DEPARMENTOF TECHNICALEDUCATION

ANDHRAPRADESH
Name : N. Sanjeeva Rao
Designation : Lecturer
Branch : Applied Electronics & instrumentation
Engg.
Institute : Govt. polytechnic for women,srikakulam
Year/Semester : IV Semester
Subject : Process instrumentation –II
Sub. Code : AEI-405,
Topic : Flow
Duration : 50minutes
Sub- Topic : Thermal flow meter
Teaching Aids : PPT, Animations, photograph
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 Objectives

On completion of this topic you would able to

know :
 Thermal flow meter.

 Operation

 Advantages and Disadvantages

 Applications

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 Recap

In the last class you have learnt about

 Thermal flow meter

 Classification

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 Thermal flow meter - Construction

 It has no restrictive orifice or moving parts

 It is also useful for flow measurement of corrosive liquids

 It consists of a heater and two temperature sensors T1

and T2 such as resistance thermometers or

thermocouples

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 Thermal flow meter - Operation

 The temperature sensors are located symmetrically with

respect to the heater .
 One at upstream side and other at down stream side at
short distance from the heater as shown in the figure A.
 Under no flow conditions the temperatures T1 and T2 of
the sensors will be same .
 The differential signal measured on a detector will be
zero.

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 Thermal flow meter - Operation

 When the fluid of whose flow rate to be measured flow

through the pipe then ,the temperature T1 will fall and

temperature T2 will rise until steady state is reached.

 The heat transferred to the liquid is proportional to the

mass flow rate of the fluid

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Thermal flow meter

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Other type thermal flow meter

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 The heat transferred to the liquid by the heater is
given by
Q = W CP(T2 – T1)--------------------(1)
 Q = heat transferred
 W = mass flow rate of the fluid
 CP = specific heat of the fluid
 T1 = temperature of the fluid before heat is
transferred
 T2 = temperature of the fluid after heat has been
supplied
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 W = Q / Cp(T2 – T1) ---------- (2)

 In the equation (2) the mass flow rate ‘W’ can be

obtained by measuring the (T2 – T1) heat transfer to the

fluid ‘Q’ and specific heat of the fluid ‘Cp’

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 Under constant power input to the heater for given fluid

the temperature difference is inversely proportional to

the mass flow rate

 The dynamic response of this type of flow meter is

depend on the flow conditions and is generally poor

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 Advantages

 It has no restrictive orifice

 It has no moving parts

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 Disadvantages
 Low dynamic response

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 Applications

 Flow rate of corrosive liquids can be measured

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 Summary

We have discussed about :

 Thermal flow meter

 Operation

 Advantages and Disadvantages

 Applications

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 Quiz

1. Which of flowing thermal flow meter are suitable for the

measurement of large flow rates

a) Heat transfer flow meter

b) Thermal flow meter with external elements and

heater

c) Heated tube-type mass flow meter

d) By pass-type thermal mass flow meter

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 Frequently asked questions

1. Explain the principle of operation of Thermal flow

meter.

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THANK YOU

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