Flow Measurement with

Orifice Meters
Presented by :
Andi Suhanda

Agenda

Fundamentals of Orifice Measurement

Review of Mechanical Products

Product Application

Conclusion

Background

General concept of orifice metering has been around for

centuries.

Orifice measurement is one of the most widely used forms of

measurement today.

In 1797 Giovanni Venturi performed the first work using

orifices in fluid flow measurement.

Background
This type of device causes a flow restriction in the
line
1890 Professor Robinson of Ohio State University
designed the first orifice meter
Between 1924 and 1935 research & experimental
work was conducted by the American Gas
Association (AGA) / American Society of
Mechanical Engineers(ASME)
AGA & ASME Developed Orifice Meter Coefficients
& Standards

Definition Of An Orifice Meter

Primary Device That Creates A Differential Pressure (Differential

Pressure Producer)

Secondary Element Measures The Differential

Many Different Devices Create Differential

Sharp Square-Edge Orifice Plate

Venturi Tube
Flow Nozzle
Elbow

Flow Profile

Orifice Meter Measurement

Advantages

Flow Can Be Accurately Determined

Calibration
Simple To Operate
Years Of Reliable Operation
Requires Minimum Service
Widely Accepted
Relatively Inexpensive
No Moving Parts

Without A

Orifice Meter Measurement

Meter Accuracy

Reliability (Uncertainty/Accuracy)

Flange Tap Coefficient @ 0.2 & 0.7 Beta Has Uncertainty of

0.5%

Minimum Uncertainty Occurs Between 0.5 & 0.6 Beta

Beta is Orifice Bore (d) Divided by Pipe ID (D)

Orifice Meter Measurement

Meter Accuracy Continued

Rangeability
Often Referred to as Turn Down Ratio
Flow Range of 300,000 SCFH to 100,000 SCFH Would
Be 3 to 1
0.25% with Flow Calibration
Typical System Accuracy for Orifice Installation .6 to .7
%

Repeatability
Is the ability of a Flow Meter to indicate the same
reading each time, using identical flowing Conditions

Pressure Tap Locations

Flange Taps

Most widely used

Most accurate

1 upstream & 1 downstream from face of plate

Pipe Taps

1/2D upstream & 8D downstream

Permit installation of the orifice in an existing flange

Pressure tap holes should be smooth and free of rough edges

Pressure Tap Locations

Radius Taps

1D upstream & 1/2D downstream from the face of orifice plate

Corner Taps

Used on pipe sizes less than 2

Located directly at the face of the orifice plates

Orifice Measurement Standards

AGA Report # 3
AGA Report # 8
API 14.3
ISO 5167-1

Standards and Importance

AGA report #3 provides guidelines for construction and

installation of orifice meters.

AGA report # 8 provides guidelines for calculation of gas

surpercompressibility

ISO 5167 provides guidelines for construction, calculation

and installation of orifice meter in metric standard

Standards must be adhered to completely in order to

maintain accuracy.

Standards and Importance

ORIFICE GAS FLOW EQUATION

Qv= 218.527*Cd*Ev*Y1*(d)2[Tb/Pb]*[(Pf1*hw)/
(Gr*Zf1*Tf1)0.5
Where
Cd = Orifice Plate Coeficient Of Discharge
d = Orifice Bore Diameter at flowing temperature
G = Real Gas Relative Density (Specific Gravity)
hw= Orifice differential pressure at 60 0F
Ev = Velocity of approach
Pb = Base Pressure psia
Pf1= Flowing pressure upstream tap psia
Qv = Standard flowing flow rate in SCFH
Tb = Base temperature deg R
Tf = Flowing temperature deg R
Y2 = Expansion factor downstream tap
Zb = Compressibility at base condition (Pb,Tb)
Zf = Compressibility at flowing condition (Pf, Tf)

Flow Calculations

Orifice Metering

Q C '

hw P

C ' F b F r YF

pb

F tbF tf F g F pvF a F1

Fb = basic orifice flow factor

Fr = Reynolds number factor
Y = Expansion factor
Fpb = Pressure base factor
Ftb = temperature base factor
Ftf = flowing temperature factor
Fg = specific gravity factor
Fpv = supercompressibility factor
Fa = orifice thermal expansion factor
F1 = location factor

BASIC THEORY

Empirical equation base on Clean, single phase , homogeneous,

and Newtonian

Coeficient of Discharge Cd = ratio between actual flow to

theoritical flow.

