Process Instrumentation
Module-IV
Dr. Lipika Parida
Module-IV
Flow measuring devices
Biosensors and its applications (Assignment)
Process instrumentation diagram
Circular chart, Strip chart recorders,
Electric transmission,
Pneumatic transmission with examples
Flow Measuring Devices
Flow of fluids in closed pipes
1. Constant area - variable pressure drop meters
Orifice plate
Venturi tube
Pitot tube
2. Variable area - constant pressure drop meter
Rotameter
3. Velocity measurement type
Hot wire anemometer
4. Mass flow measurement type
Coriolis flow meter
5. Positive displacement type
Nutating disc
Flow of fluids in open channel
Weir types flow meter.
Orifice Meter
The orifice plate flow meter provides a simple and
inexpensive method for measuring the flow rate in a
pipe using the pressure drop measurement across
the plate.
The orifice plate is simply a metal plate with a hole of
specified size which is clamped between flanges in a
pipeline.
When a fluid flows inside a pipe, the orifice plate
obstructs the flow which increases flow velocity and
consequently the downstream pressure decreases.
The pressure loss is dependent on the orifice
diameter, pipe diameter and the flow rate. we can
measure the flow rate of the fluid by measuring the
pressure drop across the orifice plate
Orifice Plate
Orifice Meter
After passing through the
flow restriction the fluid
flow jet continuous to
contract until a minimum
diameter known as vena
contracta is reached.
At vena contracta the fluid
velocity is maximum and
the fluid pressure is
minimum
Orifice Meter: Pressure Drop
Orifice Meter
Advantages:
Low cost
Smaller physical size
Flexibility to change throat to pipe diameter ratio to measure a larger range of flow
rates
Disadvantages:
There is permanent pressure loss in the downstream
Wear on sharp age of the orifice plate change the discharge coefficient and hence
can change the calibration
Flow rate pressure relationship is non-linear
Venturi Meter
• A venturi meter is the constant area
variable pressure drop meter similar to
orifice meter.
• It consist of
a converging conical section at the upstream
cylindrical throat
diverging recovery outlet cone at the
downstream
• In this meter the fluid is gradually
accelerated through the throat and then
gradually retarded in the diverging section
where the flow expands to the pipe size.
• A large portion of the kinetic energy is thus
recovered , i. e. converted back to
pressure energy.
Venturi Meter
The discharge coefficient of
venturi meter is nearly 0.99, this
remains nearly constant for
β = 0.25 to 0.75
where β is ratio of throat
diameter to pipe diameter.
Important features of venturi meter:
The permanent pressure loss is less.
Venturi meter can be used for very high flow rates.
Venturi meter is suitable for fluids with suspended particles.
Venturi Meter
Advantages Disadvantages
It can be used for flow that is Much more expensive than
compressible and incompressible orifice plate and it is bulky.
It has high reproducibility Occupies considerable space
Less power loss Relatively complex construction
High accuracy over wide flow compared to orifice plate.
ranges Venturi meter is used only for
It can also be used where only permanent installations; once it
small pressure head is available. is installed it cannot be altered
easily.
Pitot Tube
• The pitot tube consists of two coaxial
tubes.
• The open end of the inner tube faces the
incoming fluid and senses the impact or
the stagnation pressure.
• The outer tube has closed end and has
few holes in its wall. These senses static
pressure of the fluid and its velocity head.
• The flow rate is measured from the
difference between static pressure and
impact pressure.
Pitot Tube
• Pitot tube finds an interesting
application in aircraft or missiles.
• Air velocity is found from impact
pressure and static pressure.
• Static pressure alone can be used to
find altitude of the aircraft or missile.
Pitot Tube
Advantages Disadvantages
Simple, inexpensive Not recommended for low velocity(<5
Does not produce much pressure loss m/s)
It has easy installation Sensitive to alignment of two axis and
Useful for measuring mean velocity of the velocity vector
Not recommended for highly
flows in orifice, venturi meter etc.
fluctuating velocities
Rotameter
Rotameter
Flow rate of a flowing fluid in a pipe through a restriction depends on: area of flow restriction,
pressure drop across the flow restriction.
The variable area meters operate on the principle that the variation in the area of the flow stream
required to produce a constant pressure drop at a flow restriction proportional to the flow rate.
Variable area meter operate at a constant pressure drop and the area changes with the flow rate.
The area will increase as the flow rate through the meter increases to preserve a constant pressure
drop.
Rotameter
The most common design of variable area meter is the rotameter. The rotameter is the tapered
tube usually made of glass mounted vertically in a frame with the large end up.
The rotameter contains a self centering float (bob) that moves up and down in proportion to the
fluids flow rate and the annular area between the float and the tube wall.
Fluid enters the tube from the bottom and it causes the float to rise to a position of equilibrium. As
the float rises with increase in flow rate, the size of the annular opening increases. As this area
increases, the differential pressure across the float decreases. The float reaches a stable position
when the upward force exerted by the flowing fluid equals the weight of the float.
Every float position corresponds to a particular flow rate for a particular fluid density and viscosity.
For this reason it is necessary to size rotameter for each application.
When sized correctly the flow rate can be determined by matching the float position to a calibrated
scale on the outside of the rotameter. Many rotameters come with a built in valve for adjusting
float manually.
