FLOW AND

LEVEL
SENSORS
GROUP 1

Coronado, Raniella Bianca Y.

Reyes, Noelle Ivonette Z.
Zapata, Rosette Anne Lea T.
5ChE-D

FLOW METER
measures the linear, nonlinear, mass or

volumetric flow rate of a fluid (gas or

liquid) moving through a pipe.
Flow meters are referred to by many
names, such as
flow gauge
flow indicator
liquid meter, etc.

WE CAN MEASURE THREE

TYPES OF FLOW RATE
Mass rate
Volumetric rate
Velocity

MASS FLOW METER

inertial flow meter
mass flow rate of a gas or a liquid
Qm = m/t

MASS FLOW METER

Thermal mass flow meter
Coriolis mass flow meter

THERMAL MASS FLOW

METERS
utilizes the thermal properties of the fluid to measure the
flow of a fluid flowing in a pipe or duct.

THERMAL MASS FLOW METERS:

PRINCIPLE

THERMAL MASS FLOW METERS:

FORMULAS

THERMAL MASS FLOW METERS:

APPLICATIONS

CORIOLIS MASS FLOW

METERS
named after Gaspard Gustave de Coriolis, a French mathematician and engineer
measures the mass rate of flow directly as opposed to volumetric flow.

CORIOLIS MASS FLOW METERS:

TERMINOLOGIES

Coriolis force is an inertialforce(also called a

fictitiousforce) that acts on objects that are in motion
relative to a rotating reference frame.

- is perpendicular to the axis of rotation and direction of

movement

CORIOLIS MASS FLOW METERS:

PRINCIPLE

CORIOLIS MASS FLOW METERS:

FORMULAS

CORIOLIS MASS FLOW METERS:

FORMULAS

CORIOLIS MASS FLOW METERS:

APPLICATIONS

chemical, oil and gas (rad/s)

food and beverage
pharmaceutical
pulp and paper
power
metals and mining
water and wastewater

VOLUMETRIC FLOW
METER : TERMINOLOGIES
Volumetric flow rate

- defined as the volume of a fluid passing through a given crosssectional area per unit time
usually denoted by Q
units are usually expressed in m/s or cm/s.
Flow velocity
Vector quantity used to describe the motion of a fluid.
Easily determined for laminar flow but, complex for turbulent flow

VOLUMETRIC FLOW
METER: FORMULAS

EQUATION OF
CONTINUITY

VOLUMETRIC: FORMULAS

MEASUREMENT
INSTRUMENTS
Float Rotameter

- consists of a tapered tube, made of glass with a float (made either of anodized
aluminum or a ceramic) inside that is pushed by the drag force of the flow and pulled
down by gravity.
- requires no external force, but uses the inherent properties of the fluid,
together with gravity, to measure the flow rate
- the scale is approximately linear but graduations will only be accurate for a
given substance at a given temperature

 Oval gear flow meter

- measure flow by employing a geared rotor to pass known volumes of

a fluid through a housing
- fluid differential pressure causes the inter-meshing gears to rotate,
trapping a 'pocket' of fluid between the gear and the outer housing and
subsequently emptying the fluid pocket into the downstream flow.
- Fluid slippage adversely affects accuracy; this varies with flow rate,
differential pressure, temperature, viscosity and clearance
- bubbles present in the fluids also affects the accuracy of the reading

VOLUMETRIC FLOW
METER: APPLICATIONS
Can be used in medical devices, instrumentation, industrial,

pneumatic and environmental controls

VOLUMETRIC FLOW
METER : FORMULAS
For Ultrasonic Doppler Flow meters

VELOCITY
Vortices
Ultrasonic

VORTEX FLOW METER:

TERMINOLOGIES

VORTEX FLOW METER:

TERMINOLOGIES
Shedder bar bluff body/obstruction used to generate vortices

along the fluid flow

Von Krmn vortex street the vortex trail created along the

path

Piezoelectric crystal common sensor used to detect the

vortices formed

Strouhal number (St) dimensionless number which described

oscillating flow mechanisms

VORTEX FLOW METER:

