The flow field inside an orifice flow meter

Journal Article · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Chemical Engineering Progress; (USA)

OSTI ID:6626708

Morrison, G L; DeOtte, R E; Panak, D L; Nail, G H ^[1]

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1. Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (US)

Orifice meters, the simplest form of obstruction or pressure-differential meter, is the most commonly used device for measuring volumetric flow rates. The popularity of the orifice meter can be attributed primarily to its simplicity and relatively low maintenance requirements. Orifice plates have been used as the standard fluid-metering device by the natural gas industry since the 1800s. In the U.S. natural gas industry alone approximately one million orifices are used. This paper describes the basic idea employed in the orifice meter, embodied in Bernoulli's principle. In this context, an orifice can be taken to be a generic term for any constriction in the flow. The pressure drop produced by the constriction will be directly related to the flow velocity. The orifice plate, on the other hand, is exactly what is implied. It is simply a hole drilled through a relatively thin flat plate. The orifice is inserted in the pipe perpendicular to the flow.

• OSTI ID: 6626708
• Journal Information: Chemical Engineering Progress; (USA), Journal Name: Chemical Engineering Progress; (USA) Vol. 86:7; ISSN 0009-2495; ISSN CEPRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030600 -- Natural Gas-- Economic
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031000 -- Natural Gas-- Legislation & Regulations
032000* -- Natural Gas-- Transport
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CONTRACTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FLOW RATE
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GAS METERS
GASES
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MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METERING
METERS
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NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
PRICES
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