ME 120 Experimental Methods

Flow Measurement
BJ Furman 02MAY06

BJ Furman

SJSU MAE

Fluid Flow Measurement

Classification of flow rate measurements
Volume flow
Industrial process control Heat transfer and cooling

L3 t m L3 = t t

Mass flow
Industrial process control

Fluid velocity Flow visualization

Image of overall flow field

Experimental study of flow phenomena

BJ Furman

SJSU MAE

Categories of Flow Measurement

Primary or quantity methods
Weight or volume tanks, burettes

Flowmeters
Obstruction meters

http://core.ecu.edu/chem/chemlab/equipment/eburette.htm

Obstacle in flow path causes localized velocity changes Velocity is inferred by pressure change across obstacle Venturi meter Flow nozzle Orifices
V12 P1 V2 2 P2 + + gZ 1= + + gZ 2 2 2
http://www.me.ua.edu/me460/Lectures/Flow1.pdf
BJ Furman SJSU MAE

Categories of Flow Measurement, cont.

Flowmeters, cont.
Variable area meters
Rotameters
SPECIFICATIONS STANDARD ACCURACY 2% FS (mm scales); 5% FS (direct reading scales) CALIBRATED ACCURACY 1% FS REPEATABILITY 0.25% FS USEFUL FLOW RANGE 10:1 minimum with one float and better than 20:1 with combination of two floats installed in meters MAXIMUM OPERATING PRESSURE 200 psig (13.8 bars) MAXIMUM OPERATING TEMPERATURE 250F (121C) MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION FLOW TUBES heavy walled borosilicate glass FLOATS glass, sapphire, 316 stainless steel, carboloy and tantalum SIDE PANELS aluminum, black anodized FRONT SHIELD Lexan with longitudinal magnifier lens for enhanced reading resolution O-RING and PACKING Buna-n o-rings standard in aluminum and brass models; Viton o-rings standard in stainless steel models; optional Viton, PTFE/Kalrez, EPR CONNECTIONS 1/8 inch NPT female inlet and outlet connections; optional 1/4 inch FNPT, hose and compression fittings are available

http://www.aalborg.com/products/product_details.php?id=1

BJ Furman

SJSU MAE

Categories of Flow Measurement, cont.

Flowmeters, cont.
Turbine and propeller meters

http://www.ftimeters.com/pages/newsart2.html
BJ Furman SJSU MAE

Categories of Flow Measurement, cont.

Flowmeters, cont.
Magnetic flow meters
Conductive fluids Accuracies to 0.5% Corrosive liquids Slurries

E = B D V fluid

http://www.omega.com/prodinfo/magmeter.html

BJ Furman

SJSU MAE

Categories of Flow Measurement, cont.

Flowmeters, cont.
Vortex shedding meters

Accuracy: 1% of reading over dynamic range of meter Repeatability: 0.5% of reading http://www.flowlineoptions.com/vortex.html

Vortex Shedding Meter Principle: An ultrasonic beam, located downstream from a small strut, is transmitted through the vortex pattern. As the vortices travel through the beam, they modulate its carrier wave. This signal is immediately processed electronically which provides an exact reading of the flow rate. Because the number of vortices formed is directly proportional to the rate of flow, it provides a highly accurate and extremely useful method to determine flow in a wide range of applications.
BJ Furman SJSU MAE

Categories of Flow Measurement, cont.

Velocity Probes
Pressure Probes
Pitot tubes

http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/pitot.html

BJ Furman

SJSU MAE

Categories of Flow Measurement, cont.

Velocity Probes, cont.
Hot-wire and hot-film probes

http://www.efunda.com/designstandards/sensors/hot_wires/images/hot_wire.gif

Pros: Excellent spatial resolution High frequency response, > 10 kHz (up to 400 kHz) Cons: Fragile, can be used only in clean gas flows. Needs to be recalibrated frequently due to dust accumulation (unless the flow is very clean) High cost.
BJ Furman SJSU MAE

Categories of Flow Measurement, cont.

Velocity Probes, cont.
Scattering Probes
Laser Doppler Anemometer (LDA) Ultrasonic Anemometer
Non intrusive No calibration required Velocity range 0 to supersonic One, two or three velocity components simultaneously Measurement distance from centimeters to meters Flow reversals can be measured High spatial and temporal resolution Instantaneous and time averaged

http://www.dantecdynamics.com/LDA/Princip/Index.html

BJ Furman

SJSU MAE

Categories of Flow Measurement, cont.

Flow Visualization
Smoke trails Dye injection Bubble Laser fluorescence Refractive index change

BJ Furman

SJSU MAE

http://www.omega.com/literature/transactions/volume4/images/06_Table.I_l.GIF

http://www.omega.com/literature/transactions/volume4/images/06_Table.II_l.GIF