Performance Of Flowmeter Research Articles

Influence of input parameters on the measurement accuracy of external clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters: An experimental study

Abstract This study comprehensively evaluated the performance of clamp-on ultrasonic gas flowmeters at a natural gas field. The research focused on the influence of key input parameters on flow measurement accuracy during practical application of the instrument and proposed specific measures to improve measurement results. It was found that errors in outer diameter and wall thickness not only lead to flow calculation inaccuracies but also directly impact the propagation path of ultrasonic waves. Therefore, accurate input parameters are crucial to ensure precise flow results. Additionally, the study revealed that changes in installation distance have minimal effects on flow measurement results and adjustments can be made as needed to obtain better signal parameters. Variations in input temperature and pressure mainly affect the conversion coefficient from operating conditions to standard conditions, with minor impacts on flow velocity and operating flow rate. Thus, the velocity ratio method can be considered during on-site calibration to mitigate the effects of temperature and pressure changes.

Performance compensation model of turbine flowmeter under vibration conditions

Vibration conditions will affect the performance of the turbine flowmeters, resulting in inaccurate or unstable measurement results. A DN10 turbine flowmeter is taken as an example to study the influence rule of vibration conditions on the turbine flowmeter performance. An experimental facility is built to simulate the vibration conditions with amplitude ranging from 35 mm to 90 mm and frequency ranging from 0 Hz to 4 Hz. A simulation method for simulating a turbine flowmeter under vibration conditions based on a dynamic coordinate system and 6DOF (Six Degrees of Freedom) is proposed. Based on the experiments and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation, the results show that the average meter factor of the turbine flowmeter under vibration conditions is larger than that under non-vibration conditions. The average meter factor increases with vibration amplitude and vibration frequency. The maximum relative error of the measured flow rate is 9.73 %. To reduce the measurement error, a performance compensation model of the turbine flowmeter applied to vibration conditions is proposed. The meter factor increment is taken as the dependent variable, and the frequency, amplitude, and flow rate are taken as independent variables. The results show that compared to the original model, the relative error of the turbine flowmeter with the compensation model shows an average reduction of 76.61 %.

Experimental Characterization of Process Pressure Variations on The Accuracy and Performance of Liquid Ultrasonic Flow Meters

This paper investigated the influence of process pressure variations on the accuracy and performance of ultrasonic flow meters. Process measurement technology provides a tool for optimizing production processes and dosing operations. Accurate measurement is key and primary to profitability in the business of supply and purchase of liquids like petroleum, gas and chemical products. Three 6” size ultrasonic flow meters were mounted on a skid and used to carry out the experiment parallel in connections each other to take flows from a common header, measure and discharge their individual flows into a common discharge header. The three meters were designate 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Meters 1 and 2 being service meters while Meter 3 is the calibrated master meter. The experiment was carried ten times to increase reliability of results. Experimental data were collected and analyzed using computational formulae technique. Results showed that; Meter 1 had an optimum process pressure of 12.38 and 9.43 bar with respect to flow rate and meter factor respectively as performance indicator. While Meter 2 had an optimum process pressure of 12.4 and 12.41 bar with respect to flow rate and meter factor respectively as performance indicator. Findings indicated significant relationship between process pressure, flow rate and meter factor using ultrasonic flow meter. The outcome of this study will be a useful guide to users of ultrasonic flow meters to maintain optimum process pressures of each meter during fluid supply.

Study on the influence of typical turbulent flow field on the metering performance of cross four channel ultrasonic flowmeter

Abstract In this paper, influence of typical turbulent flow field on a multi-channel ultrasonic flowmeter was studied. Experimental sample of the cross four-channel ultrasonic flowmeter were designed and processed, and CFD simulation models of flowmeter and right-handed spoiler, gate valve and velocity profile spoiler were established. Through simulation, the turbulent flow field behind typical spoilers such as right-handed spoiler, gate valve and velocity profile spoiler, and the influence of turbulent flow field on the metering performance of the cross four-channel ultrasonic flowmeter were studied. On this basis, the CFD simulation results and the real flow experiment results were compared and analyzed, and the reliability of the CFD simulation analysis results was verified, which provides the research basis for improving flowmeter performance.

