Previous in Forum: Squar Root in Flow Transmitters?   Next in Forum: home automation
Close
Close
Close
14 comments
Rate Comments: Nested
Anonymous Poster

Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

11/27/2009 7:38 PM

Hello to Mass Flow Rate Measurement Experts.

I seek a recommendation for a mass flow rate meter that can operate under 2 phase flow conditions with reasonable accuracy and response time. The media is liquid CO2 fed from a tank starting at room temp (1200 psi). Flow is 2.0 to 20.0 lb/sec. Temperature and pressure will drop during the discharge flow until the liquid exhausted. Then followed by a flow of cold gas. I do not know the ratio of gas to liquid at any time during the draining. I think this is a tough one, especially for a Coriollis type meter since the entire system is planned to be airborne with attendant vibrations. Is anyone out there with positive experience in this realm?

Reply
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

"Almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, vote them!
Anonymous Poster
#1

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

11/29/2009 2:32 AM

Coriolis flowmeter with external temperature compesnation is ok for your application .

Reply
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Not a new member!

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: USA/Europe
Posts: 4547
Good Answers: 68
#2

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

11/29/2009 7:01 AM

Hello Guest,

I have only just stopped working on this one. Let me know if you are the same person please?

There is many here with a quick report on each. As the other Guest said the Coriolis Flowmeter seems to be the one you want, but it may pay you to spend five minutes to check each of the meters below to see if one better suites your application?

http://www.pc-education.mcmaster.ca/instrumentation/flow.htm

This is a brilliant site!

The Square Root Law is to show the 'volume' of the flow, as well as showing the speed of what is presumed to be a 'liquid' whose viscosity and density are constant.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The answer to your question on the Square Law is below:

Differential Pressure

The rate of flow using a head flowmeter device is determined by measuring the pressure drop across a constriction. Differential pressure is measured and flow rate is inferred from the measured difference in the two related pressures.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bernoulli's Law

Head-flow type flow measurement is based on the principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed. Consequently, in a pipe, with fluid flowing, the same volume of fluid will pass by two different points over the same period of time. However, if the fluid flow passes through a constriction, the flow velocity must increase if the flow rate is to remain constant,. Therefore, to maintain the flow rate between the two different points the total energy of the fluid must also remain constant.

All head-type differential pressure flowmeters operate on the conservation of energy principle. The primary sensing element creates a differential pressure by constricting the fluid flow, while a secondary element measures this differential pressure. The relationship between differential pressure and flow is:

Q = CA times the square root of ( 2 gh )

where:

Q = flow

C = orifice coefficients

A= cross-sectional area of the restriction

g = gravitational constant

h = head or differential pressure

This square root or "square law" relationship of flow to differential pressure, can be a disadvantages of head-type flowmeters apparent.

Measurement of flows of less than 30 percent of maximum may be less accurate than a measurement at a higher percent of maximum flow.

The square root relationship also makes integrating or totalizing of flows cumbersome and the accuracy of tantalized flow somewhat questionable. In addition, this relationship represents a nonlinear effect on loop gain in flow control systems, requiring controller readjustment at different rates of flow. The nonlinear effect results in loss of accuracy below 50 percent of the measurement span.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other types of Flow Meter:

Mass

In some industrial processes, accurate measurement of mass flow is required. Mass is defined as a measure of the quantity of matter in a body. Mass is one of the three fundamental quantities, the others being length and time, upon which all physical measurements are based. Often mass is thought of as weight, but these quantities are dissimilar. Weight is the measure of the effect of earth's gravity on mass and varies over the earth's surface.

Angular Momentum Mass Flowmeter

The angular momentum mass flowmeter is a true mass flowmeter since the reaction of the primary element is proportional to the momentum of the flow stream. In this type of device fluid passes through an impeller and a turbine mounted in series in a pipeline. The impeller is driven at a constant speed by a small motor. As it is rotated, it causes the fluid entering the impeller to take on its rotational velocity. The fluid then enters a turbine that is restrained by a calibrated spring and does not rotate. The torque produced by the turbine on the calibrated spring is directly proportional to the mass flow.

Coriolis Flowmeters

The Coriolis flowmeter is a true mass flowmeter which operates on the physical principle of the effects of the earth's rotation on a mass. This effect is referred to as the Coriolis acceleration and produces a Coriolis force. Since torque is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration, a measurement of the Coriolis force provides the means for a direct determination of mass flow.

