FLOWMETER

FLOWMETERS PRINCIPLE/TYPE
• Difference Pressure
• Positive Displacement
• Turbine
• Magnetic
• Vortex / Swirl
• Target
• Ultrasonic
VENTURIMETER
VENTURI FLOWMETER
 VENTURI FLOWMETER
Reading diffrent pressure by pressure gauge
Laboratory Glass Venturimeter
 GLASS VENTURI TUBE

PRESSURE PROFILE along Venturi tube

Flow
D d
PRINCIPLE OF FLOW MEASUREMENT
BY VENTURI TUBE IS BASE ON

P V2  dWother
(  gz  )  F
 2 dm

BERNOULLI EQUATION
PRINCIPLE OF FLOW MEASUREMENT BY VENTURI

1 2
Apply BE from 1 to 2 P V2  dWother
(  gz  )  F
 2 dm

P2  P1 V22  V12
 0 A2
 2 V1  V2
A1
A2
V22  V22
A1 P2  P1

2 
A2
V22 (1  )
A1 P2  P1

2 
2( P1  P2 )
V2 
A
 (1  2 )
A1
 PRINCIPLE OF VENTURI FLOWMETER

a b

Pa  Pb
Manometer
Pa  P1   f gx
Pb  P2   f g  x  h    m gh
0  P1  P 2  gh(  m   f )
P1  P 2  gh(  m   f )
 PRINCIPLE of VENTURI FLOWMETER

Q  V2 A2
x
12
 2 P1  P2  
b V2   2 
a

 f 
1  A2
2
A1 

12
 2 P1  P2  
V2  Cv  2 
 2 gh  m   f  

 f 1 A2
2
A1 
V2  Cv  2 

 f 1  A 2
2 A 1 
Discharge Coeff
A correction because of
 2 gh  m   f   assuming F0
Q  V2 A2  A2Cv  2 
  f 1  A2 A1  
2
DISCHARGE COEFFICIENT CURVE OF VENTURI
DISCHARGE COEFFICIENT CURVE OF VENTURI
ORIFICEMETER
 ORIFICEMETER

An orifice plate is a thin plate with a hole in the middle.

It is usually placed in a pipe in which fluid flows
 ORIFICEMETER
The fluid is forced to converge to go through the small hole (orifice)

Various Orifice
Orifice plate is easy to Configuration
be replaced
DP Primary Elements

Flow
Nozzle
 PRINCIPLES OF ORIFICEMETER

12
 2 P1  P2  
V2  Co  

  f 1  A2 A1
2 2
 

 2 gh  m   f  
12

V2  Co  2 
1 2 
 f 1  A 2
2 A 1 

 2 gh  m   f  
Q  V2 A2  A2Co  2 

 f 1  A 2
2 A 1 
DISCHARGE COEFFICIENT CURVE OF ORIFICE

Reynolds number based on orifice diameter Red

 MASS FLOWRATE

12
 2 P1  P2  
Q  V2 A2  A2Co  

  f 1  A2 A1
2 2
 

12
 2 P1  P2  
m   f V2 A2  A2Co  2 

 f 1 A2
2
A1  

 2  f  P1  P2  
12

m  A2Co 
 1 A 2
2 A1 
2 

Is this equation apply to gas?

 FOR COMPRESSIBLE FLUID

12
 1 
m  A2Co  2  f  P1  P2 
1  A2
2
A 2 
1  


m  YA2C 2  f  P1  P2  12

Y = Expansion factor, dimensionless

r = P2 / P1
k = specific heat ratio (cp / cv), dimensionless
 COMPRESSIBLE FLOW THROUGH AN ORIFICE

k = specific heat ratio (cp / cv), dimensionless

= mass flow rate at any section, kg/s

C = orifice flow coefficient, dimensionless

A2 = cross-sectional area of the orifice hole, m²

ρ1 = upstream real gas density, kg/m³

P1 = upstream gas pressure, Pa   with dimensions of kg/(m·s²)

P2 = downstream pressure in the orifice hole, Pa  with dimensions of kg/(m·s²)

M = the gas molecular mass, kg/kmol    (also known as the molecular weight)

R = the Universal Gas Law Constant = 8.3145 J/(mol·K)

T1 = absolute upstream gas temperature, K
Z = the gas compressibility factor at P1 and T1, dimensionless
PITOT TUBE
 PITOT TUBE
Apply Bernoulli 12
P V2  dWother
 (  gz  )  F
 2 dm
( P2  P1 ) V  V1
2 2

V2  0  
 2
 P1  P2   gh 12
 2( P1  P2 ) 
1 2 V1   
  
2( P1  P2 )
V1 


V1  2 gh
Aircraft use pitot tubes to measure airspeed.