Numerical analysis of heat transfer and flow characteristics of the satellite thermal flowmeter and exploration of high-precision calibration methods

The performance of the thermal flowmeter for satellites is numerically studied to optimize. Flow patterns and temperature distributions, affected by buoyancy convection, significantly influence the accuracy of flow-rate measurements in inclined thermal flowmeters. The present study delves into the thermal flowmeter’s flow field and temperature distribution influenced by gravitational effects. When the Reynolds number is low, buoyancy convection causes a significant inconsistency in the measurement result between ground and space. By eliminating the constraint of the symmetrical arrangement of thermocouples and introducing additional thermocouples for high-precision calibration, the measurement accuracy is remarkably improved. Ultimately, arranging the thermocouples asymmetrically reduces the error by 62%. Additionally, integrating two more thermocouples is even more beneficial, reducing the error by 83% compared to the previous study. These improvements would be potential solutions of flow-rate measuring inconsistency between ground and space, aiding the development of a high-precision thermal flowmeter for satellites.

Physics Constrained High-Precision Data-Driven Modeling for Multi-Path Ultrasonic Flow Meter in Natural Gas Measurement.

Ultrasonic flow meters are crucial measuring instruments in natural gas transportation pipeline scenarios. The collected flow velocity data, along with the operational conditions data, are vital for the analysis of the metering performance of ultrasonic flow meters and analysis of the flow process. In practical applications, high requirements are placed on the modeling accuracy of ultrasonic flow meters. In response, this paper proposes an ultrasonic flow meter modeling method based on a combination of data learning and industrial physics knowledge. This paper builds ultrasonic flow meter flow velocity prediction models under different working conditions, combining pipeline flow field velocity distribution knowledge for data preprocessing and loss function design. By making full use of the characteristics of the physics and data learning, the prediction results are close to the real acoustic path flow velocity distribution; thus, the model has high accuracy and interpretability. Experiments are conducted to prove that the prediction error of the proposed method can be controlled within 1%, which can meet the needs of ultrasonic flow meter modeling and subsequent performance analysis in actual production.

Effect of Axial Clearance Variation on Dual-Rotor Flowmeter Performance.

This study examines the impact of axial clearance variations on the performance characteristics of a dual-rotor flowmeter (DRT-FM) through numerical simulations, with the validity of the numerical results verified by calibration experiments. The results indicate that within the range of 200 L/h to 1600 L/h, the K factors of different groups increase as clearance increases. The K factor of the 0.80 mm group is the largest, showing an average increase of around 6% compared to that of the 0.50 mm group. Additionally, Linearity E also decreased, with a minimum of 1.07% in the 0.65 mm group, significantly lower than the 3.33% in the 0.50 mm group. Furthermore, the pressure loss increased slightly, with the 0.65 mm group having the largest pressure loss; however, at a flow rate of 1600 L/h, the pressure loss only increases by 0.186 kPa compared to that of the 0.50 mm group. Flow field analysis reveals that changes in axial clearance predominantly affect pressure distribution. Larger clearances reduce low-pressure regions on upstream and downstream transition surfaces, thereby reducing energy loss due to pressure changes. Entropy analysis further demonstrates that higher axial clearance decreases energy loss in the upstream and downstream stationary domains, optimizing the DRT-FM's energy characteristics.

Development of numerical and experimental performance evaluation techniques for high-reliability turbine flow meters of ice-making water-dispenser

A turbine flowmeter for sensing the water supply in an ice-making system of a refrigerator requires high sensitivity to the flow rate. This research aims to develop a comprehensive performance evaluation technique by constructing an experimental setup and establishing a numerical technique to simulate the rotational motion of the impeller in response to the injection of water into the flowmeter. An experimental rig was built to secure the measurement accuracy according to the fluid temperature and pressure changes and verify the reliability under various flow conditions from low to high. A numerical method based on the six-degree of freedom method was used to confirm its validity, which is different from a moving reference frame, which numerically analyzes the rotational speed of the turbine by backtracking the rotational speed to correspond to the flow conditions by giving it a constant rotational speed. By simulating water injection into the flowmeter, generating kinetic energy in the impeller according to the flow rate, and subsequently rotating the impeller due to the generated torque, the numerical analysis cost was reduced, allowing direct numerical analysis of the impeller’s acceleration motion. The results were evaluated in terms of angular velocity and pulse signal, and the applicability and reliability of the numerical technique were verified by comparing the numerical results with experimental results. The aerodynamic performance of the impeller was analyzed to understand the phenomena as the impeller rotates. The results of this study can be utilized to conduct future research to improve the performance of flow meters, thus proving its value as a preliminary study.