One type of Coriolis mass flowmeter consists of an impeller with radial vanes. The meter is positioned so the vanes are in line with the flow. The impeller, powered by a small motor turns at a constant rate. The vanes direct the flow in a direction that is radial and perpendicular to the axis of rotation., this results in a Coriolis acceleration which then exerts a force on the vanes. Force-sensing devices measure the torque produced, and, since the amount of torque is directly proportional to the mass flow rate, the value can be used to calculate the rate directly.

The vibrating U-tube is another type of mass flowmeter that uses the principle of Coriolis acceleration of a fluid. The U-tube offers no obstruction to the flow-path allowing it to measure liquids with varying physical properties. In addition, this type of flowmeter may be used with liquids containing solids. The flowmeter consists of a vibrating U-tube in which the Coriolis acceleration is created and measured. An oscillator vibrates the tube rapidly along the axis formed between its open ends. Because of this alternation, the fluid in one arm of the tube flows away from the axis of rotation while in the other half, the same amount of fluid flows towards the axis of rotation. These opposing Coriolis accelerations result in forces in the opposite directions, which produce a twisting motion in the tube which is directly proportional to the mass flow through the U-tube, is detected by a sensing device.

Hydraulic Wheatstone Bridges

The hydraulic Wheatstone bridge mass flowmeter is a true mass flowmeter which uses differential pressure to measure the mass flow. Four identical orifice plates are placed in a Wheatstone bridge arrangement. A portion of the flow is pumped at a constant rate from one segment of the fluid loop to another segment of the loop. A Differential pressure transmitter is then used to sense the flow signal.


Positive Displacement Flowmeters

In many applications, positive displacement flowmeters provide significant advantages over meters of other classes. They are accurate, precise, have a wide flow range and are ideal for measuring low rates of flow. In addition, their operation requires no external power supply and they usually require only simple maintenance. Positive displacement flowmeters operate by trapping a known quantity of fluid, and transferring the fluid from the inlet to the outlet connections. Then the number of trapped volumes that pass through the meter is counted to measure the flow.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nutating Disc Flowmeter

The meter consists of a housing containing a disc which is allowed to wobble, or nutate. As fluid enters the inlet port of the meter, its movement in the chamber causes the disc to turn or nutate. As the disc turns, it transfers a fixed quantity of fluid from the inlet to the outlet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Helical Gear Positive Displacement Flowmeter

In this type of positive displacement flowmeter, two radically-pitched helical gears are used to continually trap liquid as it passes through the flowmeter. A sensing system, typically magnetic or optical, senses a pulse each time a portion of a revolution occurs. Flow through the flowmeter is proportional to the rotational speed of the gears.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oscillating Piston Positive Displacement Flowmeters

When a quantity of fluid enters the chamber it causes a piston to rotate on its shaft. As it does so, a specific volume of fluid is moved through the meter and discharged at the outlet port. Each revolution of the piston corresponds to the movement of a fixed volume of fluid through the meter. A sensing system, typically magnetic or optical, senses a pulse each time a portion of a revolution occurs.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rotary Vane Flowmeters

As fluid enters the meter, vanes are moved causing the rotor to turn. The vanes are spring loaded and able to slide freely in the rotor body as it turns, When the fluid enters the inlet port, the vanes extend against the housing wall to enclose the measuring chamber, they retract at the outlet to discharge the fluid into the system. Each complete revolution of the rotor moves several fixed volumes of fluid through the meter from inlet to outlet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lobed Impeller and Oval Gear Flowmeters

Two lobed impellers (rotors) are mounted on parallel shafts and are geared-synchronized to keep them correctly positioned in relation to each other. These lobes rotate in opposite directions, so as fluid enters the meter and causes the impellers to rotate, a measuring chamber is formed.

The oval gear flowmeter is a variation of the lobed impeller flowmeter. The lobed impellers are replaced by a pair of meshed oval gears.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Axial Turbine Flowmeters

In current-type meters, a discrete volume of fluid is not actually captured and transferred from inlet to outlet to measure flow rate as it is in a positive displacement meter. Rather, the total quantity of flow is inferred from the reaction of the turbine caused by the fluid flow.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rotameters

The rotameter consists of a tapered glass tube which is incorporated into the piping system. The tube is positioned so its greatest diameter is uppermost and contains a float which moves up and down freely as the flow within the tube changes. Since the upward and downward forces on the float are in equilibrium, the float assumes a definite position at a given flow rate.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Magnetic Flowmeters

