854

Density Measurement

Transmitted
Output
Signal
Balancing
Feed Back
Bellows

Pneumatic
Relay

Nozzle
Counter
Weight

Pipe
Loop

Air
Supply

Main
Beam

Flapper

Viscous
Dash-Pot

Flexible
Tube Sections

Process
Fluid

FIG. 6.9c
U-tube density transmitter.

In such designs, the added force caused by an increase

in density is sensed by the nozzle-flapper section of a pneumatic force balance transmitter. Increased density increases
the back-pressure on the nozzle as the flapper moves closer
to the nozzle; this results in an increase in the output signal
from the pneumatic amplifier relay. This transmitter output
signal is also sent to the feedback bellows, exerting a counter
force to rebalance the main beam. Because of the force balance nature of the design, the total motion of the flapper is
only a few thousandths of an inch.
Applications The effects of variations in the process pressure or flow rate are minimized by locating the pivots on the
vertical center line of the U-tube. This stays the loop against
horizontal forces. The viscous dash-pot is used to eliminate
vibration effects or other sudden changes in vertical force
components. This design has been successfully used on slurries, if the flow velocity was kept high enough to prevent
settling. This normally requires velocities in the range of 5
to 8 ft/s (1.5 to 2.4 m/s).
The process fluid can also contain gas bubbles. If it is
desired to measure the density of only the liquid phase (without gas entrainment), then a trap or separator has to be
installed upstream to the density gauge. If the specific gravity
of the total stream (with gas entrainment) is to be measured,
then the process pressure must be controlled so that the gas
bubbles maintain their volume. Also, the fluid velocity must
be high enough to prevent separation or trapping of the gas
within the U-tube.
As shown in Table 6.9a, the design pressure and temperature limitations of these sensors are a function of the flexible
connectors used. The flexibility of these connectors also
affect the accuracy of the measurement. For example, accuracy when using neoprene liners on the braided connectors
is twice as good (1% of span) as that when using Viton liners
(2% of span).

2003 by Bla Liptk

Temperature Compensation Small variations in process

temperature (20F, or 11C) can be compensated for automatically if the gauge has been factory-calibrated using the
actual process fluid at the actual process temperature. If large
temperature variations are expected, it is necessary to install
a temperature transmitter in the process stream and to add
its signal to the output of the density transmitter. The maximum temperature compensation span is a function of the
density span used. Determination of the temperature transmitter range is described in the example below.
Assume a density span for the particular installation of
0.08 SG, or a range of 0.60 to 0.68 SG. Also assume that the
coefficient of thermal expansion of the particular process fluid
is 0.0004 SG/F. The effect of temperature change on density must not exceed the density span of the detector. For
this reason, the temperature span is determined as density
span divided by expansion coefficient, which in this case is
0.08/ 0.0004 = 200F (93C). Therefore, assuming that the
density measurement is to be referenced to 60F (16C), and
assuming that the process temperature will always be over
60F, the actual range of the transmitter can be 60 to 260F
(33 to 144C). This compensation is illustrated in Figure 6.9d,
assuming that the thermal expansion coefficient is linear for
the temperature range.
Straight-Tube Density Transmitter
On applications where the process fluid is a heavy slurry
or one that contains large solid particles that would not
flow through a U-tube loop, the design illustrated in
Figure 6.9e can be considered. Its main advantage is that
Uncorrected
Density Transmitter
Output (S.G.)
0.68
(100%)
S.

0.66
(75%)

0.64
(50%)

0.62
(25%)

Summing Transmitted
Signals, Corresponding
to 0.62 S.G. and 210F
Results in a Corrected
S.G. @ 60F of 0.68

S.

S.

G
.@

.@

60
F

S.

.@

0.60
(0%) 60
(0%)

.@

60
F

0.
66

0.
64

60
0. F
62 =
(2
5%

60
F

0.
68

(7
5%

(1
00
%

(5
0%

Temperature
Transmitter

110
(25%)

160
(50%)

210
(75%)

260
(100%)

Output
(F)

FIG. 6.9d
Temperature compensation of density sensors by summing transmitter outputs.