Reynold number = ratio of inertial force to viscous force

Reynold number > 4000 for the Cd equation to be valid

Orifice Plates

The most fundamental component of orifice measurement.

Flat, circular, and held in line by a fitting or flanges.

Two basic styles of Orifice Plates:

Catalog No. 500 Universal Size for use in Orifice Fittings and
Ring-Joint Plate Holders

Catalog No. 520 Paddle Type for use in Orifice Flanges

Universal Orifice Plate

Paddle-Type Orifice Plate

Orifice Plates - Continued

AGA Report #3 Requirements:
Concentricity of the orifice bore
Edge Thickness
Plate Flatness
Plate Finish
Edge must be square and sharp, will
not reflect a beam of light

Orifice Plate Dimensions

Orifice Devices
Three Types

Orifice Flange Union - Dead Line Device

Single Chamber - Dead Line Device

Dual Chamber - Allows Plate Change Under Line Pressure

Orifice Flange Unions

Features
Most Economical Means Of Measuring Flow
Line Sizes 1/2 - 60
150 - 2500 # ANSI
Standard 1/2 Flange Pressure Taps
Equipped with Jack Screw
Styles- Weldnek- Threaded- Slip-On
Bi-Directional Flow

Orifice Flange Unions

Disadvantages

Plate Change Requires Depressurizing

Plate Removal Requires Flange Spreading

Product Spillage Occurs In Liquid Service

Pressure Tap Location

Flange Taps

Most Widely Used

Most Accurate

1 U/S & 1 D/S From Face Of Plate

Orifice Flange Unions

Simplex Orifice Fitting

Advantages

1 1/2 - 8
Economical Measuring Device
Simple To Operate
ANSI 150 #- 2500 #
No Flanges To Spread Apart
Plate Removal without Spillage
Meets AGA 3, API 14.3, ISO 5167
Bi Directional Flow

Simplex Orifice Fitting

Junior Orifice Fitting

Advantages

Rack and Pinion is added to assist in lifting the

plate carrier for larger line sizes
10 to 42 in 150-600# ANSI and up to 2500# in
certain sizes
Designed For Large Volume Applications

Gathering System,Compressor Stations

City Gates, Power Plants

No Spillage In Liquid Service

Bi-Directional Flow

Junior Orifice Fitting

10

Junior Orifice Fitting

Disadvantages

Plate Change Requires Depressurizing The Line Or Using

Bypass Piping

Senior Orifice Fitting

Features
Proven Technology
Simple To Operate
Field Repairable
NACE Trim Available
Plate Removal Without De-Pressurizing the line
Extensive Product Range
Bi-Directional Flow

Senior Orifice Fitting

Senior Orifice Fitting

Senior Orifice Fitting

Senior Orifice Fitting

Senior Orifice Fitting

Senior Orifice Fitting

Senior Orifice Fitting

Orifice Plates Sealing Units

DSC & DS
SSRC & SSR
TSC & TS

Dual Seal
Snap Seal Ring
Teflon Seal

MSC & MS
Metal Seal
C
2 thru 8 sizes (New API
14.3)

DSC & DS Seal

Simplest & most popular
70-80 Shore Nitrile Synthetic
Rubber
Optional Metallic-Oxide
Coating
3DVS 12 or larger (80-90
shore)
Pressure ratings to ANSI 600#
Temperatures from -20 to 275
DegF
Also available in Viton

TSC & TS Teflon Seal

Used for corrosive & high
temperature service
Pressure ratings from 900#
- 2500# ANSI
Application - Diluted
sulfuric acid/nitric
acid/liquid oxygen
Special compression lip
helps seal off the plate
Line sizes 2 - 18