Magnetic flowmeters are widely used to measure the flow rate of conductive liquids in process applications. In general, magnetic flowmeters are accurate, reliable, measurement devices that do not intrude into the system.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Principle of Operation

Magnetic flowmeters operate on the principle of Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction, an electrical voltage is induced in a conductor that is moving through a magnetic field and at right angles to the field. The faster the conductor moves through the magnetic field, the greater the voltage induced in the conductor.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AC Magnetic Flowmeters

Alternating current (AC) magnetic flowmeters excite the electromagnetic field with AC current. Noise may be produced within the meter or within the process. The zero must be adjusted when the flowmeter is full of process fluid at zero flow. Sensitivity of electrodes may be reduced if the electrodes become coated with a non-conductive material.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC Magnetic Flowmeters

Direct current (DC) magnetic flowmeters excite the electro-magnetic field with a DC current. DC magnetic flowmeters are not subject to inaccuracies due to the coating of electrodes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thermal Flowmeters

In a thermal flowmeter, flow rate is measured either by monitoring the cooling action of the flow on a heated element placed in the flow or by the transfer of heat energy between two points along the flow path.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Wire Anemometers

Hot wire anemometers have probes inserted into the process flow. These probes are usually connected in a typical bridge circuit. One of two probes is heated to a specific temperature. The second probe measures the temperature of the fluid. As the flow increases, it causes a heat loss in the heated probe. Consequently, more current is required to maintain the probe at the correct temperature. The increase in current flow reflects the energy necessary to compensate for the heat loss from the probe that was caused by the changing fluid flow. This change in current flow can be measured and used to calculate mass flow rate.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Calorimetric Flowmeters

Calorimetric flowmeters work on the principle of heat transfer by the flow of fluid. Typically, calorimetric flowmeters are comprised of elements arranged consecutively along the direction of the flow. A heating element is placed in the flow. A sensor is positioned to measure the temperature upstream of the device; a second measuring device reads the temperature of the flow downstream from the heater. The rate of flow is determined by the difference in the two temperatures.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ultrasonic Flowmeters

Ultrasonic flow instruments measure the velocity of sound as it passes through the fluid flowing in the pipe. Some designs allow measurements to be made external to the pipe, while others require that the sensor be in contact with the flow-stream. Thus, the sensor may be clamped onto the pipe or may be mounted in a section of pipe which is installed in the system.

I hope this helps.

__________________
Take it easy, bb. >"HEAR & you FORGET<>SEE & you REMEMBER<>DO & you UNDERSTAND"<=$=|O|=$=>"Common Sense is Genius dressed in its Working Clothes"<>[Ralph Waldo Emerson]
Reply
Anonymous Poster
#3

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

11/29/2009 7:47 AM
Reply
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Not a new member!

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: USA/Europe
Posts: 4547
Good Answers: 68
#4
In reply to #3

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

11/29/2009 8:02 AM

Hi Guest,

Do not let this intimidate you.

You know what you want it for so I put the Coriolis flowmeter and various others so you can make an informed choice!

With something like this, it is not like going out for a jar of coffee? So I would always visit and also write to any site which may be interesting, OK?

If you want more help please get back to me.

Do not forget just read down the list and if there is one or two which does not sound correct for you, just ignore it, move on to the next. It will also give you more information for the future, and perhaps you may want to join and offer your experience and knowledge to other in a similar situation to yourself at the moment? Just a thought.

__________________
Take it easy, bb. >"HEAR & you FORGET<>SEE & you REMEMBER<>DO & you UNDERSTAND"<=$=|O|=$=>"Common Sense is Genius dressed in its Working Clothes"<>[Ralph Waldo Emerson]
Reply
Participant

Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 4
#13
In reply to #4

See this If you Want more information on mass flow meters

04/28/2011 5:40 AM

Azbil North America manufactured the following products like mass flow meters, liquid level sensors, limit switches, process controllers, process heaters, pressure transmitters, fiber optic sensors and temperature controllers etc. http://us.azbil.com

Reply
Anonymous Poster
#5

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

11/29/2009 2:53 PM

No instrument may measure 2-phase flow. A couple of coriolis mass flowmeters manufacturers claim that there flowmeters do so, but practically the measurement is inaccurate.

Reply
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Not a new member!

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: USA/Europe
Posts: 4547
Good Answers: 68
#6
In reply to #5

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

11/30/2009 12:14 AM

Hi Guest,

It all depends on your definition of "2-phase flow"?

