Flow

M e te r i n g Sy ste m s
 Flow Rate
Measuring
Instruments

Differential
Pressure Flow Rate Mass Flow Meters
Measurement

Measurement
Types Installation Advantages Disadvantages
System

Orifice Meter Venturi Meter Nozzle Meter

 Flow
Metering Systems
 Orifice Meters

 Venturi Meters

 Flow Nozzles
O r i fi c e P l a t e
 Differential Pressure Flow
Rate Measurement
Orifice Meters
– Inexpensive
– Easy to install
– Large pressure losses
 Differential Pressure Flow Rate
Measurement
Ventura Meters
–High accuracy
–Expensive to construct
–Good pressure recovery
 Differential Pressure Flow Rate
Measurement
Flow Nozzles
–Difficult to install properly
–High Accuracy
–Good Pressure recovery
 Differential Pressure Flow Rate
Measurement
Principal

Change in velocity of fluid yields a change

in pressure

Applicability for Best Possible Results

→ Flow conditions are turbulent

 Differential Pressure Flow Rate
Measurement
Orifice Meter
Governing Principal

→ Bernoulli's Equation

𝑄= 𝐴 1 √¿ ¿ ¿  

C = Orifice Flow Coefficient

 Differential Pressure Flow Rate
Measurement
Venturi Meter
Governing Principal

→Bernoulli's Equation

𝑄=𝐴 1 √¿¿¿  
 Level
Measurement
 Level Measurement Definition
 Level measurement is a single
dimension from a reference point.
 Each Manufacturer has a different
Instruction Set.
 Level Measurement Principle
Level devices operate under three main
different principles:

1. The position (height) of the liquid surface

2. The pressure head
3. The weight of the material
 Level Measurement Principle
There are two methods used to measure
the level of a liquid:

1) Direct Methods
2) Indirect or inferential Methods
 1. Direct Methods (Visual Methods)
Direct methods are simple and reliable.
There are four types of direct level measurement
devices:
1.Dip-sticks & Dip-Rods
2.Weighted gauge tape
3.Sight Gauges, and
4.Floats.
1.1) Dip-Sticks & Dip-Rods
 1.2) Weighted gauge tape
Another variation is the
weighted gauge tape.
This is used in a similar
fashion to the dipstick,
but on deep vessels and
tanks where a solid rod
would be inappropriate.
 1.3) Sight Gauges

There are various types of sight gauges, the two

most common types being used are:
1.Sight glass; flat, tubular and reflex

2.Magnetic sight gauges.

 1.3) Sight Gauges
A sight glass
is a section of transparent
material, usually glass, piped in
parallel to a vessel, tank, or
.column
As the fluid level in the vessel
changes, the level in the sight
.follows
 The flat glass
 The flat glass type, is used for non
pressurized vessels.
 It is a glass window or windows that forms
part of the vessel.
 A typical application is in hot oil tanks,
where excessive foam contaminated oil
may be easily detected.
 Tubular Sight Glasses
 They are used mainly for non-
corrosive, non-toxic inert liquids at
moderate temperatures and pressures.
Tubular Sight Glasses
 Magnetic type Sight gauges
The magnetic level gage,
consisting of a magnetic float
that travels up and down on
the inside of a long, non-
magnetic (usually stainless
steel) pipe. The pipe is
connected to flanged nozzles
on the side of the tank.
 Operational considerations for Sight
Glasses
• Sight glasses are usually installed with shutoff
valves and a drain valve for the purpose of
maintenance, repair and replacement.
• They are not suitable for dirty and dark liquids.
• Dirty liquids will prevent the viewing of the
liquid level.
 Operational considerations for Sight Glasses
• Therefore, this type should not be used for
measuring hazardous liquids. On safe applications,
tubular gauge glasses can be used.
 1.4) Floats
• Floats give a direct readout of liquid level when
they are connected to an indicating instrument
through a mechanical linkage.
 Displacers and floats
Displacers and floats
are sealed balls or cylinders of known
volume and density.
 The buoyancy of an immersed
or partly immersed object is
equal to the quantity of fluid it
displaces.
 Floats
Float: Stayed on top of or at
the surface of the liquid.
 Floats are designed to remain
at the surface of a fluid.
 Indirect Level Measurement

Level Transmitter Bridl

Vent e

Transmitter /
Control Box
vessel
Displace
r
Liquid level
Level
Column

Drain

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 Level Measurement

Sight Glasses

Magnetic Sight-glasses. A on the Inlet Separator, CPF and B is on a

Liquid KO pot on Gobe South Compressors

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 Level Measurement

Typical Level Control system in a process area

Level
Level Transmitter
Switches Level
Column

Bridl
e
Sight
Glass

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Level Measurement

Indirect Level Measuring Devices

Indirect methods product mechanical or electrical output
signals which indicate changes in level.

Simple Floats
Figure 3.4 shows a simple float level indicator. It is still
used by water departments and on chemical tanks on
older oil platforms.
It is cheap to install and easy to operate.

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Level Measurement

Indirect Level Measuring Devices

Simple Floats Operation

 The float and counter weight are connected together
by a wire on pulleys.
 The system is in balance with the float on the surface
of the liquid.
 If the level rises, the float rises and the counter
weight falls to the new balance point. If the level falls
the counter weight rises.