Rotameter: Float
• Usually, the float is made of anodized aluminum, stainless steel or ceramic
material.
• The construction of the float is very important as it decides the
performance of the rotameter.
A float should be designed such that
• It must be held vertical
• It should create uniform turbulence, So, as to make it insensitive to viscosity
• It should make the rotameter less sensitive to the variation of the fluid
density.
Velocity measurement type: Hot wire anemometer
The hot-wire anemometer is used to measure fluid
velocities by measuring heat loss by convection from a
very fine wire which is exposed to the fluid stream.
The wire is electrically heated by passing an electrical
current through it.
When the heated wire is cooled by fluid stream, its
electrical resistance decreases because the resistance of
metal wire varies linearly with temperature.
There are two basic forms of hot-wire or hot film
anemometers, and both utilize the same physical
principles:
1. Constant current type
2. Constant temperature type
Hot wire anemometer: Constant current type
In this case, the current through the wire is kept constant
and it is exposed to the flow. When the flow takes place
over the hot wire, changes in temperature and resistance
occur. The wires attain an equilibrium temperature when
the, I2R heat generated is balance where the convective
heat loss from the wire surface.
The circuit is so designed that I2R is constant, thus wire
temperature adjusts itself to change the convective heat
loss till equilibrium is reached.
The convective heat transfer coefficient is the function of
flow velocity, thus the equilibrium wire temperature is the
measure of flow velocity. The equilibrium temperature of
the wire can be measured in terms of its electrical
resistance. The resultant change in voltage is calibrated
against velocity.
Hot wire anemometer: Constant Temperature Type
• In this case, the current through the wire is adjusted to keep the wire
temperature constant. Again, the wire temperature can be measured in terms
of its electrical resistance. The current required to keep the temperature (or
the resistance) of the wire constant is then a measure of flow velocity.
Coriolis Mass Flow Meter
Coriolis Mass Flow Meter
• When fluid is passed through
a U-bend it imposes a force on
the tube wall perpendicular to
the flow direction, this is
Coriolis force.
• The deformation of the U-
tube is proportional to the
flow rate.
• Coriolis meters are expensive,
but highly accurate.
Coriolis Mass Flow Meter
Process fluid enters the sensor and flow is divided with half the flow through each
tube. An electromechanical drive unit, positioned midway, excise vibrations in each
tube at the tube resonant frequency. The tubes are vibrated in opposition to each
other and they oscillate at their natural frequency
Tubes are made of various materials and stainless steel is very common. Tubes are also
manufactured in different geometries such as B-shaped, D-shaped, U-shaped,
triangular-shaped, helix-shaped and straight. The vibrations in the two tubes are such
that in the absence of flow, the inlet and outlet sections vibrate in phase with each
other.
In presence of flow the vibratory motion of each tube causes forces on the particles in
the flowing fluid. This vibratory motion is caused by the drive coil. The two pick off coil
(sensors) measures the phase shift between these two vibrations in two sections.
Positive displacement type flow meter: Nutating disc
Positive displacement flow meters are direct
measurement meters. They measure volumetric
flow by separating the flowing stream into distinct
portions and provide an output directly
proportional to the number of portions which pass
through the meter.
Nutating-disc flow-meters: operates on nutating-
disk principles, where a disc nutates about the
vertical axis to allow to pass a certain amount of
fluid. It is most probably the most commonly
encountered flow-meter found throughout the
world for commercial, utility and industrial
applications. The meter is of particular importance
in the measurement of commercial and domestic
water.
Positive displacement type flow meter: Nutating disc
Nutating-disc meters are in the form of a disc that oscillates, allowing a known volume of
fluid to pass with each oscillation. These oscillations can be counted to determine the total
volume.
It can also be set up to measure the total
flow by tracking the velocity and knowing
the cross-sectional area of the meter to
totalize the flow.
The nutating-disk meter is probably the most commonly encountered flow meter.
Nutating-disk meter are used for petroleum fuel such as Furnace Oil, Light Diesel Oil,
High Speed Diesel, Kerosene etc. and final liquids such as Solvents, Acids, Dispersions,
Paint, etc.
Positive displacement type flow meter: Nutating disc
The common sizes for nutating-disk meters are 0.5 inch, 0.75 inch, 1 inch, 1.5
inch and 2 inches. They can deliver flows in the range of 76 liter per minute to
600 liter per minute.
Industrial nutating-disk meters provide accurate measurements for low-flow
meters and a relatively easy to install and maintain.
Depending on the construction materials used, the nutating-disk meter can
handle a wide range of chemicals such as, acids slurries etc. The useful
temperature range is from -150 to 120 C.
Flow in open channel: Weir
During flow in open channel, the liquid has free
surface.
There are natural flows in open channel. There are
artificial creation as well.
Examples of flow in open channel: tunnels,
partially filled pipes, canals, streams, rivers, etc.
Several useful applications of flow meters in flow
in open channels: power stations, municipal water
works, sewage disposal units, water irrigation
projects etc.
Flow in open channel: Weir
• A weir is a overflow structure built
across open channels to measure
volumetric flow rate.
• It is an obstruction in the channel so
that liquid backs up behind and then
overflows.
• When the nappe discharges freely into
the air, a hydraulic relationship exists
between the head and the flow rate.
Flow in open channel: Weir