__________________
Take it easy, bb. >"HEAR & you FORGET<>SEE & you REMEMBER<>DO & you UNDERSTAND"<=$=|O|=$=>"Common Sense is Genius dressed in its Working Clothes"<>[Ralph Waldo Emerson]
Reply
Anonymous Poster
#7
In reply to #6

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

12/01/2009 1:17 AM

Thank you, Baby Bear, for questioning my use of the term "2-phase flow". In this situation, the high vapor pressure (at room temperature) is used to expel the contents of the liquid bottle into the atmosphere. (Much like a fire extinguisher) At the start of flow and throughout, the gas phase in the ullage is the source of motive force. But, as the liquid level drops so does the pressure, temperature, and probably density. Near the end of the discharge, both gas and liquid phases co-exist in a regime akin to "bubbly-flow". This is my definition of two phase flow. As I mentioned, I do not know how to determine the ratio of gas to liquid, but it would not appear to be constant during this discharge event as the ratio of gas will obviously increase. Can you please now tell me about the related dependencies?

Thank you again.

Reply
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Not a new member!

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: USA/Europe
Posts: 4547
Good Answers: 68
#8
In reply to #7

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

12/01/2009 5:50 AM

Hi Guest.

Can you tell me why you need to know the ratio of liquid to gas if you are just venting to the atmosphere? And why vent in this way, what is the reason?

Check this site directly below. I have been to the site and they have a liquid to gas curve graph and lot of other info.

I will leave it at that for the moment. If I can understand why you wish to vent to the atmosphere and measure this procedure it would be interesting.

I list some sites which may be of use below.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&hs=f0P&num=20&q=C02+liquid+to+gas+ratio&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=

This search field above is the one I used and there is many more sites which may be of use..................


Some of the above will not be appropriate but as you will see There is some that refer to C02 directly with all its properties listed.

Good luck.

__________________
Take it easy, bb. >"HEAR & you FORGET<>SEE & you REMEMBER<>DO & you UNDERSTAND"<=$=|O|=$=>"Common Sense is Genius dressed in its Working Clothes"<>[Ralph Waldo Emerson]
Reply
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Indeterminate Engineering Fields - Control Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: In the bothy, 7 chains down the line from Dodman's Lane level crossing, in the nation formerly known as Great Britain. Kettle's on.
Posts: 32175
Good Answers: 839
#9

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

12/01/2009 7:19 AM

How about weighing the tank continuously using some form of load cell instead?

__________________
"Did you get my e-mail?" - "The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place" - George Bernard Shaw, 1856
Reply Score 1 for Good Answer
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Olde Member!! Engineering Fields - Instrumentation Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Dunstable, England
Posts: 2821
Good Answers: 45
#10
In reply to #9

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

12/01/2009 2:30 PM

GA...... I was thinking along those lines.... but you beat me to it....

__________________
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing - Googling is far worse!
Reply
Anonymous Poster
#11

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

12/02/2009 10:52 AM

Thanks for all the replies to my question. I am fairly well convinced that a 2-phase mass flow meter for this application is not an off-the shelf component. We have tried the load cell idea, but the relatively heavy weight of the tank compared to its contents and the presence of ambient vibrations gave us noisy data results. We will here study some dampening and perhaps calibrating the output of a standard volumetric flow meter, such as a turbine, against the weight, pressure & temperature change data during a discharge flow cycle. Sorry I could not elaborate on the proprietary aspects of this project. (carbon extraction & sequestration).

Reply
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Not a new member!

Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: USA/Europe
Posts: 4547
Good Answers: 68
#12

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

12/03/2009 12:38 AM

Hi Guest,

Have been thinking, not an easy thing for me!

If you have checked the specs of all available flow meters and found they are no good, have you thought of using a Calorimeter? I am not sure if it would work, but in theory.........

Would not the the exiting CO2 liquid be very cold and then measured in a dynamic way the measurement should rise in temperature as it goes to the gas phase. With a known calorific value both before and after the flow stops?

This would tell you how much you have left in the tank, though it may not tell you how fast the flow is specifically.

Its triple point is -56.6 °C, at 5.185 bar. So, for want of a better word, this could be one node to be looking for, temperature checked against pressure or visa versa, which can give an indication there is little left of the C02 to escape?

