UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering

M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Water Flow
Measurement

K.F.Chan MEBS6013 1

Double Regulating Valve

K.F.Chan MEBS6013 2

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Double Regulating Valve

Adopted from BS7350: 1990

K.F.Chan MEBS6013 3

Variable Orifice Double

Regulating Valve

K.F.Chan MEBS6013 4

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Fixed Orifice Double Regulating Valve

K.F.Chan MEBS6013 5

Fixed Orifice Double Regulating Valve

Adopted from CIBSE KS9: Commissioning variable flow pipework systems

K.F.Chan MEBS6013 6

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Fixed Orifice for Flange Mounting

K.F.Chan MEBS6013 7

Flow Sensor – Orifice

Adopted from BSENISO 5167-2:2003

K.F.Chan MEBS6013 8

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Fixed Venturi Nozzle

K.F.Chan MEBS6013 9

Flow Sensor - Venturi

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Flow Sensor - Venturi

Adopted from BSENISO 5167-4:2003

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A commercial digital manometer

Photo courtesy of Southa Engineering Ltd

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Flow Sensor for fixed installation –

Electro-magnetic

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Accuracy in Balancing
Although it is common practice to refer to “the
measurement of flow rate”, the flow characteristic
actually measured during most balancing process is
the pressure differential across a calibrated
device inserted into the pipe work system (unless
expensive electro-magnetic flow meter or
ultrasonic flow meter is used). The flow rate is
subsequently deduced from this pressure
differential reading using the manufacturer’s
calibration data for the flow measurement device.
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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Accuracy in Balancing
Accuracy in balancing, therefore, involves 2
prime attributes :-
1. Accuracy of the flow measurement devices
2. Measurement accuracy
◼ Instrument accuracy
◼ Setting

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1). Accuracy of the flow measurement device

This is the error between the theoretical ‘true’ flow

rate, and that correctly computed from a perfectly
read and calibrated instrument connected to a
device installed strictly in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions and good practice.
This error is a property of the installed device and
cannot be controlled by the commissioning
engineer.

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

2). Measurement Error

This is the error introduced by the
commissioning engineer in making a
measurement. Two factors are involved :-

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a). Instrument Accuracy

The most accurate instrument is the mercury or fluorocarbon
manometer. Provided the tubes are kept clean and the fluid passages
do not contain air bubbles, observations can be taken with confidence.
Used in ambient conditions, errors resulting from temperature
variations are insignificant and instrument calibration is unnecessary.
Electronic instruments incorporating automatic zeroing are inherently
stable, but it is recommended that the instrument’s calibration be
periodically checked. Some care may be required in using such
instruments for measuring low differential pressure and, if necessary,
advice should be obtained from the manufacturer.
The commissioning engineer must ensure that the instruments used
are acceptable within the designer’s specified tolerance range. He
must also take care to ensure that his measurements are taken under
appropriate conditions and that the recorded value is the most
accurate determinable.
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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

b). Setting
The final flow rate setting will inevitably deviate
from the desired value, due to variations in flow
conditions. The permissible error is limited by
the designer’s specified flow rate tolerance. The
commissioning engineer must achieve a setting
which is within the specified tolerance.

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Typical Accuracies for Flow Measurement Devices

Venturi Nozzle ± 3%

Fixed Orifice ± 5%

Fixed orifice double regulating valve ± 5%

(commissioning set)

Variable orifice double regulating valve ± 5%

N.B. Accuracy decreases significantly when closed
beyond 50% and is dependent on the registration (zeroing)
and user’s accuracy in setting the valve.

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

What range of water flow rates are measurable

using orifice type flow measurement devices?
British Standard BS7350:1990 Specification for Double Regulating
Globe Valves and Flow Measurement Devices for Heating and Chilled
Water Systems indicated minimum measurable flow rates for different
sized orifice devices. These correspond to pressure losses in medium
grade steel pipe of between 100Pa/m and 500Pa/m (The limit in HK is in
general 400 for chilled water as stipulated by the Building Energy Code)
In response to industry demand, manufacturers have provided flow
measurement devices which are capable of measurements down to 0.01
l/s in 15mm pipes. Such flows generate pressure losses of less than
10Pa/m in steel pipes and are therefore outside the range covered by the
British Standard. The measurement of such tiny flow rates can be
problematic. At very low water velocities flow measurements can be
particularly susceptible to errors resulting from dirt or air blockages. For
this reason the need to measure
K.F.Chan
such low flows should be avoided21
MEBS6013
whenever possible.
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The flow rate measurement obtained from an orifice device may be

affected by installation features such as :
◼ Variations in pipe work type, e.g. the use of copper, flexible or plastic
pipes may mean that the diameter of the approach section is less than
that of the steel pipe grades on which most manufacturers base their
published flow coefficients.
◼ Male/female couplings or copper to male iron fittings screwed into the
inlet side of screwed orifice devices, these fittings usually have
reduced bore.
◼ Misplaced or undersized joint rings, burrs on the end of screwed pipes,
intrusion of jointing compound, these may effectively reduce the inlet
bore.
◼ Bends, tees, reducers in the pipe work approach to the device, the
effects of different combinations of fittings upstream of the device
cannot be predicted.
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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

These effects, have been found to result in measured

flows which can occasionally vary by up to ± 20%
from the true value. The largest errors are normally
associated with the measurement of very low flow
rates (corresponding to velocities of less than 0.5
m/s). The errors are more likely to be negative
rather than positive, in other words the true flow
rate is likely to be greater than the measured flow rate.
The error normally shows up when a summation of
sub-branch flow rates is different from the flow in the
branch serving them.

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Whilst ± 20% is a worst case, in the majority of

situations measurement accuracies within ± 10% are
achievable allowing for any instrument and setting
inaccuracies. This is particularly true if the measured
flow velocity is above 0.5m/s. An assumed
measurement accuracy of ± 10% can therefore be
used as the basis for calculating flow measurement
tolerances.

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Pressure independent
control valve

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Constant Flow Device

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 UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering
M.Sc.(Eng) in Building Services Engineering
MEBS 6013 Testing & Commissioning

Ultrasonic flow
meter

Courtesy of Southa Engineering Ltd.

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