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FLOW
INSTRUMENTATION FOR
HVAC APPLICATIONS
Dave
DaveSchmitt
Schmitt and
and Derek
DerekEsch
Esch

Escondido
Escondido//Irvine
Irvine
Serving
Servingthe
theSouthwests
SouthwestsInstrumentation
Instrumentation
Needs
NeedsSince
Since1987
1987

Overview

S.C. CONTROLS, INC.

Rep / Distributor / Integrator

Escondido / Irvine offices
Founded in 1987
Specializing in FLOW, LEVEL,
TEMPERATURE, DENSITY
MEASUREMENTS
Degreed Engineers
Offering solutions not just sales

Overview
Briefly

describe the theory of flow

measurements
Outline different types of flow meters.
Discuss advantages/ disadvantages in
applications.
Present examples of instruments for
measurement solutions
Questions / Answers

Flow Measurement Theory

WHAT

IS FLOW ??

Measure of the velocity of a fluid per unit

area in a closed conduit; ie: pipe or duct
FLOW = VELOCITY (fluid) X Area of Pipe
or Duct or Stack
FLOW = FPM X FT2 or IN2
Q = AV (Area X velocity)
Q = AV (density x area x vel)
Mass flow

FLOW - In our
everyday lives
Water

flow meter at our home or

apartment
used for billing purposes
Mechanical flow meter with local rate and
total
Relative accuracy

FLOW - In our
everyday lives

Gas Flow Meter - natural gas measurement of

gas used for cooking and heating
Mechanical Meter - turbine type
Liquid flow meter - Gasoline - at the local gas
station where we pumped gas this morning
Positive displacement type with output
signal to electronic counter for billing

We use flow meters every day to measure fluids we use.

Why meter?

Business Need

Mitigate rising energy costs

Manage energy consumption efficiently
Apportion energy costs by usage and not
square footage, creating behavior change
You cannot control what you do not
measure.

Basic Flow Theory

Volumetric Flow
Mass Flow
Density - Liquid
Density - Steam
Actual vs. Standard Flow - Gas
Energy Flow - Water
Flow Profiles & Reynolds Number
Viscosity
Accuracy
Repeatability
Straight Run Requirements
Meter Installation

Volumetric Flow (all fluids)

Q = A *V
= ft * ft sec
= ft sec
where:
Q = volumetric flow ft sec
A = cross sectional area ( ft )
V = average fluid velocity ( ft sec

10

Mass Flow
= Q = A V
m
*
* *
= ft * ft sec * lbs ft
= lbs sec
where:

m = mass flow ( lbs sec )

= density ( lbs ft )
Q = average fluid velocity ( ft sec )
A = cross sectional area ( ft )
V = average fluid velocity ( ft sec )

11

Density - Liquids
Liquids
The density of a liquid is inversely proportional to temperature:
WATER
1 T

12

Temperature
F

Weight Density
Lbs/gal

32

8.3436

40

8.3451

50

8.343

60

8.3378

70

8.329

80

8.3176

90

8.3037

100

8.2877

Density - Gases
Gases
The density of a gas varies proportionally with pressure and inversely with
temperature:

= a

Density of Gas:

2.7 a SG
Ta

where:

= Density ( lbs ft 3 )
a = absolute pressure (psia) = 14.7 + Pgage
SG
T =Specific Gravity
a

= absolute temperature = F + 460 = Rankin

13

Density - Steam
Saturated steam:

Superheated steam:

Saturated Steam Table

14

Superheated Steam Table

Pressure
psia

Temperature
F

Density
lbs/ft

Pressure
psia

Temperature
F

Density
lbs/ft

89.6

320

0.203

20

320

0.044

152.92

360

0.338

20

360

0.041

247.10

400

0.536

20

400

0.039

381.20

440

.820

20

440

0.038

680.00

500

1.480

20

500

0.035

811.40

520

1.780

80

320

0.181

361.50

540

2.150

80

360

0.170

1131.80

560

2.580

80

400

0.161

1324.30

580

3.100

80

440

0.153

1541.00

600

3.740

80

500

0.143

Actual vs. Standard Flow - Gas

Actual Volume Flow:
Q = V * A (actual ft sec, ft min, etc)
(actual m sec,hr, m sec, etc)