Анализ и документирование требований для программного комплекса по проведению вычислительных экспериментов и численному исследованию системы «расходомерная трубка – жидкость» кориолисова расходомера

<p>Item. This article describes the stages of development of a software package designed to conduct a series of computational experiments on numerical modeling of the “flow tube – liquid” system of a Coriolis flow meter and automation of algorithms for subsequent data processing and visualization. The purpose of this article is to formulate and document the requirements for a software package, and its design based on modern approaches to the development of software products. Methods. The structure of requirements for the software package was developed based on the Software Requirements Specification template adopted in the Rational Unified Process software development methodology, in accordance with the classification of requirements for FURPS+ software systems. Python 3 and the interpreted programming language of the MATLAB environment were used to develop the complex routines. Results. A structure of requirements for the software package has been developed, including functional and non-functional requirements. A software package consisting of three subprograms has been developed, its structure, main components and capabilities are described, and examples of use are demonstrated. Conclusions. The software package solves the problems of automating modeling algorithms, processing and visualizing data obtained as a result of experiments. It can be used in engineering and scientific research related to the analysis of the performance of Coriolis flow meters.</p>

Assessing Coriolis meter performance in multicomponent carbon dioxide-rich mixtures

Accurate flow measurement plays a pivotal role in monitoring CO2 flows across the CCS value chain. This not only bolsters the overall business model of the CCS industry, but also ensures adherence to environmental legislations and regulatory requirements. Unlike other industrial process fluids, such as water, oil & natural gas, it is unclear whether current commercially available metering technologies can meet the requisite accuracy levels, specifically the ±2.5 % recommended within the EU/UK European Trading Scheme for CO2 mass transfer. Accordingly, the aim of this work was to gain a comprehensive understanding of CO2 flow measurement within the context of CCS transport conditions. Firstly, GERG-2008 equation of state was implemented on REFPROP v10 to predict the optimal transport conditions for CO2-rich mixtures and to understand the influence of non-condensable gas impurities in CCS flow operations. Then, a dedicated laboratory-scale gravimetric flow facility was designed and used to evaluate the performance of a Coriolis flow meter under gas, liquid, and supercritical flow conditions. The results indicate that the impurities have a relatively minor impact on the measurement performance of the meter, with maximum mean absolute measurement errors of 0.25 %, 0.12 %, and 0.28 % observed in gas, liquid, and supercritical CO2 flow conditions, respectively. The findings support the use of Coriolis metering technology as a reliable option for CCS metering, underscoring its suitability for accurate measurements in single-phase CO2 transport applications.

Numerical approach for investigating the influence of various flow and fluid parameters on the performance of a cryogenic two-phase flow meter

Despite the intricacy, inline metering of two-phase flow has a significant impact in multitudinous applications, including nuclear fusion reactors, particle accelerators, and other systems that use cryogenic fluids. In this regard, a new concept for two-phase flow metering has been developed using model fluids. However, the geometric configurations of the channels and fluid properties are pivotal in ensuring accurate flow rate measurement. In this study, numerical analysis are performed to investigate the influence of channel width, number of channels, and gravitational field on the performance of the flow meter. The liquid height extracted from the volume fraction contour using an image processing tool has been used for calculating the mass flow rate of the liquid. The measured flow rate has been compared with the theoretical data, and it shows acceptable correspondence within ±6 %. The investigations suggest that the increase in channel width governs the slope development. The appropriate width of the channel has been found to be ranging between 1 mm and 3 mm for the selected flow conditions and configurations. It is found that as the number of channels is increased from 10 to 20, the flow rate range that the system can measure within ±5 % error has increased from 250 g/s to 450 g/s. The analysis broadened the reliability of the supposition and, therefore, provided a sturdy base for developing a cryogenic two-phase flow meter.

