What is Flow Compensation?
Why do you do process temperature and pressure flow compensation?
In steam or gas flow measurement, the density of the steam or gas changes as pressure and temperature change. This change in density can affect the accuracy of the measured flow rate if it is uncompensated. Temperature, pressure compensated flow control is a flow modified mathematically by one or more additional variables, like :
- Temperature
- Pressure
- Density
- Viscosity
Producing a resultant value for flow compensation that is more accurate. It is compensated for the error effects of the other variables.
Formula for pressure
This post is related with how to compesate flow with pressure and temperature. If you are looking for the Pressure Formula click here!!
Pressure Temperature Compensation Flow Measurement Formula
Orifice meters require Pressure Temperature Compensation Formula when we use them to measure steam or gas flow in pipes with variable operating pressure and temperature. Normally we do not have an online density measurement. In this case we will consider the density constant to simplify the calculations. If you want to perform a density compensation in the flow measurement you must take into account the density variation.
The variations in pressure and temperature have a significant effect on steam or gas density, this is why without this pressure and temperature compensation the flow measurement can have large errors.
This post will help you to understand the basics concepts around this formulas (flow compensation formula) and will aslo let you implement them on your process control system.
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We have prepared this pdf file because sometimes you need this information to discuss with collegues or just to implement it in your control systems.
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1.Obtaining the Real Density Formula
Staring with the ideal gas law, we can extract density from the formula and calculate de density for two different situations (design and real). We need to apply a density compensation in flow measurement.
Where :
- P = Pressure
- T = Temperature
- V = Volume
- Mw = Molecular Weight
- n = Number of mols
- R = Gas Constant
- rho = steam or gas density
After simplify the previous equation we can have different results depending on the different situations, so we can have a set of design conditions and also a set of real situation conditions….
Operating with the formulas for real density formula and design density we can obtain the formula to define the real density taking in account the pressure and temperature compensation.
2.Deriving the Differential Pressure Flow Equation
To obtain the Differential Pressure Flow equation we will use two basic fluid mechanics equations : Euler’s equation of continuity and Bernoulli’s principle,
Where :
- V = linear velocity of fluid
- rho = steam or gas density
- A = Area
And …
Where :
- P = Pressure
- rho = steam or gas density
- V= linear velocity of fluid
- g = standard gravity
- h = height
…rearranging the previous equation and assuming constant density and h1=h2 we have ….
Now it’s time to express fluid’s velocity in function of pipe diameter (D) and orifice (d) plate restriction diameter ….
and after that, we can substitute V1 inside the previous equation, the resulting equation gives us the velocity at the restriction :
To calculate the volumetric flow we have to multiply both sides by the area of the restriction …
If we concentrate all the constants in just constant called K we have the following expressions refering to QV and QM :
Loading ...How does pressure compensated flow control work?
3. Pressure Temperature Compensation Formula (steam or gas flow compensation formula)
Now it’s time to substitute the real density by the density calculated in point 1.
After the substitution we will have the following formulas which are used to calculate the compensated flow for every orifice plate flowmeter (depending if you need volumen or mass flow).
Remeber that you must use the flow square root extraction formula in your DCS !!!
4. Online Free Pressure And Temperature Flow Calculator :
5.References :
- EMERSON (2015) Theory of dP Flow
- MOORE Products (1994) Pressure and temperature compensation of an orifice meter using the model 352 single loop controller
- Wikipedia.org
- EMERSON – Rosemount Differential Pressure Flow Gas Flow Measurement
- ISA – Maintenance of Instruments & Systems, Second Edition – Lawrence D. Goettsche