Standard Volume Flow:

Gas flow in standard units relates the volume flow of gas to the same amount of mass flow of gas at standard conditions:

Qstandard
= Q actual

operating
standard conditions

where:
Qstandard

= standard ft unit time or

standard m unit time

Qactual

= actual volumetric flow (ACFM, ACFH, etc)

SG

= specific gravity ( gas air , at standard conditions )

operating
standard
15

= density of gas at operating pressure and temperature

= density of gas at standard conditions (at 14.7 psia, 60F)

Energy Flow

E = m (hs hr )

E = A V (h s - h r )

ft
lbs
Btu
E = ft sec ft lbs
Btu
E=
sec

where:

Chilled/hot water energy (Btu) calculations require

(1) flow and
(2) temperature inputs.

Btu is defined as the amount of energy required to

raise the temperature of 1lb water at 39F by 1F.

Btu sec

E = energy flow (

m = mass flow

lbs sec

A = cross sectional area (ft)

V = average fluid velocity (

= density

ft sec

( lbs ft)

hs = Btus (heat content) of water at supply temperature (

hr

16

Btu lbs

)
Btu
= Btus (heat content) of water at return temperature ( lbs)

Flow Profiles & Reynolds Number

17

Re =

inertial forces
frictional forces

Re =

density velocity
diameter
viscosity

Re =

V D

Viscosity

Dynamic viscosity
cP (centipoise)

Kinematic Viscosity
cst (centistoke)

A measure of how freely a fluid flows:

VcP = Vcst *SG

where:

Vcst = kinematic viscosity

V cP = dynamic viscosity
SG = specific gravity

18

Viscosity
Viscosity can be highly temperature dependent in liquids.

Steam/gas 0.01 cP
Water 1.0 cP
Honey 300 cP
19

Accuracy
% of Rate or Reading
Error = % of rate measurement
% of Full Scale
Error = % of full scale full scale flow

ACCURACY +/-1%
% of Rate
Max flow 1,000lb/h = 1,010 to 990 lb/h
Min flow 100 lb/h = 101 to 99 lb/h

% Full scale (FS)

Max flow 1,000 lb/h = 1,010 to 990 lb/h
Min flow 100 lb/h = 110 (100 + 10) lb/h
to 90 (100 - 10) lb/h

i.e. +/- 10% error at

minimum flow

20

Repeatability
Accurate & Repeatable
Repeatability:
Differs from Accuracy
Not accurate,
or repeatable

Measures the same all the time

Not accurate,
but repeatable
21

Installation Straight Run

Straight run requirements

Minimum

to get
Less

22

10 pipe diameters upstream and 5 pipe diameters downstream required

proper flow profile

straight run affects meter accuracy

Installation Meter Location

Install before valve to avoid air

Vertical orientation insure full

pipe

Liquid horizontal orientation

insure full pipe
Gas & steam horizontal orientation
insure no condensate
23

Top View

Top View

Technologies
Technology

24

Operating
Principle

Advantages

DP
(Differential
Pressure)
Orifice plate
Pitot tube
Variable area
Venturi
V-Cone
Accelabar

An obstruction in the flow,

measure pressure
differential before and
after the obstruction

Vortex
Inline
Insertion

Bluff body creates

alternating vortices, vortex
shedding frequency equal
to fluid velocity

Turbine
Inline
Insertion
Dual turbine

Turbine rotates as fluid

passes by, fluid velocity
equal to blade rotational
frequency

Magnetic
Mag
Electromagnetic

Measures voltage
generated by electrically
conductive liquid as it
moves through a magnetic
field, induced voltage is
equal to fluid velocity

Disadvantages

Fluids Measured

Low initial cost

No moving parts
Handle dirty media
Easy to use
Well understood technology
Supported by AGA and API

Not highly accurate,

particularly in gas flow
Orifice plate and pitot tube
can become clogged
High maintenance to
maintain accuracy
Typically low turndown
Pressure drop

Liquids
Gases
Steam

High accuracy
No moving parts
No maintenance
Measures dirty fluids

Can be affected by pipe

vibration
Cannot measure low flows

Liquids
Gases
Steam

High accuracy
Low flow rates
Good for steam
Wide turndown

Moving parts require

higher maintenance
Clean fluids only

Liquids
Gases
Steam

High Accuracy
Wide turndown
Bi-directional
No moving parts
No pressure loss to system

