抄録
Recently, necessity of energy saving is more increasing in the industrial field with relation to energy cost increase. Measurement of steam flow rate is indispensable for a performance diagnosis and an energy solution in facilities such as factories and power plants. However, installation of sensor for steam flow is not generally enough. The industrial facilities needs to be out of operation temporarily, in the case of installation of conventional flowmeter such as orifice type and vortex type. Because steam pipes are necessary to be cut for the installation. Accordingly, clamp-on type steam flowmeter, of which installation does not require pipe-cutting, is hoped to be developed. Ultrasonic sensor has certain degree of possibility for steam flow measurement. On the other hand, there are such problems as ultrasonic inlet to a pipe and operational condition of temperature, to be solved. Therefore, we devised "heater method" for steam flow measurement. A circumferential heater is attached to the outside of a tube. Then, axial temperature distribution on the tube outside is measured. Steam velocity is analyzed on the basis of the temperature distribution, considering heat transmission in the pipe. The sensor is heat-resistant and possible to measure high temperature fluid, because it is comprised of the heater, thermocouples and insulator. It is necessary to solve physical phenomenon such as temperature boundary layer and heat transmission in the pipe in case of area heating, to develop the method. This proceeding reports measurement theory confirmation using air and steam flow rate measurement by the heater method.
