EXPERIMENT 4: WATER FLOW MEASUREMENT

OBJECTIVES:
1.

Analyze the volumetric flow measurement using variable area, orifice and
electromagnetic flowmeter.

Flow PATH

:T32

FI31

FT31

LCV31

T31

FT32

T32

Special Remark: Theoretically, FI31 = FE31/FT31 = FT32, if the Level at T31 is

controlled.
START-UP CHECK LIST AND PRELIMINARY EXERCISE
Get familiar with the equipment, instrumentation, piping system and various manual valves.
The following preliminary procedures are recommended for familiarization.
1)

The tank T32 should be filled with water up to almost the level of its overflow drain
pipe.
Excess water will overflow into the common drain. Check that the Instrument Air
Supply (IAS) is connected (32psi).

2)

Locate the pump :

Suction Valve fully OPEN
At P32

At P31
At T31

Discharge valve fully OPEN

By-pass valve BV32 fully OPEN
Suction Valve fully OPEN
Both Discharge valve fully OPEN
Both Gate and Globe valve fully SHUT

Check that the two adjacent manual valves at the control valve LCV31 are fully
open while the by-pass valve fully shut.
Make sure the T32 Drain valve is fully shut.
3)

Turn ON the power supply at the front of the cubicle, to provide power to the
pumps, Recorder and Controller.

4)

Get the RECORDER (LFR31) ready as follows but do not start the pump yet.
The Recorder (LFR31) is ON (open it front swing cover and locate its ON/OFF
push in type switch at the bottom right side below the push button keyboard.
Press in to switch ON )

 When the RCD display is lit up at the Recorder, its chart drive is running. The
Recorder chart drive can be switched ON/OFF from the RCD pushbutton at the
front of the Recorder (with its front swing cover opened).
Learn how to access data from the Recorder (LFR31). In particular, note the digital
indication of the various flow rates.
-

the pen trend record is analog 0-100% of 3m/Hr

the indicator is in engineering units, 0 to 3.0m/Hr for flow rates. Flow rates (in
m/Hr) are displayed at Channels 2 &3. Channel 1 is for Level (0 to 800mm)

5)

Get the Controller (LIC31) ready as follows:

The Controller (LIC31) should be in MANUAL (M) mode with its control output
MV=100%. Check at LCV31 that it is fully open.
Access its PID1 page and set PB1 = 10%, TI1 = 15 sec, TD1 = 0 sec, set point
SV1 = 400mm
Make sure the Controller selector switch is at Position 1: LIC31.

6)

Always make sure the pump P32 suction valve and by-pass valve BV32 are always
opened before starting the pump.

7)

Start the pump P32. When the pump is started ad flow is verified (check return
water discharge back into the tank via the appropriate pipelines), shut gradually the
pump manual by-pass valve BV32 until FI31 reads about 2 m/hr.

8)

When the Level at T31 is near its Set point 400mm (see at PV), start pump P31 and
switch the controller LIC31 to Auto (A) mode.

9)

To vary the flow rate, regulate one of the discharge valve at P31 and note the flow
rates at the Recorder display at Channel 2 & 3 and FI31 as per TABLE 1A
Is FI31 = FT31 = FT32 approximately (when the level in tank T31 is controlled)?
Otherwise there is flow leakage or by-pass, OR the instrumentation in inaccurate
and requires calibration check.

10)

Stop the pumps P32 and P31.

EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE
1)

Please refer to the Section Start-up Check List and Preliminary Exercise and
follow the procedures from 1 to 10.

2)

Locate the various flow meters and learn how to read the volumetric flow rates as
follows:

FI31

:Variable area flow meter: Read directly at the flow meter FI31 (m/Hr) near

the pump discharge.