Conductive fluids only

Expensive to use on large
pipes

Conductive
liquids
(condensate)

Technologies Contd
Technology

Operating
Principle

Transit-time
Ultrasonic

Fluid velocity measured by

time arrival difference of
sound waves from upstream
and downstream transducers

Low cost clamp-on installation

Non-intrusive
No maintenance
Bi-directional
Best for larger pipes

Typically not used on

pipes < 2
Less accurate than inline or
insertion meters
Used primarily for liquids
Susceptible to changes in
fluid sonic properties

Most liquids
(condensate)
Gas (when
spool-piece)

Doppler
Ultrasonic

Fluid velocity measured by

sensing signals from reflective
materials within the liquid
and measuring the frequency
shift due to the motion of

Low-cost,

clamp-on installation
Non-intrusive
Measures liquids containing
particulates or bubbles
Low maintenance
Best for larger pipes

Cant

be used in clean
liquids
Less accurate than in-line or
transit-time ultrasonic

Most liquids
containing
reflective
materials

Measure flow at low pressure

Relative low cost
Measure fluids not dense enough
for mechanical technologies
Easier to maintain than DP meter

Susceptible to sensor wear

and failure
Not very accurate
Limited to fluids with
known heat capacities

Gases

these reflective materials

Thermal
Mass

25

Measure heat loss of heated

wire thermistor in fluid flow

Advantages

Disadvantages

Fluids Measured

26

27

Orifice Plate Flowmeter

The orifice plate is a differential pressure flow

meter (Primary element).
Based on the work of Daniel Bernoulli the
relationship between the velocity of fluid
passing through the orifice is proportional to
the square root of the pressure loss across it.
To measure the differential pressure when
the fluid is flowing, connections are made
from the upstream and downstream pressure
tappings to a secondary device known as a
DP (Differential Pressure) cell.
Fig. 4.3.1 Orifice plate

28

Orifice Plate Flowmeter

29

Orifice Plates
Advantages:

Low cost, especially on large

sizes

Complete Customer Data Sheet:

Customer details
Fluid

No need for recalibration

Operating pressure

Widely accepted

Operating temperature
Estimate flow rate

Disadvantages:

Poor turndown (4:1 typical)

Flange Specification

Long installations (20D to 30D)

Required package option

30

Line size, Pipe Schedule, Material

Accuracy dependant on
geometry.

Gilflo ILVA

31

Line sizes 2-8

Temp up to 842F
(450C)
Accuracy 1.0% of
rate
Gas and Steam
applications
Compact installation 6 up and 3 down
Up to 100:1 turndown

DIVA

32

Line sizes 2-4

Saturated Steam ONLY
347F (175C)
Accuracy 2.0% of
flow
Internal RTD for
Integrated mass flow
measurement
Compact installation 6 up and 3 down
Up to 50:1 turndown

Vortex PhD Flowmeter

33

Liquid, Gas, and Steam

1-12 (25 to 300mm)
Temperature up to 750F(400C)
EZ-Logic menu-driven user
interface
In-process removable sensor
(below 750psig)
Fully welded design with no leak
path
Optional remote mount electronic
Accuracy
Liquid 0.7% of rate
Gas and Steam 1.0% of rate
Turndown up to 20:1

Vortex

V-Bar Insertion Vortex Meter

34

Liquid, Gas, and Steam

Model 60/60S Hot Tap, retractable
Model 700 Insertion low temp, low
pressure
Model 910/960 Hot tap, retractable
960-high temp up to 500F (260C),
high pressure
Optional Temperature and/or Pressure
Transmitter
Line sizes 3-80 (76 to 2032mm)
No moving parts
EZ-Logic menu driven user interface
Accuracy
Liquid 1.0% of rate
Gas and Steam 1.5% of flow rate
test conditions
Turndown up to 20:1

