Muhamad Farhan bin Fisal

Tenth College, 43400 Serdang, Selangor

Phone: 0167194941. Email: [email protected]

May 18, 2021

Dr Siti Hajar Ariffin
Department of Process and Food Engineering
Universiti Putra Malaysia

Dear Dr. Siti Hajar,

I am submitting to you my report as per your request. The report is entitled Automated
Measurement of Flow Rate, Pressure, and Level of Bath Recirculation System.

The purpose of this experiment is to verify the basic mechanical components of the
bath recirculation mechanism and to produce a PI flow diagram. Furthermore, based on the
results, the correlation between various voltage values and the three parameters; flow rate,
pressure, and level are determined. In this experiment, there are two mechanism that has
been used which are analogue output and digital output. From the experiment, I can conclude
that for digital output, increasing the voltage supplied reduces pressure and flow rate, but the
data is not very accurate. Furthermore, increasing the voltage supplied will increase the time
required for the water to reach its maximum level. In contrast, when the amount of voltage
supplied is increased for analogue output, the amount of pressure and flow rate increase,
while the time taken for the water is inversely proportional to the amount of voltage supplied.

I would like to thank my group members, Mohd Ikram bin Noordin and Qurratu Aini
binti Firdaus for their contribution during the experiment and also during the data analysis. I
would also like to thank the demonstrator En. Shahrul for the assistance during the
experiment.

I hope this report will satisfy all the requirements you need.

Sincerely yours,

Muhamad Farhan bin Fisal

Student of Process and Food Engineering
Universiti Putra Malaysia
 AUTOMATED MEASUREMENT OF FLOW
RATE, PRESSURE, AND LEVEL OF BATH
RECIRCULATION SYSTEM
MUHAMAD FARHAN BIN FISAL (198998)

MAY 18, 2021

ABSTRACT

This report presents experimental studies on automated measurement of flow rate, pressure, and
level of bath recirculation system. In this experiment, the basic mechanical components and PI
flow diagram of the system is determined. At the end of the experiment, the obtained results
are used to create a correlation between different voltages and three parameters (flow rate,
pressure, level). The experiment employs the fundamentals of bath recirculation system to
observe relation between voltage and the three parameters. In order to determine the
relation, the reading of pressure, flow rate and time taken for the water to reach the
maximum level are recorded. According to the experimental results, for digital output, the
pressure and flowrate are decreased while the time taken for the water to reach maximum
level is increased towards the increasing of amount of voltage. The pressure and flow rate for
analogue output are directly proportional to the amount of voltage supplied, but the time
required for the water to reach maximum level is inversely proportional to the
amount voltage supplied.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In the Automated Measurement of Flow Rate, Pressure and Level of Bath Circulation System
experiment, Edukit PA Basic is the main equipment that has been used to complete this
experiment. In this experiment, there are three tasks must be completed which are
completing the mechanical components of the bath circulation system, creating the PI flow
diagram of the system, and determining the relationship between different voltages and
three parameters (flow rate, pressure, and level). There are two types of output which are
digital output and analogue output. Several procedures need to be followed in order to
determine the relationship between the different amount of voltages supplied and the three
parameters. The procedure began with half-filling the container with water, followed by
plugging in the 24 V power supply to the mains power. The power supply is then turned on
and FluidLab® PA software was launched. The bath circulation system operated by changing
the button inside the software. For digital output, A3 button is switched on and A2 button is
switched off. The same procedure was repeated for analogue output which is by turning off
A3 button and turning on A2 button. According to the results obtained for digital output, the
flow rate and pressure decrease as the voltage supplied increases, but the time required for
the water to reach the maximum level increases as the voltage supplied increases. However,
for analogue output the flow rate and the pressure increase towards the increasing amount
of voltage, while the time to reach the maximum level is decreasing when the amount of
voltage is increase. It can be concluded that the correlation between the amount of voltage
supplied and the three parameters (flow rate, pressure, and level) varies depending on the
type of output either digital or analogue output.
Table of Contents

