CHAPTER 2

Measurement of Process Variables

FLOW MEASURING
INSTRUMENTS
Flow
rate

Total
flow

Mass
flow

Dry
particulate
flow rate
 Orifice Plate
 Simple metal diaphragm with a constricting hole, clamped between pipe flanges.
 Differential pressure (DP) ports can be located in the flange.
 Relationship between flow and DP
∆𝑃
Q=K 𝜌
where , K – constant, ∆P − pressure difference , ρ − fluid density
https://www.yo
utube.com/wat
ch?v=GXDJvva1
g9A
K – flow coefficient constant

ds – diameter of orifice

dP – pipe diameter

h – difference in height between PH and Ps

 Venturi tube
 uses a specific reduction in tube size
 Advantages:
i. Able to handle large amounts of suspended solids
ii. Create less turbulence and insertion loss
iii. Good Accuracy
 Disadvantage:
i. Expensive
 DP ports are located at the minimum and maximum pipe diameters
 Flow nozzle
 Advantages:
i. Low cost
ii. Good Accuracy
 Disadvantage:
i. Cannot be used for a liquid with suspended solids
 Mainly used for the measurement of steam flow
 TOTAL FLOW
 Device that measures the total quantity of fluid
flowing or volume of liquid in a flow

 Piston flow meter

 Rotary piston
 Rotary vane
 Nutating disk
 Oval gear
 Piston flow meter
 Consist of a piston in a cylinder.
 Initially, the fluid enters on one side of the piston and fills the cylinder, at which point the
fluid is diverted to the other side of the piston via valves, and the outlet port of the full
cylinder is opened.
 The redirection of fluid reverses the direction of the piston and fills the cylinder on the
other side of the piston.
 The number of times the piston traverses the cylinder in a given time frame determines the
total flow.
 Advantages:
i. Great for low volume flow measurements
ii. High Accuracy
 Disadvantage:
i. Expensive
Piston flow meter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfz_lOGV9zk
 Rotary piston
 Use a precision-machined chamber containing a cylindrical piston that oscillates
as liquid flows.
 The piston’s central shaft is constrained to run in a circular groove in the chamber,
resulting in an off-center rotating motion as the liquid sequentially enters and
exits compartments machined into the underside of the piston.
 Since the volume of the compartments are known, the amount of liquid metered
per revolution can be calculated accurately.
 Advantages:
i. Good accuracy especially at low flow rate
ii. Simple construction. Easy to install and maintenance
iii. It can be used in any direction (horizontal, vertical, or inclined)
 Disadvantage:
i. Only used with relatively clean liquids
ii. Available only in small sizes
iii. Moving parts subjected to wear

https://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=fEO
8LEGfdgc
 Rotary vane
 These meters basically include uniformly divided rotating impellers with two or
more compartments inside the chamber. The number of rotations of the impeller
are counted and recorded in volumetric units.
 Advantages:
i. Quiet operation
ii. Low maintenance
iii. Can run completely dry
iv. Stable flow rate with low pulsation
 Disadvantage:
i. Prone to damage when operating with thicker liquids
ii. Proper filtration systems needed before adding liquids to the pump
iii. Not suitable for very high pressures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFHogF-9eGA
 Nutating disk
 In the form of a disk that oscillates
 Liquid enters and fills the left chamber. Because the disk is off center, the liquid
pressure causes the disk to wobble.
 This action empties the volume of liquid from the left chamber to the right
chamber, the left chamber is then refilled, and the liquid in the right chamber
exits.
 The oscillations of the disk are counted and the total volume measured.
 Advantages:
i. Accurate
ii. Low-cost version is available
 Disadvantage:
i. Not suitable for measuring slurries
ii. Expensive
 Oval gear
 As liquid flows through the meter, a pair of oval shaped gears are forced to rotate by
the flow of the liquid. These gears mesh together & force a finite amount of fluid
through the meter.
 A sensor or mechanical drive detects the rotation of the gears to determine the
displaced volume of liquid.
 The faster the flow rate, the faster the gears turn.
 Advantages:
i. Simple to install
ii. No straight pipe runs required so flow meters can be installed in restricted areas
 Disadvantage:
i. Not suitable for steam
ii. Not recommended for low-viscosity fluids

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xag_yKjewYI
 MASS FLOW
 Instruments: Coriolis flow meter
 The coriolis force produces a twist movement in the pipe.
 The amount of twist is proportional to the mass flow rate of fluid.
https://www.yout
ube.com/watch?v
=PvXgaDoZr1E
 Anemometer
 Used to measure gas flow rates.
 Works when an electrically heated wire is placed in a flowing gas stream, heat is
transferred from the wire to the gas and hence the temperature of the wire
reduces, and due to this, the resistance of the wire also changes. This change in
resistance of the wire becomes a measure of flow rate.
 The higher the flow rates, the higher the amount of heat required.
 Advantages:
i. Very small
ii. Have no moving parts
iii. Have minimal obstruction to flow
iv. Very cost effective with good longevity
 Disadvantage:
i. Fine wire has limited physical strength
 DRY PARTICULATE FLOW RATE
 Dry particulate flow rate in a conveyer belt can be measured using load
cell.
 Need to measure the material weight on a fixed length of the conveyer
belt in order to measure the flow rate.
 OPEN CHANNEL FLOW RATE
 Occurs when the fluid flowing is not contained as in a pipe, but is in an
open channel.
 Flow rates can be measured using constrictions, as in contained flows. A
Weir sensor used for open channel flow is shown in Figure 9.18(a). This
device is similar in operation to an orifice plate.
 The flow rate is determined by measuring the differential pressures or
liquid levels on either side of the constriction.
 A Parshall flume, which is similar in shape to a Venturi tube, is shown in
Figure 9.18(b).
 SELECTION
 The choice depends on many factors, e.g. reliability, cost, accuracy,
pressure range, pipe size, temperature, energy loss, particulates,
viscosity etc.