VBar

Turbo-Bar Insertion Turbine Flow Meter

35

Liquid, Gas, and Steam

Liquid flow velocity down to 1 ft/sec
Model 60/60S Hot Tap, retractable
Model 700 Insertion low temp, low
pressure
Model 910/960 Hot tap, retractable
960-high temp up to 750F (400C),
high pressure
Optional Pressure and/or Temperature
Transmitter
Line sizes 3-80 (76 to 2032mm)
EZ-Logic menu driven user interface
Nominal Accuracy
Liquids 1.0% of rate
Gas and Steam 1.5% of rate
Turndown up to 25:1

TMP

Hydro-Flow Water Vortex Meter

36

No Moving Parts
Flow Range 1 to 15 ft/s (0.3 to 4.5 m/sec)
Accuracy 1.0% of Full Scale
1/2 to 20 Line Size
Microprocessor-based electronics with
optional local display
Maximum Fluid temperature 160F
(70C)
Model 2300 for acids, solvents, Deionized, and ultra pure water (1/2 to 8)
Model 2200 Fixed Insertion for (2 to 20)
Model 1200 for water, water/glycol (1-3)
Model 3100 retractable insertion (3-20)
Models 1200 and 2200 have Aluminum
Enclosure option for wet environments
or heavy industrial installations

2200
2300

1200
3100

Sono-Trak Transit Time

Ultrasonic Flowmeter

Liquid applications-Clean
2-100 (50 to 2540mm)
Accuracy typically 2.0% of
rate
Non-Intrusive
No wetted parts
Multiple outputs available
EZ-Logic menu driven user
interface
Bi-Directional
Transducer cable length up
to 300
Sono-Trak

37

UniMag Electromagnetic Flowmeter

38

Field Serviceable Design

Field replaceable sensors and coils

No Liner Required

No liner failure

Solid State Sensor Design

Encapsulated coil and electrode

assembly insensitive to shock and
Vibration

Plurality of Sensors

Uniquely powerful magnetic field

Non-standard Flow Tube Lengths

Easy replacement of existing meters

Measures Low Conductivity Media

Conductivity down to 0.8 S/cm

SAGE METERING, INC.

THERMAL MASS FLOW METERS
FOR MEASURING GAS FLOW

WHAT IS A THERMAL MASS

FLOW METER?
It

is a Meter that directly measures

the Gas Mass Flow based on the
principle of conductive and convective
heat transfer more detail later

MEASURE MASS FLOW RATE

OR TOTALIZE COMMON GASES

Air (Compressed Air, Blower Air, Blast Furnace

Air, Combustion Air, Plant Air, Make-Up Air)
Natural Gas Industrial (Plant Usage, SubMetering, Boiler Efficiency, Combustion Control)
Natural Gas Commercial & Governmental
(Building Automation Reduce Energy Costs,
LEED Credits, Meet Regulations)
Digester Gas, Bio Gas, Landfill Gas (especially
for EPA regulations and Carbon Credits)
Flare Gas (Vent Gas and Upset Dual Range)
Other: Propane, Nitrogen, Argon, CO2

WHAT DO THE SENSORS

CONSIST OF?
The

Sensors are RTDs, which are

resistance temperature detectors

They

consist of highly stable referencegrade platinum windings

In

fact, we use the same material that is

used as Platinum Resistance Standards at
the National Institute of Standards (NIST)

THE BASIC PRINCIPLE

The RTDs are clad in a protective 316 SS sheath for

Industrial Environments

One of the RTDs is self-heated by the circuitry and serves

as the Flow Sensor

The other RTD acts as a Reference Sensor. Essentially it

is used for Temperature Compensation

SAGE PROPRIETARY SENSOR

DRIVE CIRCUITRY

Circuitry maintains a constant overheat between

the Flow Sensor and Reference Sensor
As Gas Flows by the Heated Sensor (Flow
Sensor), the molecules of flowing gas carry heat
away from this sensor, and the Sensor cools
down as it loses energy
Circuit equilibrium is disturbed, and
momentarily the delta T between the Heated
Sensor and the Reference Sensor has changed
The circuit will automatically (within 1 second),
replace this lost energy, by heating up the Flow
Sensor so the overheat temperature is restored

HOW DO THE RTDs

MEASURE MASS FLOW
The

current required to
maintain this overheat
represents the Mass Flow
signal
There is no need for external
Temperature or Pressure
devices

INSERTION STYLE

Probes up to 24 long
Typically for pipes from 1 up to 30
Probes up to 60 Long
Typically for very large pipes and ducts
Or use multiple probes, one in each
quadrant and average in large ducts
Isolation Valve Assemblies available
Flanged Mounting available (High P or T)
Captive Flow Conditioners (2 24 Dia.)