List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1

List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION ..……………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
1.1 Purpose of the experiment ……………………………………………………………………. 2
1.2 Background information ……………………………………………………………………….. 2
2.0 METHOD AND MATERIALS ………………………………………………………………………………. 3
3.0 RESULTS …………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4
3.1 Mechanical Components……………………………………… .................................. 4
3.2 PI Flow Diagram……………………………………………… ……………………………………. 5
3.3 Flow rate, pressure, and level based on different voltage………………….….. 5
4.0 DISCUSSION ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
5.0 CONCLUSIONS ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10
APPENDIX ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
List of Tables

Figure 1: Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT)……………………………………… 3

Figure 2: Example of pressure gauge sensor…………………………………………………………. 3

Figure 3: Overview of Edukit PA Basic…………………………………………………………………… 4

Figure 4: PI Flow Diagram of Edukit PA Basic………………………………………………………… 5

Figure 5: Graph of flow rate (l/min) against voltage (V) of digital output……………… 6

Figure 6: Graph of pressure (bar) against flow rate (l/min) of digital output…………. 6

Figure 7: Graph of voltage(v) against time(s) of digital output………………………………. 6

Figure 8: Graph of flow rate (l/min) against voltage (V) of analogue output…………. 7

Figure 9: Graph of pressure (bar) against flow rate (l/min) of analogue output…….. 7

Figure 10: Graph of voltage(v) against time(s) of analogue output……………………….. 8

List of Tables

Table 1: Name and quantity of each components of Edukit PA Basic……………………….. 4

Table 2: Readings on voltage (V), pressure (bar), flow rate (l/min) and time to reach

maximum level(s) of digital output…………………………………………………………… 5

Table 3: Readings on voltage (V), pressure (bar), flow rate (l/min) and time to

reach maximum level(s) of analogue output…………………………………………….. 7

1
1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Purpose of the Experiment

The aim of this experiment is to identify the basic mechanical components and create
a PI flow diagram of the bath circulation system. The objective of this experiment is also to
examine and discuss the relation among different voltages and the three parameters which
are the flow rate, pressure, and level.

1.2. Background Information

Nowadays, an Automated Measurement System is being introduced into the world of

manufacturing as it tremendously facilitates in the prevention of any errors that may occur
during the production process. Manually measured the parameters such as pressure, liquid
level, temperature etc by the operators will lead to an error during the production process,
enlarge the waste disposal and increasing the downtime. Automated Measurement System
is widely use in the industrial nowadays. The system is comprised of software that was linked
to data acquisition hardware. Automated Measurement System can be divided into three
classification based on where and when the system can be used. First, the system is placed
in-process, where it is compacted in the machine during the manufacturing process. Second,
the system is placed in-line, where the measurement begins as soon as the product exits the
machine, and finally, the system is placed in post-process, where the system is used as a
separate step where the part is placed in a standalone fixture.

An automated measurement system is a sensor-equipped system which is used to

measure a physical phenomenon such as level, pressure, temperature, and voltage. There are
many types of sensors that have been integrate inside the automated measurement system.
One of the examples of type of sensors that has been used is Linear Variable Differential
Transformer (LVDT) which is classified as a contact sensor and is to measure the displacement
as well as linear dimensions. A magnetically permeable core connected to a measurement
probe generates a voltage output that varies with the position of the magnetically permeable
core.

2
 Figure 1: Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT)

Other than that, pressure sensor helps in monitoring the pressure in the
manufacturing process. A pressure sensor is a system that identifies, controls, or tracks
pressure and transforms physical data into an electronic signal. There are many different
types of pressure sensors have been integrated into the automated measurement system to
detect various types of pressure. For example, pressure gauge sensor is used to measure
pressure in relation to the ambient atmospheric pressure. This sensor is often used in liquid
level detection tanks.

Figure 2: Example of pressure gauge sensor

2. METHOD AND MATERIALS

The main material for this experiment was Edukit PA basic with two tanks since the
objective of this experiment was to determine the mechanical components, the PI flow
diagram of the system and also to determine the relationship between the voltage and the
three parameters which were pressure, flow rate, and level. The container was filled
approximately half full of water and 24V power supply was connected to mains power at the
beginning of the experiment. Then, the power supplied was power up and the FluidLab® PA
was launched. The configuration menu was then opened, and the device is controlled by the
software's buttons. The system was configured for digital output by turning on the A3 button
and turning off the A2 button. Finally, the procedure was repeated for analogue output by
deactivating the A3 button and activating the A2 button.

