Lecture 12-Flow Meters

Lecture no.
12
FLOW
INSTRUMENTS
Industrial Instrumentation
Contents
• Velocity Flow Meter
 Magnetic Flow Meter
 Turbine Flow Meter
 Vortex Flow Meter
 Ultrasonic Flow Meter
• Calibration of Flow Meter
• Accessories of Flow Meter
• Selection Criteria for Flow Meter 2
Magnetic Flow Meter
Introduction
• These meters utilize the principle of “Faraday’s Law
of Electromagnetic Induction” for making a flow
measurement.
“Whenever a conductor moves through a magnetic

field of given field strength, a voltage is induced in the
conductor which is proportional to the relative velocity
between the conductor and magnetic field”
4
Construction
• The magnetic flow meter requires a
conducting fluid, for example, water that
contains ions, and an electrical insulating
pipe surface, for example, a rubber-lined steel
tube.
• A pair of glass electrodes is mounted
opposite to each other.
5
Working
• As the liquid passes through
the pipe, it also pass
through the magnetic field
set up by the magnet coils,
thus inducing the voltage in
the liquid which is detected
by the electrodes.
• The amplitude of the
induced voltage is
proportional to the velocity 6
of the flowing liquid.
Advantages
• Can handle slurries and greasy materials
• Can handle corrosive fluids
• Very low pressure drop
• Totally obstructionless
• Available in large pipe sizes, capacities and materials
of constructions
• Measurements are unaffected by viscosity,
temperature, density and pressure
7
Limitations
• Expensive
• Only works with fluids that are electrical
conductors
8
Turbine Flow Meter
Construction
• It consists of a multi-bladed rotor (turbine wheel) which is
mounted at right angles to the axis of flowing liquid.
• The rotor is supported by ball bearings on a shaft which is
retained in the flow meter housing by shaft support section.
• A magnetic pick-up is mounted

to the turbine wheel, and a
sensor records the produced
voltage pulses.
• Voltage information can then
be translated into the actual
flow meter reading.
10
Working
• The turbine flow meter translates the mechanical action of
the turbine rotating in the liquid flow around an axis into a
user-readable rate of flow (gpm, lpm, etc.).
• The turbine wheel is set in the

path of a fluid stream.
• The flowing fluid impinges on the
turbine blades, imparting a force
to the blade surface and setting
the rotor in motion.
• When a steady rotation speed has
been reached, the speed is 11
proportional to fluid velocity.
Advantages
• Good accuracy
• Fairly low pressure drop
• Easy to install and maintain
Disadvantages
• High cost
Applications
• Turbine flow meters are used for the measurement of
natural gas and liquid flow.
12
Vortex Flow Meter
Working
• A blunt, non-streamline body is placed in the
stream of the flow through a pipe.
• When the flow stream hits the body, a series of
alternating vortices are produced, which causes the
fluid to swirl as it flows downstream.
• The number of vortices formed is directly

proportional to the flow velocity and hence the flow
rate. 14
Working
• The vortex formation cause pressure differential
which is sensed and transmitted as voltage signals.
• The voltage pulses
generated as a function of
frequency, is proportional to
the frequency of vortex and
hence the flow rate can be
determined.
15
Advantages
• Handles a wide variety of chemicals, including
slurries, liquid with entrained particles, and viscous
materials
• No moving parts
• Good response speed
• Relatively immune to density, temperature,
pressure and viscosity variations within the linear
regime
16
Disadvantages
• High cost
• Require in-line mounting
17
Ultrasonic Flow Meter
Introduction
• An ultrasonic flow meter measures the velocity of
any liquid or gas through a pipe using ultrasonic
waves.
• The results get slightly affected by the density of the

flowing medium.
• Maintenance is inexpensive because there are no

moving parts.
19
Types
Ultrasonic flow meters work with two different
types:
• Transit time flow meters

• Doppler flow meters
20
1. Transit Time Flow Meter
• The most commonly used for liquids and gases.
• Transit-time flowmeters work by measuring the
time of flight difference between an ultrasonic pulse
sent in the flow direction and an ultrasound pulse
sent opposite the flow direction.
• This time difference is a measure for the average

velocity of the fluid along the path of the ultrasound
beam.
21
2. Doppler Flow Meter
• Doppler flowmeters are used for slurries, liquids
with bubbles or gases with sound reflecting
particles and not suitable for clear liquids.
• The basic principle of operation is that a sound

wave changes its frequency (Doppler Effect) when
it is reflected by moving particles or bubbles in a
flowing fluid.
22
Advantages
• It does not impose additional resistance to flow
or disturb the flow pattern
• No moving parts
23
Calibration of Flow Meters
31
Calibration of Flow Meters
• Flow rate calibration depends on standards of volume
and time (or mass and time).
• Primary calibration, in general, is based on the

establishment of steady flow through the flow meter
to be calibrated and subsequent measurement of the
volume or mass of the flowing fluid that passes
through in an accurately time interval.
25
Sources of Error
• Variations in fluid properties (density, viscosity and
temperature)
• Orientation of the meter
• Pressure
• Wear and tear of moving parts
• Flow disturbances (such as elbows, tees, valves etc.)
upstream of the meter
26
Accessories of Flow Meters
34
1- Air Eliminator
Removes air and gas from
flowing fluids
28
2- Strainer
Screens and filters the fluid to remove particles
29
3- Flow Conditioners
Nullifies the effect of elbows,
valves etc., and provides straight
run in lesser length 30
Selection of Flow Meters
38
Selection Criteria
• Flowing media, properties and conditions
• Accuracy, Sensitivity & Precision
• Output type
• Limitations of flow meter
• Area of installation
• Environmental considerations
32
33

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Lecture 12-Flow Meters

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Lecture no.

“Whenever a conductor moves through a magnetic

• A magnetic pick-up is mounted

• The turbine wheel is set in the

• The number of vortices formed is directly

• The results get slightly affected by the density of the

• Maintenance is inexpensive because there are no

• Transit time flow meters

• This time difference is a measure for the average

• The basic principle of operation is that a sound

• Primary calibration, in general, is based on the

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