Venturi flowmeter performance installed downstream of the branch of a tee junction

Abstract

AbstractVenturi flowmeters are robust and can function in many different and difficult installations. One such installation is downstream on the branch of a tee junction. For the most accurate flow measurement, a Venturi in this installation needs a laboratory calibration. Laboratory calibration adds cost to a project, may not be feasible, and in some circumstances, the Venturi has already been installed and cannot be taken out for calibration. For these reasons, this research used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to determine the percent difference from the manufacturer's straight‐line calibrated or expected discharge coefficient, C, and adjust for it in tee installations. Laboratory data were collected to validate CFD models. The Cs from tee installations, of different distances downstream of the tee branch, were divided by a corresponding straight‐line C at the same Reynolds number to create a ratio to adjust the straight‐line C for a more accurate determination of the flow rate.