Discussion

Flow measurement is critical to determine the amount of material purchased and sold,
and in these applications, very accurate flow measurement is required. In addition, flows
throughout the process should the regulated near their desired values with small variability in
these applications, good reproducibility is usually sufficient.

In a differential pressure drop device the flow is calculated by measuring the pressure
drop over an obstructions inserted in the flow. The differential pressure flowmeter is based on
the Bernoullis Equation, where the pressure drop and the further measured signal is a
function of the square flow speed. The most common types of differential pressure
flowmeters are orifice plate, venturi tube, flow nozzles and rotameter. This experiment study
on flow measurement by using orifice plate, venturi tube and rotameter.

In the Venturi Tube the fluid flowrate is measured by reducing the cross sectional flow
area in the flow path, generating a pressure difference. After the constricted area, the fluid is
passes through a pressure recovery exit section, where up to 80% of the differential pressure
generated at the constricted area is recovered. The venturi tube is designed to nearly eliminate
boundary layer separation, and thus form drag. The change in cross-sectional area in the
venturi tube causes a pressure change between the convergent section and the throat, and the
flow rate can be determined from this pressure drop. Based on this experiment, venture tube
has the difference smallest than orifice tube and rotameter. Means, venture tube more
accurate than venture plate and rotameter. Although venturi tube more expensive that an
orifice plate, the venturi tube introduces substantially lower non-recoverable pressure drops,
lower pressure loss than orifice and slurries do not plug.

With an orifice plate, the fluid flow is measured through the difference in pressure
from the upstream side to the downstream side of a partially obstructed pipe. The plate
obstructing the flow offers a precisely measured obstruction that narrows the pipe and forces
the flowing fluid to constrict. Based on result of this experiment, the difference of orifice
plate is greater than venture. An orifice plate is a restriction with an opening smaller than the
pipe diameter which is inserted in the pipe, the typical orifice plate has a concentric, sharp
edged opening. Because of the smaller area the fluid velocity increases, causing a
corresponding decrease in pressure. Their accuracy are poor at low flow rates. A high
accuracy depends on an orifice plate in good shape, with a sharp edge to the upstream side.
The orifice plate is the most commonly used flow sensor, but it creates a rather large non-
recoverable pressure due to the turbulence around the plate, leading to high energy
consumption. The orifice plates are simple, cheap and can be delivered for almost any
application in any material.

The rotameter consists of a vertically oriented glass or plastic tube with a larger end at
the top, and a metering float which is free to move within the tube. Fluid flow causes the float
to rise in the tube as the upward pressure differential and buoyancy of the fluid overcome the
effect of gravity. The float rises until the annular area between the float and tube increases
sufficiently to allow a state of dynamic equilibrium between the upward differential pressure
and buoyancy factors, and downward gravity factors. The result shows the difference of
rotameter is greatest than other. So, rotameter is less accurate.