Pipeline Flow Rates

How to determine oil flow rate in a pipeline

Do you want a simple answer - Flow rate

Q= velocity x crossectional area ?

or you want to determine the maximum flow rate meeting specific requirements?

For this you should either

- Solve a bit complex formulae - darcy , Colbrook,... Get some pipeline design handbook and you will get it there.

- Quite a few online calculatore are available

- Go for some thumbrule (eg maximum velocity 2m/s..) specific to the fluid.

What are the things to be considered

Fundamentally

- Fluid media (specifically the visosity and specific gravity)

- Pipe Diameter

- Pipe Roughness

- Equivalent length

- Available head and the pressure drop acceptable.

Alongh with it the derived are

- reynolds number

- Velocity

etc.

Once the pipeline is complete, the other thing that "determine" might mean is the measurement of flowrate. Time-of-flight ultrasonic flowmeters are probably suited to the application, being non-intrusive devices that clamp onto the outside of the pipe.

fit some flometer and measure the flow rate. Simple.

Sir,

This is not the answer

How to determine means -how to calculate.

thakral raj

Ok, so you want clear answer to very non specific post.

Ok.

The flowing liquid is oil. Thus unless you know flow rate range, you can not even decide the type of flowmeter. If the viscocity is too high the flow may tend to be towards laminar flow. If is it not clean oil and has good amount of dust / dirt particals, you can not use certain type of flowmeters like positive displacement or turbine meter. If it is non conductive (mostly oil will be non conductive) you can not use magnetic flowmeter.

Accuracy required will be another parameter which plays good role in selection of type of flowmeter.

You may hve to start with some pitot tube analysis, which will give you some idea about the flow pattern across the flow tube. Now depending upon the flow rates (max and min) you will have to selet the flowmeter.

But to be precise in reply many parameters need to be defined by OP:

Type of oil

Viscosity

Fluid temperature

Fluid pressure

Expected Min and Max flow rate

Dirt content, % and size of dist particals

Conductivity of liquid

Corrosive properties of the oil

Accuracy epected

If OP does not specify, you may specify these data please, I will guide you competely

practically use a flow meter or theoritically, Velocity x cross sectional area on a broader view. get a text book on fluid mechanic for detail

The Darcy-Weisbach formula should be applicable for this.

Yet what appears to be another homework question by a student. I don't mind helping people solve questions that pop up, by this question can easily be answered IF the Original Poster would crack open the hydraulics textbook and do some studying. To me, that posing such a question make it appear that the OP is maybe lazy?

Frankly, the posting of homework assignments is becoming an all too often occurrence herein and therefore the level of submissions, IMHO, needs to be curtailed somewhat. Sorry to sound like a "hard ass" about this subject, by my time is valuable. I'm sure your is too. I'd rather concentrate on helping those out there with REAL WORLD ENGINEERING PROBLEMS....

Is there some way for the CR4 Forum Admin to filter-out this questions?