Flow Conversion Calculations

Volume flow = area x velocity.

Mass flow = area x velocity x density.

For gases, density varies a lot, primarily with pressure.

For liquids, density varies only a little, primarily with temperature.

Choose accordingly.

All you need to know is the density of your steam (in kg/m³) at your working pressure. (See this table). The conversion should then be obvious.

What you say is correct for gases.

Also it is true for saturated steam. But the calculations are very complex for steam. The condition of the steam is also important... is it unsaturated / saturated or / superheated steam.

The density table is for saturated steam. But for other two conditions, we need to calculate the density based on pressure and temperature measurement.

(Also OP has put velocity as m²/sec. It should be m/sec)

This may be as simple as calling the mfg of the Vortex flow meter. Many if not all of the manufactures will have already done all the calculations for their sensors. Who's sensor are you using, many Companys' have their sizing programs avalable for download.

Ciao,

Eric

I don't know anything about this sort of thing, but I may have spotted a slight flaw in your thinking:-

Your velocity should be in m/s not m²/s, and your pipe size should be:

(0.0508/2)²*pi = 0.002027 m²

Multiplying your velocity by your area will now give you the flow in m³/s.

My apologies if I'm being over simplistic.

Dear Guest,

The matter is simple. For Liquids, m^3/sec is to be multiplied by density and devide by 1000 and then multiply by 3600.

For Steam, you have to refer the Steam Table and take the Specific Vol/Kg. at the given pressure and apply the correction factor for Deg.of Super Heat for the Steam.

Thanks,

DHAYANANDHAN.S,

CR4 MEMBER, INDIA.

Buy yourself a better meter and problem would vaporize!

But it is easy. Water when vaporized has 1600 times higher volume than water. I kg of water has volume 1l. So if you have measured in kg multiply this by 1600 and divide by 1000 and results would be in cubic meters. Adjust speed by dividing by 3600 and from hours you would get in seconds.