You could perhaps use:

1) Ratio of specific heats (Gamma:Cp/Cv) (1.013 bar and 25 °C (77 °F)) : 1.293759

2) Thermal conductivity (1.013 bar and 0 °C (32 °F)) : 14.65 mW/(m.K)

Going on the details below pasted from a site already sent to you:

Enter the pressure in bar (between 7 and 26) bar Critical point

  • Critical temperature : 31 °C
  • Critical pressure : 73.825 bar
  • Critical density : 464 kg/m3

Triple point

  • Triple point temperature : -56.6 °C
  • Triple point pressure : 5.185 bar

Gaseous phase

  • Gas density (1.013 bar at sublimation point) : 2.814 kg/m3
  • Gas density (1.013 bar and 15 °C (59 °F)) : 1.87 kg/m3
  • Compressibility Factor (Z) (1.013 bar and 15 °C (59 °F)) : 0.9942
  • Specific gravity (air = 1) (1.013 bar and 21 °C (70 °F)) : 1.521
  • Specific volume (1.013 bar and 21 °C (70 °F)) : 0.547 m3/kg
  • Heat capacity at constant pressure (Cp) (1.013 bar and 25 °C (77 °F)) : 0.037 kJ/(mol.K)
  • Heat capacity at constant volume (Cv) (1.013 bar and 25 °C (77 °F)) : 0.028 kJ/(mol.K)
  • Ratio of specific heats (Gamma:Cp/Cv) (1.013 bar and 25 °C (77 °F)) : 1.293759
  • Viscosity (1.013 bar and 0 °C (32 °F)) : 0.0001372 Poise
  • Thermal conductivity (1.013 bar and 0 °C (32 °F)) : 14.65 mW/(m.K)

Miscellaneous

  • Solubility in water (1.013 bar and 0 °C (32 °F)) : 1.7163 vol/vol
  • Concentration in air : 0.03 vol %

What do you think? You should be able to higher one of these for a short while and test it?

Let me know how you feel about this please?

You may find this site will help in general and with specific detail.

http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/co2_tanks.html

C02 Tank Care:

The pressure inside a closed cylinder containing a volatile non-polar liquid like CO2 is determined solely by the characteristic VAPOR PRESSURE of the substance, not by how many pounds of liquid are put into it. Vapor pressure is defined as the pressure of the vapor of a liquid in equilibrium with its liquid state. (Solids have vapor pressure, too, even though that seems odd at first. Just think of dry ice, which is solid CO2 but turns to vapor very quickly due to its high vapor pressure at room temp.)

As long as a CO2 cylinder is at a reasonable, constant temperature, as gas is (slowly) used out of the cylinder liquid CO2 "boils" off as gaseous CO2, at the vapor pressure of CO2 at that temperature. This is about 860 psi at normal room temperature, or about 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This process of evaporation continues until all the liquid CO2 is gone. That is why CO2 tank pressure is constant (at a given temperature) until it's almost empty (i.e., no liquid is left), and then falls off rapidly as the remaining residual gas is quickly used up.

Rapidly releasing gas will lower the tank temperature dramatically (as you observed in your frozen kitchen) due to expansion cooling as the CO2 soaks up its "heat content of evaporation" from the surrounding environment, but we can ignore that tiny effect for normal slow CO2 usage rates. (This is also why aerosol cans sometimes get very cold to the touch if you spray them too quickly for too long.).

So, as strange as it seems, how much liquid CO2 (in pounds) was put into your cylinder had NOTHING to do with its internal tank pressure. Just as long as there was SOME liquid present inside the cylinder, the internal pressure was identically fixed at the vapor pressure of CO2.

There are four basic things that can influence vapor pressure - the "polar" or "non-polar" nature of the molecules of the substance, how much surface area of the liquid is exposed to the gas in the cylinder (i.e., cylinder diameter in this case), the concentration of the vapor molecules above the liquid, and lastly TEMPERATURE. In your case, on the inside of a closed CO2 cylinder at equilibrium everything else is fixed (held constant), so TEMPERATURE is all that controls the CO2 vapor pressure, and thus temperature is also all that controls the pressure inside the tank. As other people in this thread have noted, CO2 tank pressure varies with the temperature, and this is why.

"Polar" substances have di-polar molecules, i.e., they have positive and negative ends to the molecules. The inter-molecular forces acting on polar liquids are much stronger and the liquid molecules are kept in the liquid state easier. Polar substances tend to have lower vapor pressures at a given temperature.
On the other hand, if the molecules of a liquid are non-polar like those of CO2, then there will be weaker intermolecular forces keeping them in the liquid state. Non-polar substances like CO2 have weaker forces between them and therefore their vapor pressures are characteristically higher than those of polar substances. The rate of evaporation for non-polar molecules is generally far greater than polar molecules in comparison. This gives CO2 its comparatively high vapor pressure.