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Level Measurement

 The counter weight has a

pointer which indicates
the level scale on the
outside of the tank.
 This scale is the reverse FLOA
to normal. T

 The pointer shows ‘full’

when the counter weight
is at the bottom of the
scale and ‘empty’ when
it is at the top.
 The scale can be made
very large so that it can
be seen from the ground
by the operator.

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Level Measurement

Indirect Level Measuring Devices

Simple Float Operation (cont)

 The simple float is not very accurate and can be very

difficult to read.
 If the surface of the liquid is moving then the float starts
to swing.
 This problem is solved by fitting special devices inside
the tank as shown in the following slide.

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Level Measurement
Indirect Level Measuring Devices
Simple Floats
Operation
“A” is a guided wire
system.
“B” is a Still Pipe C
system where the
A
float is in a slotted
pipe and connects
with the ground
level display
“C” is another Still
Pipe but the float B
connects with a
transmitter which
sends a signal to
the control room
Level Measurement
Indirect Level Measuring Devices

Simple Float Operation - Guide Wire System (Figure A)

This is the cheapest system. The float is held in place by wires which are are fixed
to the bottom by a concrete block. The wires are kept tight by a spring.

The float is connected by a wire. The wire runs through a pulley system and
through a pipe to the indicating unit The pipe is supported on brackets fixed to the
tank. The indicating unit is the counterweight and the level is indicated by a
mechanical counter.

37
Level Measurement

Indirect Level Measuring Devices

Simple Floats Operation - Still Pipe System (B and C)

 This is a more expensive but more accurate method.

 The float is contained inside a still pipe (a steel pipe with
holes in it). The level inside the pipe does not move so it
gives very accurate measurements of level.
 Figure B shows the older mechanical indication method.
 Figure C shows the modern method where the system is
electronically controlled and the level measurement is sent
as an electronic signal to the control room.

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Level Measurement
Indirect Level Measuring Devices

Hydrostatic Tank Gauging

(HTG)
Pressure indicator
Many of the modern oil
storage tank facilities (tank
farms) use hydrostatic tank
gauging to indicate the level Transmitter
in a tank.
HTG is good because there
is no equipment inside the
tank. A Hydrostatic Tank
It is cheaper to install and Gauging installation on
maintain than the float the Skim Tank at the
installations. CPF
Level Measurement

Indirect Level Measuring Devices

Hydrostatic Tank Gauging (HTG)

The higher the level of a liquid in a tank, the higher
the pressure on the bottom of the tank.
An outlet near the bottom of the tank is under more
pressure than an outlet near the top of the tank.
The greater the pressure the further the outflow
stream will reach.

40
Level Measurement

Indirect Level Measuring Devices

Hydrostatic Tank Gauging (HTG)
The pressure on the bottom of the tank only depends
on the level of the liquid in the tank; not the volume or
the shape of the tank.
No matter what the shape of the tank, the pressure at
the bottom of the tank is the same.
Using this principle, a pressure sensor at the bottom of
the tank can gauge the level of the liquid in the tank.
The higher the pressure, the higher the level of the
liquid in the tank

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Level Measurement

Indirect Level Measuring Devices

Displacers and Local Level Control
 The displacer is a locally mounted device which
controls the level in a vessel.
 It is used on remote sites where it is too expensive to
return signals to the control room.
 The most common types in use are manufactured by
Fisher or Masoneilan.
 The diagram Figure 3.7 shows a Fisher device (The
Level-Trol).

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 Level Measurement
Indirect Level Measuring Devices
Displacers and Local Connecting Rod
Level Control

The Displacer unit is

connected to both the
vessel and the control Torque
valve. Tube

Displac
er
Level Measurement
Displacers and Local Level Control
Operation
 The weight of the displacer changes as the level of the
liquid rises or falls in the displacer housing.
 The displacer hangs on the torque tube via the
connecting rod. The changing weight of the displacer
makes the torque tube twist or untwist.
 The twisting motion of the torque tube moves a flapper
against a nozzle. This sends a control signal to the
pneumatic control valve.
 The pneumatic control valve opens and closes to control
the flow of liquid into the tank. This keeps the level of
liquid in the tank constant at the set point.

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Level Measurement

Displacers and Local Level Control

This forms a self contained local control loop as shown in the
figure below
Level Measurement
Air Bubble Method
The Air Bubble method is one of the oldest and simplest
means used to indicate level and/or transmit a signal. The
diagram shows a simplified layout of the method.
Level Measurement
Air Bubble Method - Operation
 An inert gas (air or nitrogen) is passed down the bubbler
tube. There is just enough gas pressure to push the
bubbles out of the bottom of the tube when the liquid is at
the maximum level in the vessel.
 When the vessel is full the pressure gauge or transmitter
will read a maximum back pressure. This back pressure
is equal to the hydrostatic head (H), (the pressure of the
liquid above the zero level).
 At zero level there will be no back pressure so the gauge
or transmitter will read zero. No back pressure means
the liquid level is at zero; the tank is nearly empty.

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