PRINCIPLE

VORTEX FLOW METER:

FORMULAS

VORTEX FLOW METER:

APPLICATIONS
Can measure flow for gas, liquid, and steam
Works well on fluids that do not contain significant amount

of solids

Mostly used in steam application compared to other flow

meters

ULTRASONIC FLOW
METERS
Three Types:
Transit time ultrasonic flow meters
Doppler-shift
Doppler-shift open channel

ULTRASONIC FLOW
METERS: PRINCIPLE

ULTRASONIC FLOW
METERS: APPLICATIONS
Ultrasonic Doppler Flow Meter:

- Medical Applications
- Flow of slurries such as iron ore

LEVEL SENSORS
detect the level of liquids and other fluids, as well

as fluidized solids such as slurries, powders and

granular materials exhibiting an upper free surface
The level measurement can either be continuous or

point values

LEVEL SENSORS:
TERMINOLOGIES
Continuous level sensors measure level with a
specified range, determining the exact amount of
substance in a certain place
Point level sensors only indicate whether the
substance is above or below the sensing point

LEVEL SENSORS
Pressure/density
RF/Capacitance
Radiation-based

PRESSURE LEVEL
SENSORS
- an example of a continuous level sensor
- measures the pressure of fluids
usually acts as atransducer as it generates a signal

as a function of thepressureimposed

PRESSURE LEVEL
SENSORS
Hydrostatic pressure level sensor
- submersible or externally mounted pressure
sensors used to measure levels of corrosive liquids in
deep tanks or water in reservoirs
- the use of chemically compatible materials is
important to assure proper performance
- sense increasing pressure with depth

PRESSURE LEVEL
SENSORS
OTT PLS Pressure Level Sensor

- Measures water level, depth to water, or pressure by means of an integrated

controller and ceramic pressure-measuring cell
- Has design features such as multiple communication outputs, stainless steel
housing, and a rugged cable
- Ideal for monitoring water level in a variety of applications, namely for surface
water and groundwater

PRESSURE LEVEL
SENSORS
Stainless steel pressure sensor

RF/CAPACITANCE
SENSOR: TERMINOLOGIES
Capacitance is the ability of a component or circuit to collect and store

energy in the form of an electrical charge.

Admittance is a measure of the conductivity in an ac circuit, and is the

reciprocal of impedance.
Impedance is the total opposition that a circuit presents to alternating

current.
Capacitor is a device that stores energy

RF/CAPACITANCE
SENSOR
also referred to as radio frequency (RF) or

admittance level sensors.

They

operate in the low MHz radio

frequency range, measuring admittance of

an alternating current (ac) circuit that
varies with level.

RF/CAPACITANCE
SENSOR
based on an electronic device called a capacitor.
measures how much energy can be stored.
measured in picofarads (1 X 10-12) farads.

RF/CAPACITANCE
SENSOR: PRINCIPLE

RF/CAPACITANCE
SENSOR: FORMULAS
where,
A = Area of the capacitor plates
D = distance or gap separating the plates
K = Dielectric constant

RF/CAPACITANCE
SENSOR: FORMULAS
For horizontally-mounted capacitance:

where,
A = Total area (Area of the sensor
probe, A1 + Area of the conductive
vessel wall, A2)
D = shortest distance between the
sensor probe and the vessel wall
K1 = Dielectric constant of the
vapor
K2 = Dielectric constant of the
process material

RF/CAPACITANCE
SENSOR: APPLICATIONS

RADIATION-BASED LEVEL
INSTRUMENTATION: TYPES
Radar & Microwave level sensors
Ultrasonic level sensors
Nuclear level sensors

RADIATION-BASED LEVEL
INSTRUMENTATION: NUCLEAR LEVEL
SENSORS
Isotopes used for level measurement:

- Cesium -137
- Cobalt 60
Used for dangerous, highly pressurized, toxic,
corrosive, explosive, and carcinogenic
materials

RADIATION-BASED LEVEL
INSTRUMENTATION: NUCLEAR LEVEL
SENSORS

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