Any increase in the temperature of the CO2 tank increases the average kinetic energy present in the molecules of the liquid CO2. The more energy that the surface liquid molecules absorb (heat), the faster they will be able to overcome the intermolecular forces acting upon them, and the sooner they will become vapor.

Here's the really nasty part that apparently bit you with your CO2 cylinder. Increasing the temperature of a liquid increases it's vapor pressure not linearly, but LOGARITHMICALLY. Doubling absolute temperature increases pressure by a factor of ten times.

This is defined by the Clausius-Clapyron Equation, that you probably remember having seen in science class:

Log P2 / P1 = Delta H vaporization [ 1 / T1 - 1/T2] / 2.303 ( R)

where:

R = universal gas law constant = 8.31 J/mol-K = 8.31 X 10-3 Kj / mol-K

P1 and P2 = vapor pressure at T1 and T2

T1 and T2 = Kelvin Temperature at the initial state and final state

This tells us that at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, CO2 has a vapor pressure of 600 psi. At 72 degrees F, it's up to about 860. At about 80 degrees F, the CO2 vapor pressure rises to about 970 psi. So, if your pressure gauge before your uncontrolled CO2 discharge was off-the-dial at over 1200 psi, the internal temp must have climbed to 90 degrees F or more due to where the tank was located, or due to being in the car.

Does this seem reasonable to you given conditions in your house/car, Jeff? (Feeling the outside of the metal tank won't tell you much, because the thermal conductivity of metal is so high it will likely feel cool to the touch of your 98.6 degree hand, even if it is relatively hot inside.) If so, the CO2 was well into the highly dangerous and unpredictable so-called "critical zone."

The critical zone is temperatures and resulting pressures above the "critical point," a unique combination of temperature and pressure for a given substance at and above which gas and liquid begin to behave the same, and normal fluid dynamics laws no longer hold. For CO2, this critical point is 88.88 degrees F, at about 1080 psi vapor pressure. It is unclear to science what state of matter the CO2 would be said to be in at and above this point - gas or liquid. At or above these temps, all bets are off as far as guessing the fluid behavior and/or the gas pressure of the CO2 inside the cylinder.

I'm pretty sure I did the calculation here correctly, but math is not really my thing and I did do these calculations on the fly, so corrections are welcome from you more math-savy.

Bottom line - be very careful with heat and bottled CO2. If you leave it in a car, house, or closet with temps above 90 degrees or so, you are asking for big, big trouble. The only reason more people don't blow themselves off the face of the earth messing around with these compressed CO2 cylinders is because industry standard tanks are so tremendously over-engineered, to protect us from ourselves for both safety and liability reasons.

The total pressure acting on the total square inches of the walls of a typical size cylinder at 1000 psi or more is mind-blowing (pun intended). If you really did badly overheat your CO2 cylinder, you were fortunate that a small valve failed before the tank walls ruptured. As mentioned before in this thread, tanks contain rupture disks to prevent this.

So, keep those CO2 tanks cool, people. ALWAYS below 80 degrees, for sure. (Your pressure gauge should never read more than 1000 psi. If it does but your room temp is below 80, suspect that the gauge needs recalibrating.)

Good luck

__________________
Take it easy, bb. >"HEAR & you FORGET<>SEE & you REMEMBER<>DO & you UNDERSTAND"<=$=|O|=$=>"Common Sense is Genius dressed in its Working Clothes"<>[Ralph Waldo Emerson]
Reply
Participant

Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 4
#14

Re: Mass flow meter for 2-phase flow?

05/24/2011 3:51 AM

Great explain!!! U providing a useful information, it is really appreciative. I'm also dealing same products like Electromagnetic Flow Meters, Differential Pressure Transmitters, Temperature Controllers and all other industrial automation products. Please see "us.azbil.com".

Reply
Reply to Forum Thread 14 comments

"Almost" Good Answers:

Check out these comments that don't yet have enough votes to be "official" good answers and, if you agree with them, vote them!
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

Anonymous Poster (5); azbil123 (2); babybear (5); Electroman (1); PWSlack (1)

Previous in Forum: Squar Root in Flow Transmitters?   Next in Forum: home automation
You might be interested in: Gas Flow Meters, Flow Meters, Paddlewheel Flow Meters

Advertisement