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Liquid Flow Measurement

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Arslan Zulfiqar Ahmed
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3 views4 pages

Liquid Flow Measurement

Uploaded by

Arslan Zulfiqar Ahmed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Focus on Liquid Flow Measurement

Controlling the flow rate of liquids is a key control mechanism for any chemical
plant. There are many different types of devices available to measure flow.

Table 1: Comparison of Popular Flow Measurement Devices

Head Devices

Head type devices measure flow by constricting a stream and measuring the resulting
pressure drop. The pressure drop can then be related to a flow.

Orifice Plates

An orifice plate is a very simple device installed in a straight run of pipe. The orifice
plate contains a hole smaller than the pipe diameter. The flow constricts, experiences a
pressure drop, and then the differential pressure can be related to a flow.

Figure 1: Orifice Plate Arrangement


For a discussion of how pressure drop
is related to liquid flow for concentric
orifices, visit LMNO Engineering. They
have a very good explanation on their
website.

It is also important to note that relating differential pressure to flow across an orifice
depends on the location of the pressure taps in relation to the orifice. In Figure 2 below,
the pressure taps are designated as P1 and P2. "D" is the diameter of the pipe and "d" is
the diameter of the orifice.

Figure 2: Various Tap Positions for Orifice Plates

Venturi

A venturi tube (also called the Herschel Venturi tube) also measures flow rates by
constricting fluids and measuring a
differential pressure drop.

Venturi tubes allow for flow


measurement with lower head losses
than orifice plates. Venturi tubes of
cast iron cones are most commonly
used in pipes with diameters of 4 to
32 inches (10 to 80 cm). Pipes of up to 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter usually utilize
machined venturi constrictions. Larger diameter pipes (to 48 inches or 1.2 m) usually
employ a welded sheet metal convergence. Venturi accuracy is best for Reynolds
5 6
numbers between 10 and 10 . Again, for a discussion on relating venturi pressure drops
to flows, see LMNO Engineering.

Target Flowmeters

A target flowmeter operates just as the name implies. A small "bullseye" is placed
inside the pipe and is connected to a pneumatic transmitter. Typical applications include
flow measurement of steam and outdoor liquids.
In a target flowmeter, the
square of the force exerted on
the target is proportional to the
volume or mass flow through
the pipe. The force on the
target is expressed as:

Rotometers

Rather than using a constant restriction area and a variable pressure differential,
rotometers use a variable restriction and a constant pressure differential to measure flow.
Typically, rotometers are used to measure smaller flows and the reading is usually done
locally, although transmission of the readings is possible.

The rotometer consists of a float that moves vertically through


a slightly tapered tube. As fluid enters the bottom of the
rotometer, the float is forced upward until the force is balanced
by gravitational forces. Most rotometers are made of glass with
markings on the outside so that flow readings can be taken
visually. The advantage to rotometers is the simplicity of the
device and a constant pressure drop. Also, rotometers do not
require straight pipe runs for installation so they can be installed
just about anywhere.

Velocity Devices

Probably the most common velocity device used for flow


measurement is the magnetic flowmeter. Magnetic flowmeters
cause no head loss and they can easily measure liquids with solids in suspension. By
their design, they produce an electrical signal ideal for plant transmission.
In a magnetic flowmeter, the pipe is lined with a non conducting material and at least
two electrodes are mounted flush with the non conducting wall. Electromagnetic coils
surround the flow path with a uniform magnetic field. Faraday's Law dictates that the
voltage produced by a conducting fluid flowing through a magnetic field is directly
proportional to the velocity of the fluid.
The major disadvantage of magnetic flowmeters is that they cannot be used for
hydrocarbons due to hydrocarbon's low conductivities. Another velocity device, which
can be used for hydrocarbons, is called a vortex-shedding meter.

Displacement Devices

The most common displacement flow-measuring device is the turbine meter. In a


turbine meter, a rotor is placed in the flow path. Usually, the rotor is magnetically
coupled so that each rotation produces a pulse. The spin of the rotor is proportional to
the velocity of the fluid. The turbine meter is highly accurate and durable. Turbine
meters are restricted only by the fact that they must be used in clean, non corrosive
services.

Other Devices

Another type of device worth mentioning is the Coriolis meter which measures flow
rates based on the mass of the fluid. Many applications, such as a reactor feed stream, are
often specified and best measured by mass. In these applications, using a measuring
device based on volume would require corrections for temperature dependent properties
such as density and viscosity. The Coriolis meter gives a direct mass flow measurement,
independent of temperature and pressure. These devices are remarkable accurate as well
(typically 0.2 to 0.02 percent of the total flow).

The Coriolis meter has a sine wave voltage applied to


an electromagnetic drive which produces an oscillating
motion of the tube. The amplitudes are related to the
mass flow and the frequency is related to the product
density. The reason that the output amplitude changes
with flow may be explained by the Coriolis effect. The vibration of the tube gives a
slight angular rotation about its center. As the fluid moves away from the center, there is
a resultant Coriolis force which opposes the rotational motion. The flow movement
toward the center produces a Coriolis force which aids the tube rotation. The resultant
force produces the measured sine wave which is measured and converted to the mass
flow reading.

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