FLOWMETERS

PROCESS CONTROL AND

INSTRUMENTATION
ANGELYNN GRACE JOSEPH
SCM014538

WHAT IS FLOW?

The action or fact of moving in a steady,

continuous stream.
One of the two most commonly sensed
process variables.
Flow sensor: a device for sensing the
rate of fluid flow.
Examples of commonly used flow meter:
Pressure- based flow meters
Mechanical flow meters
Electromagnetic- based flow meters

CATEGORIES

PRESSURE - BASED
FLOWMETERS

Meters that can measure differential

pressures over the flowmeter.
These pressure changes can be
interpreted as flowrates.
Flow is calculated by measuring
pressure drop over an obstruction
inserted in the flow.
Based on Bernoullis equation
When the flow increases, more
pressure drop is created.

PRESSURE - BASED
FLOWMETERS

There are several type of

flowmeters that rely on Bernoullis
principle, by measuring:
Differential pressure within

constriction
Static and stagnation pressure to
derive dynamic pressure
E.g. orifice plate, venturi tubes, pitot
tubes

MECHANICAL
FLOWMETERS

Commonly known as positive

displacement meter.
Employed for liquids
A bucket and a stopwatch is an analogy
for the operation of it.
When flow starts, stopwatch starts, and
stopped when bucket reaches limit.
(volume/ time = flowrate)
Examples of mechanical flow meters:
Variable- area flow meters
Pelton wheel
Turbine flow meters

ELECTROMAGNETIC
BASED FLOWMETERS

Magnetic field is applied to the metering

tube, that results in potential difference
proportional to flow velocity perpendicular to
flux line
Physical principal at work : electromagnetic
induction
Electrical conducive fluids are needed: water
with ions
And electrical insulating pipe surface: rubberlined steel tube
Examples: magnetic flowmeters, Coriolis flow
meters

TYPES OF FLOW
METERS

PRESSURE - BASED
FLOWMETERS

ORIFICE PLATE
A plate with a hole through

it and is placed in the flow.

Constricts the flow.
Measuring the pressure
difference across these
constricts gives the
flowrate.
A crude form of Venturi
meters, but with higher
energy losses.
3 types of orifice:
concentric, eccentric,
segmental

PRESSURE - BASED
FLOWMETERS

Concentric:
Used for ideal liquid,
gases, steam service.
Beta ratio fall
between 0.15 to 0.75
for liquids and 0.20 to
0.70 for gases.
Beta ratio refers to
the ratio of the orifice
bore to the internal
pipe diameter

45 degree edges used

to minimize friction
resistance to flow of
fluid.

PRESSURE - BASED
FLOWMETERS

Eccentric:
Has a hole eccentric.
To measure
containing solids, oil
containing water and
wet steam.
Can use flange or
vena contracta
taps(taps are 180 or
90 degree to
eccentric opening)

Bore is set far from

center to minimize
problems in services
of solid- containing
material

PRESSURE - BASED
FLOWMETERS

Segmental:
Hole is in the form
of segment of a
circle
Used for colloidal
and slurry flows.
Tap location
should be 180
degree from
center of tangency

Useful for
solid
containing
materials as
well

PRESSURE - BASED
FLOWMETERS
FLOW IN A VENTURI

VENTURI TUBE
Constricts the flow,

pressure sensors
measure the
differential pressure
before and within the
constriction.
Widely used to
measure flowrates in
the transmission of gas
through pipelines.
Coefficient of discharge
range from 0.93 to
0.97.

TUBE

MECHANICAL
FLOWMETERS
VARIABLE-AREA FLOW
METER
Commonly known as

rotameter
A device that measures
flowrate by allowing
cross- sectional area
the fluid travels in, to
vary.
Consists a tapered
tube, typically made of
glass, with a float
inside that is pushed
up by fluid flow, and
down by gravity.

MECHANICAL
FLOWMETERS

VARIABLE-AREA FLOW METER

The taper is so slight its difficult to

see
When balance is reached, between
the upward force of fluid and the
floats weight, the float is stable.
Scales of direct flowrate is read based
on the markings on the tube.
The higher the float the higher the
flowrate.

MECHANICAL
FLOWMETERS

TURBINE FLOWMETER
Generally, all turbine

flowmeters work under

the same principle:
If a fluid moves
through a pipe and
acts on vanes of a
turbine, the turbine
will start to rotate.
The rate of spin is
measured to calculate
the flow

TURBINE
FLOWMET
ER

ELECTROMAGNETIC
BASED FLOWMETERS

MAGNETIC
FLOWMETERS
(MAG METERS)
Operation of a mag

meter is based on
Faradays Law, which
states:
Voltage induced
across any conductor
through a magnetic
field at a right
angle,is directly
proportional to the
velocity of that
conductor.

ELECTROMAGNETIC
BASED FLOWMETERS

CORIOLIS FLOWMETER
With the ability to measure liquids, slurries

and gases, Coriolis flowmeters are universal.

Uses the Coriolis effect to measure the amount
of mass moving through the element.
Fluid runs through a U-shaped tube that
vibrates in angular harmonic oscillation.
Due to collision forces, tubes deform, vibration
added
This causes a phase shift that can be
measured.
Can also be used to measure fluid density

ELECTROMAGNETIC
BASED FLOWMETERS
OPERATIN
G
PRINCIPLE
During
S
mass flow,
the outward
arm is
lagging
A rotating
behind the
mass
overall
flowmeter to
rotation,
illustrate the
vibrating mass and the
outward
flowmeter.

The tubes
twist slightly
when fluid
flows through

ELECTROMAGNETIC
BASED FLOWMETERS

EXAMPLES OF CORIOLIS MASS FLOWMETERS

REFERRENCES

http://
www.engineeringtoolbox.com/flow-mete
rs-d_493.html
http://
www.cleonis.nl/physics/phys256/flowme
ter.php
http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_meter#Elect
romagnetic.2C_ultrasonic_and_coriolis_
flow_meters