifice meter
 Orifice meter is a plate with
hole
 Fluid contracts (reduction in
flow area due to radial inward
flow) to a much lower area
than the orifice plate called as
vena contracta
 This is due to the inward radial
momentum of the obstruction
(orifice) in the pipe
Dvena contracta  0.6 DOrifice
7 Application of Bernoulli's equation to
Orifice flow of Incompressible fluids

2P1  P2 
v2  C d , o

 1  4 
Where Cd ,o is Coefficient of dicharge of orifice meter
 Flow measurement - Venturi
meter

2P1  P2 
v2  C d , v
 1   4 
Where Cd ,v is Coefficien t of dicharge of venturi meter
9 Flow measurement using pitot
tube
 What it measures?
 Local (or point velocity)
 Where pitot tubes are used
 Air Velocity measurement on Aircrafts
 Open channel flows & Flow through ducts

Dr. Udaya Bhaskar Reddy Ragula

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
10 Application of Bernoulli’s
equation to Pitot tube
Bernoullis equation ( for constant density system ) is given by
2 2
v1 P v P
 gz1  1  2  gz 2  2
2  2 
z1  z 2 ; Above equation reduces to
2 2
v1 P v P
 1  2  2
2  2 
On rearrangin g
P1  P2


2

1 2
v2  v1
2

2P1  P2  2 2 2P1  P2  2
 v1  v2  v2   v1
 
for a pitot tube located on the edge of the flow channel , v1  0
2P1  P2 
v2 

11 Application of Bernoulli's
equation to pitot tube contd..
Volumetric flow rateQ   vdA
A
R 2 R
  v r  
d r 2
 2  vr rdr
0 0

How to evaluate this integral ?

Use either simpsons rule or trapezoidal rule
 The pressure drop can be measured using
 Two pressure gauges
 A manometer
 DP cell
12 Rotameter - Relative motion of
particles in fluids
 The rotameter is used to measure
the flow rate of fluids (both liquids
and gases)
 The greater the flow, the higher
the float is raised. The height of
the float is directly proportional to
the flow rate
 With liquids, the float is raised by
a combination of the buoyancy of
the liquid and the velocity of the
liquids
 In case of gases, the buoyancy is
negligible and the float is raised
purely by the gas velocity
13 Rotameter - Stagnant particles
suspended in a fluid contd…
 Forces acting
 Drag (Lost force)
 Weight (Gravitational)
 Buoyancy

At Equilibrium  for the falling particles in a stagnant fluid 

FB  FD  FG
d 3 v2
 s   f  g  CD AD   0
6 2
v  v f  Velocity of the fluid
 Rotameter - Stagnant particles
suspended in a fluid contd…
24
If the partcles areinthe stokes regime, i.e., ( N Re, P  0.1), C D 
N Re, P
Where,
d P vt  f 24  24 
N Re, P   CD  or CD 
 d P vt  f dPv f  f
d P  Diameter of the float (in m )
 d p3 24   2 v f
2

 s
 f  6
g
d Pv f  f 4
dp f
2
0

gd p
v f   s   f 18
gd p   s   f 
Volumetric flowrate  AC v f  AC
18
Note :The cross sec tional area is function of height
 Rotameter - Stagnant particles
suspended in a fluid contd…
For turbulent flow,
If the Partcles are not inthe stokes regime
i.e., Particle Re ynolds number ( N Re, P  1)
3.45
 2.25 0.06 
CD   0.31
 0.358 N Re 
N
 Re  The fluid velocity can be founds using
Where, 1) Trial and error method (or )
d Pv f  f 2) Newton' s Raphson method
N Re, P 

Note : All rotameters works under stokes regime
 2.25 0.31  d Pv f  f  
0.06

CD    0.358    Hence, the Turbulene regime is not valid

 d Pv f  f    

4   s   f  gd P
 vf 
 2.25 0.31  d Pv f  f  
0.06

3 f  0.31  0.358   
  d Pv f  f     

Thermal Mass Flow Meter
 How the temperature of a heating element is
affected a fluid velocity?
 Energy conservation principle
 Either the entire flow or split stream is
heated by a constant flux heating element
 The rise of temperature is recorded
 The flow within the meter is strictly laminar

 
Q  m C p T
The rate of heat transfer depends on  , k and 

 Q
mK
C p T
K  Depends on fluid properties
Turbine meter / Inferential
meter
 Flow rate causes movement in a propeller or
a turbine
 Mainly used for liquid flow measurement
 The concept is similar for Anemometer