FLOW

MEASUREMENT

Munawar Javaid
Nandpur Gas Field
WHY MEASUREMENT
Gas sales

Reservoir engineering calculation

Pipe line flows

Plant applications
FLUID
A substance that can easily change its shape i.e.,
liquid or gas.
TYPES OF FLUIDS

There are two types of fluids

Compressible fluid

Fluids in gas phase ,gases occupy different volume

at different pressure
Incompressible fluids

Fluids in liquid phase , same volume at different

pressure
FLOW
Quantity of fluid delivered in unit time through
a pipe, conduit etc.

Flow = Quantity of fluid/ time

Flow is measured as a quantity either volume or

mass

Volumetric Flow rate = Velocity x Area

Q = U x A

Mass Flow rate = Velocity x Area x Density

Q = U x A x d
UNIT
Unit of measurement of gas is MMSCFD

M stands for thousand (1000 )

MM 1000x1000=1000000=million

S for Standard

CF for cubic feet

D for day
Unit for measurement of heating or energy value
of gas is MMBTU(million British thermal unit)
TYPES OF FLOW
Laminar or smooth flow:
-Constant, smooth fluid motion
- Occurs at low velocities
-Occurs at low Reynolds no.

Turbulent Flow:
-Swirls ,eddies makes flow turbulent.
- Occurs at high velocities
- occurs at high Reynold no.
REYNOLD NUMBER

Osborne Reynold (1883) found

Re= inertial forces /Viscous forces
Inertial forces=velocity and density that keeps the
body in motion
Viscous forces=Frictional forces that slow down
the fluid motion

 If Re < 2000, the flow will be laminar.

If Re > 4000, the flow will be turbulent.
If 2000<Re<4000, the flow is transitional
The Reynolds number is a good guide to the type
of flow
TYPES OF FLOW METERS
Head type meters(orifice,venturi,pitot tube)
Variable area meter(rotameter)
Electromagnetic meters
Mechanical type
Anemometers
Vortex flow meter
Ultrasonic flow meter
ORIFICE METER

Professor Robinson (1890)

Head type flow meter used for large and medium
pipes
Orifice plate- inserted to pipe to create a partial
restriction to flow
Produce a pressure difference when fluid is
maintained through them
Based on Bernoulli equation
(by increasing fluid velocity , pressure
decrease)
PRINCIPLE

Pressure before plate rises and pressure after it

decreases but velocity increases. Pressure
continues to drop until the vena contracta is
reached.( vena contracta max. velocity and
minimum pressure pt.)
 Material used for plate is stainless steel, bronze
and gun metal etc.
Follow AGA (American Gas Association) -3
standard
TYPES OF ORIFICE PLATES
There are three types of orifice plates
Concentric used for single phase fluids, widely
used due to low cost, reliability.
Eccentric used for fluid that carry solids
material
Segmental used for light slurries and fluid
containing solids
ADVANTAGES :

Simple
Cheap
Accurate
Used for liquids and gases
Standards are well established and
comprehensive
Wide range of flow rates
DISADVANTAGE
causes pressure drop
Affected by upstream swirls
Requires single phase flow
Requires turbulent flow profile( Reynolds No
greater than 4000)
ORIFICE METER APPARATUS
Components used in orifice meters are
Orifice plate holder

Orifice plate

Meter run for orifice ( Normally 20 D for upstream

and 5D at downstream :: D is diamter of pipe )
Chart recorder
TYPES OF PLATE HOLDERS
Junior Orifice Fitting
Gas flow has to be stopped while changing the
orifice plate ( single chamber)
 Senior Orifice Fitting
Orifice plate can be changed while the gas is
flowing.(double chamber)
ORIFICE PLATE TAP
LOCATIONS
Differential pressure is measured through
pressure taps located on each side of orifice
plate.
Flange taps
1 inch from upstream face of orifice plate and 1
inch from down stream.
Widely used.
Pipe taps
2.5 pipe diameter at upstream and 8 pipe dia at
downstream
Vena contracta taps
Corner taps
ORIFICE GAS FLOW EQUATION
Q
= C ( hw Pf)

Q = Volume flow rate in cubic feet / hr at base conditions.