INSERTIONS NEED STRAIGHT

RUN (Min 10 up, 5 down)*
EEEE

*If insufficient straight run, consider Sage inexpensive

Captive Flow Conditioners

CAPTIVE FLOW CONDITIONERS

OPTIONALLY INSTALLED BY USERS
UPSTREAM OF INSERTION METERS
IF INSUFFICIENT STRAIGHT RUN

IN-LINE METERS

Flow Bodies up to
4 NPT or Flanged

Built-in

Flow
Conditioning (>1/2)

SAGE INTEGRAL MASS FLOW METERS

SAGE REMOTE MASS FLOW METERS

SAGE PRIME

TM

Powerful

State-of-The-Art
Microprocessor Technology
High Performance Mass Flow
Measurement at Low Cost-of-Ownership
Proprietary Digital Sensor Drive Circuit
Provides Enhanced Signal Stability
Low Power Dissipation, under 2.5 Watts
(<100 ma at 24 VDC)

SAGE PRIME

TM

(Continued)

High Contrast Photo-Emissive Organic

LEDs (OLEDs)
Displays Calibration Milliwatts (mw) for
Ongoing Diagnostics (Zero Calibration Check)
Modbus Compliant RS485 RTU
Communications (IEEE 32 Bit Floating Point)
Remote Style has Lead-Length Compensation
Up to 1000 Feet
24 VDC or 115/230 VAC Power
12 VDC Option (for Solar Energy)

SAGE PRIME ORGANIC LED

(OLED) DISPLAY

SAGE PRIME DISPLAY (CONTINUED)

High Contrast OLEDs Visible even in Sunlight

Graphical Display Displays Pctg of FS Rate
Flow Rate in any Units (per Sec, Min or Hour)
Totalizes up to 9 digits, then rolls over
Displays Temperature in F or C
Continuously Displays raw milliwatts (mw) for
ongoing Diagnostics (zero mw on Certificate)
Diagnostic LEDs for Power and Modbus

SAGE PRIME INPUT/ OUTPUTS

24 VDC Power (draws less than 100 ma)

115 VAC/ 230VAC or 12 VDC Optional
Outputs 4 20 ma of Flow Rate
Outputs 12 VDC Pulses of Totalized Flow

(Solid

State, sourcing, transistor drive 500ms Pulse)

Modbus compliant RS485 Communications

SAGE PRIME REMOTE BRACKET

1,2

SAGE PRIME
RECONFIGURABILITY
Basis Sage ADDRESSER Software and Ulinx
Advanced ADDRESSER PLUS
Sage DONGLE shown below (no computer
needed)

THERMAL MFM ADVANTAGES

(OVER OTHER TYPES OF TECHNOLOGIES)

Direct Mass Flow No need for

separate temperature or pressure
transmitters
High Accuracy and Repeatability
Turndown of 100 to 1 and resolution as
much as 1000 to 1
Low-End Sensitivity Detects leaks,
and measures as low as 5 SFPM!

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
(Pressure Independence)

15 Data Points at 110

psig (BP), than same
output, even at 0 psig
(No Back Pressure)

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS
(Separate Rear Enclosure)

Sage Prime has a dualcompartment windowed

enclosure featuring a
very high contrast
photo-emissive OLED
display
The rear compartment,
which is separated from
the electronics, has
large, easy-to-access
and well marked
terminals, for ease of
customer wiring

Building Automation Contractors

Mandate

to Reduce Energy
Consumption
Needs Assessments/Portable Testing
Permanent Monitoring tied to Control
Systems - -NG, Air, N2

Compressed Air
Facilities

Monitoring
Sub-metering/Billing
Leak Detection
Energy Conservation
Compressor Optimization
Performance Testing

??????????????????????

QUESTIONS

AND

ANSWERS

Complete solutions . . .

. . . to all your instrumentation

needs !!!