3
3. RESULTS

3.1. Mechanical Components

Figure 3: Overview of Edukit PA Basic

Table 1: Name and quantity of each components of Edukit PA Basic.

Item Quantity Name

1. 1 Ultrasonic sensor
2. 2 Push-In T-Connector
3. 2 Tank (Container)
4. 1 Rectangular profile, 40x20
5. 1 Profile connector
6. 2 90o straight plug connector
7. 4 Stopcock
8. 2 Capacitive sensor
9. 1 Flow sensor
10. 1 I/O Board
11. 1 Pressure sensor
12. 1 Pump
13. 1 Profile plate, 350x200mm

4
3.2. PI Flow Diagram

Figure 4: PI Flow Diagram of Edukit PA Basic

3.3. Flow rate, pressure, and level based on different voltage.

Table 2: Readings on voltage (V), pressure (bar), flow rate (l/min) and time to reach maximum
level(s) of digital output.

No. Pump Pump (High/low Pressure Flowrate Time to reach

Digital output
(V) speed) (bar) (l/min) max level (s)
1. A3=on A2=off 0 High 0.22 6.67 12.49
2. A3=on A2=off 2 High 0.21 6.61 13.51
3. A3=on A2=off 4 High 0.20 6.58 13.83
4. A3=on A2=off 6 High 0.19 6.57 13.75
5. A3=on A2=off 8 High 0.19 6.58 14.60
6. A3=on A2=off 10 High 0.19 6.62 14.70

5
 Flow rate (l/min) vs Voltage(V)
6.68
6.66

Flow rate (l/min)

6.64
6.62
6.6
6.58
6.56
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Voltage(v)

Figure 5: Graph of flow rate (l/min) against voltage (V) of digital output

Pressure(bar) vs Flow rate (l/min)

0.225
0.22
0.215
Pressure (bar)

0.21
0.205
0.2
0.195
0.19
0.185
6.56 6.58 6.6 6.62 6.64 6.66 6.68
Flow rate (l/min)

Figure 6: Graph of pressure (bar) against flow rate (l/min) of digital output

Voltage(V) vs Time(s)
12

10

8
Voltage (v)

0
12 12.5 13 13.5 14 14.5 15
-2
Time (s)

Figure 7: Graph of voltage(v) against time(s) of digital output

6
Table 3: Readings on voltage (V), pressure (bar), flow rate (l/min) and time to reach maximum
level(s) of analogue output.

No. Pump Pump (High/low Pressure Flowrate Time to reach

Digital output
(V) speed) (bar) (l/min) max level (s)
1. A3=off A2=on 0 - - - No increase
2. A3=off A2=on 2 - - - No increase
3. A3=off A2=on 4 - - - No increase
4. A3=off A2=on 6 Low 0.10 2.15 41.87
5. A3=off A2=on 8 High 0.15 4.70 20.06
6. A3=off A2=on 10 High 0.21 6.61 14.31

Flow rate(l/min) vs Voltage(v)

7
6
5
Flow rate (l/min)

4
3
2
1
0
-2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12
-1
Voltage (V)

Figure 8: Graph of flow rate (l/min) against voltage (V) of analogue output

Pressure(bar) vs Flow rate (l/min)

0.25

0.2
Pressure (bar)

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
-2 0 2 4 6 8
-0.05
Flow rate(l/min)

Figure 9: Graph of pressure (bar) against flow rate (l/min) of analogue output

7
 Voltage(v) vs Time(s)
12

10

8
Voltage (V)

0
-10 0 10 20 30 40 50
Time (s)