MSC Metal Seal

Stainless or CadmiumPlated steel clip ring
Recommended for high
pressures and
temperatures
Recessed groove with
compression leaf spring to
effect a seal
Temperature from 600 to
1200 DegF

SSR Snap Seal Ring

Designed where elastomer
swelling is a problem
Application such as Ethylene or
carbon dioxide
Two symmetrical metal rings
each having an O-Ring
Line sizes 2 - 16
Temperature ranges from -67 437 Deg F (Viton O-Ring)
Available in 316SS and
Cadmium-Plated mild steel

Meter Tubes

Consists Of Upstream And Downstream Pipe And A Fitting or

Orifice Flange Union

AGA Report # 3 Requirements Include

Minimum Upstream And Downstream Lengths

Wall I.D. Smoothness, Roundness

Senior Meter Tube

Straightening Vanes

Bundle Of Small Tubes Placed Inside Upstream Section

Flanged Or Line Type

Purpose

Remove Swirls From Flow

Shorten The Upstream Section

Straightening Vanes

Flow Conditioner

Generally a perforated plate

Removes or significantly reduces swirl
Designed to redistribute the velocity
profile to produce ideal flow conditions

Flow Conditioner Daniel Profiler

Flow Conditioner Daniel Profiler

Secondary Devices

Orifice fitting/plate is known as the primary device

Secondary devices receive the raw information

Then it's converted to a proportional signal - electrical or

pneumatic

Corrected volumes are then calculated

Secondary Devices

Types:

Transmitters - DP, P, & T

Flow Computers

Chart Recorders

METERING SYSTEM

Metering System Components

Applications
Configuration
Instrumentation
System functionality

What is a Measurement Station?

Meters selected for application

Measurement instruments
Hardware
Software
Integrated system

ORIFICE METERING SKID

MECHANICAL PIPING & SKID

Piping Standard & Code

ANSI B31.3 or B31.8

ASME

Skid Standard

AWS

AISC

Material

Carbon Steel ASTM A104/API 5L

Alloy

GAS ORIIFICE P&ID DRAWING

METER RUN

INLET BLOCK VALVE

FLOW CONDITIONING

FLOW ELEMENT

TWO STREAMS ORIFICE METER

OUTLET BLOCK VALVE

Flow Computers/Chart
Recorders
Flow computers have increased in demand
over recent years
Requirements for real time measurement
Input signals from DP, P, T
Calculate corrected flow volumes
Chart Recorders have to be Changed
frequently and must be integrated
Flow computers, unlike charts, do not have to
be integrated

TYPICAL SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Flow Computers

DCS / SCADA Communications

Supervisory
RS232 or Ethernet

Differential
Pressure
Input

Ethernet

Temperature
Pressure
HUB
HMI
Ethernet
Gas
Chromatograp
h

Digital I/O

Alarms

Ethernet

Reports

Orifice Flange Union With Flow Computer

Senior Orifice Fitting with Flow Computers Attached

GAS CHROMATOGRAPH APPLICATION

Gas composition
Heating value
Specific gravity
Compressibility
Correction
C6+ or C9+

MOISTURE & H2S ANALYZER

Moisture Content

PPMv

No calorific value

H2S Content

PPMv

Toxic

Renormalization

Pure Hydrocarbon Content

Corrected BTU flow rate

Measurement System Performance

Careful selection of components

Minimize measurement uncertainty

Proper operation

Periodic maintenance & calibration

Conclusion
The new AGA #3/API 14.3 measurement standard has
greatly tightened the tolerances for the manufacture
of orifice devices and meter tubes
To insure the best possible accuracy of the metering
installation, it is imperative that regular scheduled
maintenance be performed.
The primary device, whether a fitting or flange,
cannot be expected to provide accurate, reliable flow
information if the orifice plate is bowed or otherwise
degraded in some way

Conclusion

The vast body of data supporting Orifice measurement over

the years becomes meaningless if the guidelines for the
design, manufacture, installation, and maintenance of these
devices are not followed

Question ?

The End
and
Thanks for attention