( pressure 14.7 psia & temperature is 60 F are base
conditions)

hw
= Differential pressure in inches of water at 60 F (1
psi=27.4 inch of water)
Pf
= Static pressure in psia
C
= Orifice flow constant

= Fb x Fr x Y x Fpb x Ftb x Ftf x Fg x Fpv x

Fa x Fm x Fl

 Fb = Base Orifice factor

Fr = Reynolds number factor
Y = Expansion factor
Fpb = Pressure base factor
Ftb = Temperature base factor
Fg = Real gas relative density factor
Fpv = Super compressibility factor
Ftf = Flowing temperature factor
Fa = Orifice thermal expansion factor
Fm = Manometer factor( for mercury
Manometer)
Fl = Gauge location factor
BASIC ORIFICE FACTOR Fb:

The Fb is taken directly from table for the correct

orifice and pipe size.
For sizes not listed in table,Fb can be calculated

from analytical equation as;

Fb = 338.17 d Ko Tb/Pb 1/TfG

Where,

d = Actual diameter of the Orifice in inches

Ko = Coefficient of discharge for an infinite
Reynolds number.
And
Ko = Ke / 1 + 15E / 1,000,000d
E= d(830 500 + 9000 - 42000 + B )

B = 530 / D ( For Flange Tapes)

D = The actual internal pipe diameter in
inches
Ke = 0.5993 + 0.007 / D + [ 0.364 + 0.076 / D ]
4 + 0.4 [ 1.6 1 / D ]5x [(0.07 + 0.5/D ] 5/2
[0.009 + 0.034 / D ] [0.5 ] 3/2 + [ 65 / D + 3 ] [
0.7 ]5/2 (For Flange Taps)
REYNOLDS NUMBER FACTOR, Fr:

The Reynolds number factor Fr is applied to

correct the calculated basic orifice factor to the
actual flowing Reynolds number. Fr is calculated as:

Fr = 1 + b /hw Pf

Value of b is obtained by using table 5.

It can also be determined by equation.
EXPANSION FACTOR, Y:

When a gas flows through an orifice, the change in

velocity and pressure is accompanied by a change
in density and a factor must be allowed to the
coefficient to allow for this change. This factor
known as expansion factor.
Values of the expansion factor Y can be obtained
from table or can be calculated using analytical
equation
Y= 1+X2 (.41+0.35 4 )X2/K 1+X2 for flange taps
provided that static pressure is taken at the
downstream taps
K=Ratio of specific heat =1.3
X2= hw/27.70Pf
PRESSURE BASE FACTOR, Fpb :

The pressure base factor Fpb corrects for case

where the base (standard) pressure Pb in psia, at
which flow is to be measured, is other than 14.73
psia

Fpb = 14.73 / Pb

Pb= contract/base pressure ( psia)

Fpb is obtained from Table 12.

TEMPERATURE BASE FACTOR, Ftb :

The temperature base factor Ftb is applied where

the base temperature is other than 60F and is
calculated as

Ftb = Tb(F)+460 / 520

Ftb is obtained from table .

FLOWING TEMPERTURE FACTOR, Ftf
The flowing temperature factor Ftf is required to
change from the assumed flowing temperature of
60F to actual flowing temperature Tf (R)

Ftf = 520/Tf+460
SPECIFIC GRAVITY FACTOR, Fg:
The specific gravity ) factor Fgr is applied to
change from a real gas density of 1.0 to the specific
gravity of flowing gas .

Fg = 1/G

Value of G can be obtained from table.

SUPERCOMPRESSIBILITY FACTOR FPV:

Super compressibility factor is required to correct

for deviation from ideal gas law.

Fpv = (1 / Z)

Where, Z = Gas deviation Factor
By calculating adjusted pressure and adjusted
temp,Fpv can be determined by table 16.
Adjusted pressure=Pf x Fp psig
Fp= 156.47/160.8-7.22G+Kp
Where
Kp=Mc-0.392Mn
G = Sp.gravity
Mc= Mole % CO2 Mn= Mole % N2
 Adjusted temperature= TfFt-460 F

Ft= 226.29/99.15+211.9G-Kt

Kt=Mc+1.681 Mn

At ambient temp. compressibility affects by

volume 0.5 %/100 psi .
ORIFICE THERMAL EXPANSION FACTOR
Fa :
The orifice thermal expansion factor is introduced to
correct the error resulting from expansion or contraction of
the orifice operating at temperature appreciably different
from the temperature at which the orifice was bored. The
factor may be calculated from the following equation.

Fa = 1 + [0.0000185 (Tf 68)] for stainless steel

304,316
Fa = 1 + [0.0000159 (Tf 68)] for Monel
Tf = Flowing temperature of the gas at the orifice in
F
Generally ignored between 0~120 F.

Generally ignored between 0 ~ 120F

MANOMETER FACTOR Fm &

GAUGE LOCATION FACTOR Fl
Fm & Fl are used to correct the error in differential
pressure indication in mercury manometer types gages.
Now a days bellows type meter used instead of
mercury manometer.
From Table 17 & 17 A ,these factors can be
determined.
LOCATION FACTOR Fl