Figure 10: Graph of voltage(v) against time(s) of analogue output

4. DISCUSSIONS
Based on the results obtained, table 2 shows the readings of pressure, flow rate, and
time to reach maximum level at different voltages supplied for digital output. The system is
configured for digital output via software by turning on the A3 button and turning off the A2
button. At the lowest voltage, 0 V, the amount of pressure is the greatest compared to the
others, which is 0.22 bar. When the amount of voltage supplied increases to 6V until 10V, the
amount of pressure remains constant at 0.19 bar. From the table, it shows that when no
voltages supplied to the system, it has the highest amount of flow rate compared to others
which is 6.67 l/min. When the amount of voltages applied increases, the flow rate becomes
inconsistent due to errors when reading the value through the software because the value
that appears in the software is inconsistent because the data transferred to the software is at
high speed, so the value changes every millisecond. Pump efficiency was another error that
could occur. The longer it takes to run the pump, the less efficient it is. As the voltages applied
to the system increases, the time taken for the water to reach the maximum level decreases.
When voltages applied is 0 V, it has the fastest time for the water to reach the maximum level.
From figure 5, it shows the relationship of flow rate at different voltages. The graph shows a
decreasing flow rate towards an increasing in amount of voltages supplied. But at the end of
the graph, its start to increase due to an inaccurate data. Figure 6 shows the relation between
pressure and flow rate where the higher the pressure the higher the flow rate of the water.
A pressure gradient (ΔP) between two points may occur inside the system where the fluid

8
flow has become directly proportional to the pressure differential. Figure 7 describes the
relations between different voltages and the time needed for the water to react to the
maximum level. It can be concluded that for digital output, the lower the amount of voltage
supplied, the faster the water reaches its maximum level.

Next, table 3 shows the readings of pressure, flow rate, and time to reach maximum
level at different voltages supplied for analogue output. By activating the A2 button and
deactivating the A3 button through the software, the system is setup for analogue output.
When the voltage supplied to the pump is 0 to 4 V, there is no significant difference in
pressure or flow rate, but when the voltage is increased to 6 to 10 V, there is a large increase
in flow rate and pressure. The highest pressure and flow rate is when the voltages transferred
to pump reach 10 V. The highest pressure and flow rate recorded are 0.21 bar and 6.61 l/min,
respectively. When the voltage supplied is between 0 and 4 volts, there is no increase in the
amount of water, but when the system is set to 6 volts, there is an increase in the level of
water. The fastest time taken for the water to reach the maximum level is recorded when 10V
is supplied to the pump where the time taken is 14.31s. This is because of the pressure and
the flow rate is at their maximum value. As mentioned before, the greater the pressure
differential, the greater the driving force, which leads to an increase in flow rate. According
to the graphs in Figures 8 and 9, the amount of voltage supplied is directly proportional to the
pressure, and the pressure is also directly proportional to the flowrate. However, there is a
different trend for the relationship between the time needed for the water to reach its
maximum level and various voltages. Figure 10 shows that the time required for to reach
maximum level is inversely proportional to the voltage applied to the pump. There is a
significant difference between the digital and analogue output results, which is due to an
error that occurred during the experiment. Furthermore, because of the differences in
sensitivity and precision, digital and analogue produced different results.

5. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, experimental results showed a clear relation between different voltages

and the three parameters which are pressure, flow rate and level. From the analysis of the
experimental data, digital output and analogue output give a different result of pressure, flow
rate and time taken for the water to reach the maximum level.

9
6. REFERENCES

Automated Measurement Systems. Wiresmith Technology. (2020, February 3).

http://www.wiresmithtech.com/expertise/automated-measurement-
systems/#:~:text=An%20automated%20measurement%20system%20consist
s,as%20temperature%2C%20pressure%20or%20voltage.

Chapter 4: Flow and Velocity. AccessAnesthesiology. (n.d.).

https://accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=974§ion
id=61586627#:~:text=This%20relationship%20can%20be%20expressed,esta
blishes%20the%20direction%20of%20flow.

Jost, D. (2019, August 27). What is a pressure sensor? FierceElectronics.

https://www.fierceelectronics.com/sensors/what-a-pressure-sensor.

Kim, D., Chesler, N. C., & Beebe, D. J. (2006). A method for dynamic system
characterization using hydraulic series resistance. Lab on a Chip, 6(5),
639. doi:10.1039/b517054k
Liu, T., Gao, W., Tian, Y., Zhang, H., Chang, W., Mao, K., & Zhang, D. (2015). A
differentiated multi-loops bath recirculation system for precision machine
tools. Applied Thermal Engineering, 76, 54–63.
doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2014.10.088

Today's Machining World. (2013, November 9).

https://todaysmachiningworld.com/magazine/how-it-works-automated-
measurment/.

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APPENDIX `

11