FE31 / FT31 : Orifice-Differential Pressure: Read LFR31,Green Pen (%) (DP)
flow meter and Channel 2 (m/Hr)
FT32 : Electromagnetic flow meter :Read at LFR31, Blue Pen (%) & Channel
3(m/Hr).
Note the result in TABLE 1A (see RESULT SECTION). Also read the flow rate
indicator LOCALLY at the flow meter FT32 and compare it with Channel 3 at the
Recorder LFR31. They should be similar.
3)

The next test is to use FE31/FT31 to verify the Orifice/DP flow meter principle that
the flow rate is proportional to the square root of the pressure drop i.e.
Volumetric Flowrate, Fv = kh,

where h is the pressure drop across the Orifice

plate FE31 measured by FT31

- Open the pump P31 manual discharge valve fully.

- Take the flowrate and pressure drop reading as follows:
a)

Flowrate (Fv) in m/Hr at the Recorder Channel 2.

b)

Orifice plate (FE31) pressure drop, h, in mmH2O at the DP transmitter FT31.

As this pressure drop reading (h) has not been processed or filtered yet by the
DP transmitter, it is noisy (fluctuating). Take a nominal mean or average value
for h.

- Refer to IV at the RESULT section for a simple calculation to verify that;

Fv = kh.
4)

Reduce the flow rate by gradually shutting the pump P31 manual discharge valve
(locate before the strainer) so that the flow rate (read FT32) is reduced. Note the
results in TABLE 1A.

5)

Repeat Procedure 4 at two (2) other flow rates at approximately 1.0 m/Hr (33.3%)
and

0.8 m/Hr (26.71%) of the full scale flow rate of 3 m/Hr.

See Procedure 2, 3 and 4. Record the reading in TABLE 1A similarly.

Repeat procedures with increasing flow rates and record the reading in TABLE 1A.
6)

Experiment completed. SHUT DOWN the plant:

Switch off the pump P31, P32 at the front panel/Cubicle.
Switch off the Recorder (LFR31) chart drive by pressing its RCD pushbutton with
its swing cover opened.

 Switch the Controller LIC31 to Manual (M) mode with its output MV = 0%.
Make sure the Selector Switch is at position 1:LIC31.
Open fully the pump manual by-pass valve BV32.
Switch off the main power supply switch at the front of the cubicle.
Shut fully the manual valve for instrument air supply (IAS). No need to regulate its
air regulator.
RESULT
I. Note the volumetric flow rate readings in TABLE 1A below at four (4) decreasing and four
(4) increasing flow rates.
Regulate the manual discharge valves at P31 to desired flow rate. Shut one of the pump
manual discharge valve (P31) to reduce flow further.
II. Reading in % and Engineering Units at Recorder LFR31 (Channel 2, 3)
% Reading x Max. Calibrated Range value = Reading in engineering units
% Reading x 3 m/Hr = reading in m/Hr
III. Theoretically, FI31 = FE31/FT31 = FT32, if Level is kept constant
Using FT31 as the reference, note down the various flow rate reading deviations from FI31,
FT32 using the last Column in TABLE 1A.
For FI31

Deviation % = FI31 FT31

x 100%

FT31
For FT32

Deviation % = FT32 FT31

x 100%

FT31
IV. Verification of the Orifice / DP flowmeter principle, Fv = kh.
The following are the test readings taken at Procedure 5:
a) Flowrate, Fv at the Recorder Channel 2:____________m/Hr.
b) Pressure drop, h at the orifice/DP flowmeter FT31 : ___________mmH2O.
Note that the pressure drop, h displayed at FT31 is the pressure drop across the
orifice plate

FE31 and has NOT been processed yet. As the display is

fluctuating due to the turbulence inside the pipeline, take a nominal mean or average
reading for h.
There for:
Fv (m/Hr)

0.03h (mmH2O)

the flowrate equation for FE31/FT31

Use the pressure drop (h) reading mentioned at the above IV (b) and substitute into the
flowrate equation for Fe31/FT31. Calculate Fv in m/Hr, based on this pressure drop (h)
reading.
*
(a)?

Is the calculated Fv in m/Hr equal to the Flowrate Fv reading taken at above IV