V = fluid velocity;
Pt = stagnation or total pressure;
ps = static pressure; and
Ρ = fluid density.
Variable Area - Rotameters
ROTAMETER
ROTAMETER
The rotameter is a variable area
meter which consists of a vertical,
tapered, transparent tube
containing a float.

as the fluid flow increases, the

float moves upward, to increase
the area of the annulus between
the outer diameter of the float
and the inner wall of the tube.

Graduations are etched on the

side of the tube so that an
instantaneous reading may be
observed
 PRINCIPLES OF ROTAMETER
Base on Newton Law using drag force

Fweight  Fdrag  Fboyancy

g v2  fluid
V float  float  CAfloat  V float
gc 2gc gc
1
 2V float g (  float   fluid )  2
v 
 CA 
float fluid 
1
Af = cross sectional area of the float  2V f g (  float   fluid )  2
velocity (v) is always
C = drag coefficient v 
g = acceleration of gravity
 C float A foat  fluid  the same,
gc = dimensional constant It does not depend on
the position
Q  A v

But Volumetric rate depend on position (area)

 PRINCIPLES OF ROTAMETER
Base on Newton Law using pressure force

Transparent tapered Solid ball with

tube with diameter diameter D0
D0+Bz 3 Density B
2 2
1
z=0
Fluid with density F

0  Fgravity  Fpressure top  Fboyancy  Fpressurebottom

 3 
0 D0  b g  P3D02  D03  f g  P1D02
6 6
 ROTAMETER

Newton LAW
Bernoulli
 3 
0 D0  b g  D03  f g  ( P3D02  P1D02 )
6 6 P v2  dWother
 (  gz  )  F
 2 dm
 3
D0 ( b   f ) g   D02 ( P1  P3 ) V22 V12 V22 A22
6 P1  P2   f (  )   f (1  2 )
2 2 2 A1
A22
jika P3  P2 jika 2  0
A1

D0 V22
( b   f ) g  ( P1  P2 ) P1  P2   f
6 2
1
 D0 g  b   f  2
V2   
 3 f 
 
Only one possible value that keep the ball steadily suspended
 ROTAMETER
D0+Bz D  D0  B.z
For any rate the ball must move to that Solid ball D0
elevation in the tapered tube where Density B
3
1 2 2
 D0 g  b   f  2 1
V2    F
 3 f  z=0
 

A2   D0  B.z  2  D02
4
Q2  V2 A2 A2 

[ 2 Bz  ( B.z  ]
2

4
 
A2   Bz 
Q2  V2 Bz  B.z 
2
0
2 2

The height z at which the ball stands, is linearly proportional to

the volumetric flowrate Q
SEVERAL ROTAMETER DESIGN
Problem Example
 Example
FLOW THROUGH TANK ‘S HOLE (ORIFICE)

• A closed tank has an orifice 0.025m diameter in one of its

vertical sides. The tank contains oil to a depth of 0.61m
above the centre of the orifice and the pressure in the air
space above the oil is maintained at 13780 N/m2 above
atmospheric.
• Determine the discharge from the orifice.
(Coefficient of discharge of the orifice is 0.61, relative
density of oil is 0.9).
[0.00195 m3/s]
 THE SKETCH OF PROBLEM

Known Parameter

Question : discharge Q
ANALYSIS : between 1 and 2

Q =Cd u2 A2
Example 1

A Venturimeter with an entrance diameter of 0.3m and

a throat diameter of 0.2m is used to measure the
volume of gas flowing through a pipe.
The discharge coefficient of the meter is 0.96.
Assuming the specific weight of the gas to be constant
at 19.62 N/m3.
Calculate the volume flowing when the pressure
difference between the entrance and the throat is
measured as 0.06m on a water U-tube manometer.
[0.816 m3/s]
Specific gravity =
.g=19.62 kg/m3.m/s2

Rp=0.06m
  2 gh  m   f  
12
Formula V2  Cv  2 
  f 1  A2 A1  
2

For the manometer:

For the Venturimeter
 Example 2
A Venturimeter is used for measuring flow of water
along a pipe. The diameter of the Venturi throat is two
fifths the diameter of the pipe. The inlet and throat are
connected by water filled tubes to a mercury U-tube
manometer. The velocity of flow along the pipe is found
to be m/s,

where H is the manometer reading in metres of

mercury. Determine the loss of head between inlet and
throat of the Venturi when H is 0.49m. (Relative density
of mercury is 13.6).
[0.23m of water]
For the manometer:

