Preliminary Experimental Study on Multi-Parameter Measurement of Fluid Flow by Vibrating Tube

Abstract

A tube conveying flow under vibration can induce a number of interesting phenomena, which can be used to measure certain fluid and flow parameters. For example, Coriolis flow meter which uses vibrating tube is now acting as a key mass flow rate instrument in industry. However, the complexity of flow often requires several parameters to be measured in one time. We studied the vibration behavior of a single rigid straight tube connected with elastic bellows at each end in a flow pipe line. Electrical exciters were used to force the tube to vibrate. Displacement transducers were used to measure the amplitudes and phases of tube’s vibration. Flows through the tube were water or water-air two-phase. The preliminary experiment showed that density, flow rate, viscosity, as well as pressure, which are important parameters for the flow, could possibly be measured in the same vibrating tube.