Topic 2 : FLOWMETER MEASUREMENT APPARATUS 2.

1 THEORY : Rotameter The rotameter is a flow meter in which a rotating free float is the indicating element. Rotameters measure the flow rate of liquid or gas in a closed tube. Rotameters are popular because they have linear scales, and are simple to install and maintain. Rotameters work by measuring the flow rate by allowing the fluid to travel through a tapered tube where the cross sectional area of the tube gradually becomes greater as the fluid travels through the tube. The flow rate inside the rotameter is measured using a float that is lifted by the fluid flow based on the buoyancy and velocity of the fluid opposing gravity pulling the float down. For gasses the float responds to the velocity alone, buoyancy is negligible.

Figure 2.1 Rotameter principal Venturi Meter The venture meter consists of a venture tube and a suitable differential pressure gauge. The main purpose of the venture meter is to measure flowrate through the pipe. This venture meter also known as Herschel Venturi tube. Differential pressure is the pressure difference between the pressure measured at 1 and at 2. Other device that same function with venture meter is nozzle and orifice, but the venturi meter has less head loss than either of these other methods due to its streamlined design

Figure 2.2 Venturi meter Assume incompressible flow and no frictional losses, from Bernoullis Equation ..... (1) Use of the continuity Equation Q = A1V1 = A2V2 equation (1) becomes ....(2) Ideal ......(3) However, in the case of real fluid flow, the flow rate will be expected to be less than that given by equation (2) because of frictional effects and consequent head loss between inlet and throa. In metering practice, thin non-ideality is accounted by insertion of an expetimentally determined coefficient, Cd that is termed as the coefficient of discharge. With Z1 = Z2 in this apparatus, equation (3) becomes. Actual .....(4)

.....(5)

Where, Cd D2 = = Coefficient of discharge (0.98) Throat diameter = 16mm

D1 At A g P1 P2

= = = = = = =

Inlet diameter = 26mm Throat area = 2.011 x 10-4 m2 Inlet area = 5.309 x 10-4 m2 9.81 m/s2 Density of water = 1000 kg/m3 Inlet pressure (Pa) Throat pressure (Pa)

Orifice Meter The orifice for use as metering device in a pipeline consists of a consists of a concentric square-edged circular hole in thin plate, which is clamped between the flanges of the pipes as shown in the figure below. The main function also to measure the flowrate of a fluid. This meter used the Bernoulli Equation that downstream pressure after an obstruction will be lower than the upstream pressure before. A fluid passing through an orifice constriction will experience a drop in pressure across the orifice. This change can be used to measure the flowrate of the fluid.

Equation (4) for the venturi meter can also be applied to the orifice meter where. Actual

....(6)

The coefficient of discharge, Cd in the case of the orifice meter will be different from that for the case of a venture meter.

....(7)

Where, Cd D7 D8 At A = = = = = Coefficient of discharge (0.63) orifice diameter = 16 mm Orifice upstream diameter = 26 mm Orifice area = 2.011 x 10-4 m2 Orifice upstream area = 5.309 x 10-4 m2 Pressure difference across orifice (m)

(h7-h8) = 90o elbow

Figure below shows fluid flowing in a pipeline where is some pipe fitting such as bend or valve, and change in pipe diameter. Included in the figure is the variation of piezometric head along the pipe run, as would be shown by numerous pressure tappings at the pipe wall.

If the upstream and downstream lines of linear friction gradient are extrapolated to the plane of fitting, a loss of piezometric head, h, due to the fitting is found. By introducing the velocity heads in the upstream and downstream run on pipe, total head loss, H can be determined in which.

....(8)

Energy losses are proportional to the velocity head of the fluid as it flows around an elbow, through an enlargement or contraction of the flow section, or through a valve. Experimental values for energy losses are usually expressed in terms of a diamensionless loss coefficient K, where

....(9)

Depending on the context For result of better accuracy, long sections of straight pipe are required to established with certainly the relative positions of the linear sections of the piezometric lines. However, in a compact apparatus as described in this manual, only two piezometers are used, one placed upstream and the other downstream of the fitting, at sufficient distances as to avoid servere disturbances. These piezometers measure the piezometer head loss, h between the tapping. Thus ......(10) Where

hf

Friction head loss which would be incurred in fully developed flow along the run of pipe between the piezometer tappings

friction factor

L D V

= = =

distance between the piezometer, measured along the pipe center line pipe diameter average velocity of fluid flow in pipe

The friction head loss is estimated by choosing a suitable value of friction factor, for fully developed flow along a smooth pipe. Them method used in this manual to determine the friction factor is the Prandtl equation ( )

..(11)

Typical value derived from this equation are tabulated in the table below : Re, x 104 f, x 10-3 0.5 9.27 1.0 7.73 1.5 6.96 2.0 6.48 2.5 6.14 3.0 5.88 3.5 5.67

In determination of the friction factor, f, it is sufficient to establish the value of f at just one typical flow rate, as about the middle of the range of measurement due to the fact that f varies only slowly with Re, and the friction loss is generally fairly small in relation to the measured value h