For the Venturimeter

Combining (1) and (2)

Example 3
A Venturimeter is to fitted in a horizontal pipe of 0.15m
diameter to measure a flow of water which may be anything
up to 240m3/hour.
The pressure head at the inlet for this flow is 18m above
atmospheric and the pressure head at the throat must not
be lower than 7m below atmospheric.
Between the inlet and the throat there is an estimated
frictional loss of 10% of the difference in pressure head
between these points.
Calculate the minimum allowable diameter for the throat.
[0.063m
Friction loss, from the question:
Example 4
A Venturimeter of throat diameter 0.076m is fitted in a 0.152m diameter
vertical pipe in which liquid of relative density 0.8 flows downwards.
Pressure gauges are fitted to the inlet and to the throat sections.
The throat being 0.914m below the inlet.
Taking the coefficient of the meter as 0.97
find the discharge
a) when the pressure gauges read the same
b) when the inlet gauge reads 15170 N/m2 higher than the throat gauge.
[0.0192m3/s, 0.034m3/s]
Z1-Z2=0 914m

Q=?
when
                              

 
                                                                                 
b)
ANOTHER VOLUMETRIC FLOWMETERS TYPES

• Displacement
• Turbine
• Vortex / Swirl
• Magnetic
• Target
• Ultrasonic
 POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT
FLOW METER

The positive displacement flow meter measures process

fluid flow by precision-fitted piston or rotors as flow
measuring elements.
Reciprocating piston meters are of single and multiple-piston types.
 OVAL-GEAR METERS

Oval-gear meters have two rotating, oval-shaped gears

with synchronized, close fitting teeth. A fixed quantity of
liquid passes through the meter for each revolution.
 Nutating Disc Flow Meter

Nutating disk meters have movable disks mounted on a concentric sphere located

in spherical side-walled chambers. The pressure of the liquid passing through the
measuring chamber causes the disk to rock in a circulating path without rotating
about its own axis. It is the only moving part in the measuring chamber
 ROTARY VANE METERS

Rotary vane meters consists of equally divided, rotating impellers. The impellers

are in continuous contact with the casing. A fixed volume of liquid is swept to the
meter's outlet from each compartment as the impeller rotates.
                                                            

                           
Magnetic Flow Meters

Faraday's Law of
Electromagnetic Induction

E = constant x B x L x V

E = The voltage
V = The velocity
B = The strength of the magnetic
field
L = The length of the conductor
path (The distance between
probes)
Vortex
 Ultrasonic Flowmeters
Principle of Operation

Transit-Time
Flowmeter
 CORIOLIS
direct measurement of mass
Thermal Dispersion
 Turbine Flowmeters

TURBINE
ADVANTAGES
• High Accuracy
• Suitable for Extreme Temperatures
and Pressures
• Can Be Used On Gas or Liquid

DISADVANTAGES
• Only For Low Viscosities
• Moving Parts
• Sensitive to Flow Profile
 Coriolis

CORIOLIS
ADVANTAGES
• Direct Mass Measurement
• High Accuracy
• Additional Density Measurement
• Uneffected By Flow Profile

DISADVANTAGES
• High Purchase Price
• High Installation Cost
• Size Limitations
• Vibration Sensitive
 Ultrasonic

ULTRASONIC
ADVANTAGES
• No Moving Parts
• Unobstructed Flow Passage
• Wide Rangeability

V DISADVANTAGES
• For Liquids Only (limited gas)
• Flow Profile Dependent
• Errors Due To Deposits
 DP Flowmeters
DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE
ADVANTAGES
• Use On Liquid, Gas, and Steam
• Suitable for Extreme Temperatures and
Pressures
• No Moving Parts
• Low Cost

DISADVANTAGES
• Limited Rangeability
• Effected By Changes In Density, Pressure,
and Viscosity
• Maintenance Intensive
 Magnetic Flowmeters

MAGNETIC
ADVANTAGES
• No Moving Parts
• Very Wide Rangeability
• Ideal For Slurries
• Unobstructed Flow Path

DISADVANTAGES
• Liquid Must Be Conductive
• Physical Pressure and Temperature Limits
 Vortex / Swirlmeter
VORTEX / SWIRLMETER

ADVANTAGES
• No Moving Parts
• For Liquid, Gas, or Steam
• Uneffected by Pressure, Temperature, or
Density Changes.
• Wide Rangeability

DISADVANTAGES
• Span Limitations Due to Viscosity
• Flow Profile Sensitive (Vortex)