The plasma-coupling agent synergistically modified the acoustic matching layer for the preparation of a gas ultrasonic flowmeter

The plasma-silane coupling agent synergistically modified the hollow glass microsphere (HGM) process, blended with epoxy resin (EP), to prepare an acoustic matching layer suitable for the gas ultrasonic transducers. In comparison to the traditional NaOH solution stirring co-hydroxylation process, the plasma treatment method can rapidly activate the surface activity of HGM, leading to the generation of a large number of hydroxyl groups on the HGM surface. This process eliminates the need for mechanical stirring and cleaning steps, thus reducing the damage degree of HGM and the loss degree of surface hydroxyl groups. The results indicate that the amination modification effect of HGM treated with plasma is more pronounced, and the HGM/EP composite material exhibits better compatibility and density. The assembled ultrasonic transducer exhibits a sensitivity of up to 1.58 V, showing an improvement of nearly 61.2 % compared to the reference ultrasonic transducer with a sensitivity of 0.98 V. Furthermore, the calibrated testing of the gas ultrasonic flowmeter using the improved ultrasonic transducer demonstrates a percentage error absolute value below 0.7 % and a measurement result standard deviation below 0.15 %, demonstrating better measurement accuracy and consistency. This study aims to provide a new feasible process for improving the performance of gas ultrasonic transducers and ultrasonic flowmeters.

Portable Intelligent Electromagnetic Flowmeter Controlled by Magnetic Induction Intensity

In this paper, we propose a portable intrinsically safe, intelligent electromagnetic flowmeter for the application of coal mines and provide a detailed description of its working principle. In terms of hardware circuit design, several important modules, including electromagnetic flow rate sensor, excitation circuit, core control circuit, signal conditioning circuit, and air traffic control detection circuit, were analyzed and designed in sequence. It adopts a high-performance, low-power MCU STM32407ZET6 and high-precision chips, ensuring measurement accuracy and reducing power consumption. The excitation method using low-frequency rectangular waves dynamically adjusts the sampling interval time, further prolonging the battery life. Finally, the performance of the electromagnetic flowmeter was measured, and the experimental data showed that the measured flow rate was basically linear with the output voltage. The relative indication error of the electromagnetic flowmeter was within 0.3%, and the repeatability fluctuated within the range of 0.03%. The flowmeter has good measurement accuracy, which is suitable for long-term use in coal mining environments.

Metrology for reliable fuel consumption measurements in the maritime sector

Reliable fuel consumption measurements play an essential role in the maritime sector whether for emission determinations or the use of novel fuels. A verification of the performance of flow meters used for fuel consumption determination under realistic conditions is thus of interest. Apart from the influence of the pressure- and temperature-dependent transport properties of the fuels, a characterization of the measurement performance under dynamic fuel consumption is of relevance. Traceable metrological infrastructure and procedures, which will enable an evaluation of the measurement performance of flow meters in this regard, are being developed in the scope of the EMPIR project “Safest” (20IND13). A consumption profile of a ferry navigating in a harbour serves as basis. In addition to the measurement accuracy under dynamic conditions, first investigations of the performance of flow meters are carried out in terms of fluid temperature and fuel transport properties for the example of spindle screw meters.

Numerical Modelling of a Turbine Flow Meter Used as Part of the Hydrogen Compressor System

Abstract This study analyses a turbine flow meter in the context of a hydrogen compressor system. Basic concepts of turbine flow meter, accuracy and linearity, as well as calibration are described. Physical experimental testing scheme is presented in the paper. The viscosity of the fluid is one of the major factors that affects the performance of turbine flow meters. Numerical modelling experiments for different fluids with different viscosities are performed. Performed numerical modelling experiments give a possibility to continue research into the hydrogen compression system.

Design and Construction of a Device to Evaluate the Performance of Variable Orifice Flow Meters (VOFM)

This work presents a low-cost device for evaluating Variable Orifice Flow Meters (VOFM) used in medical mechanical ventilation applications. Specifically, the equipment was used to assess the impact of length and thickness on pressure drop for different flows in a rectangular geometry VOFM. A total of six VOFMs, with three different lengths and two different thicknesses, were evaluated. All VOFMs were stimulated with an airflow ranging from 0 L.min−1 to 90 L.min−1, with increments of approximately 2 L.min−1. The experiments conducted with the device showed a strong relationship between pressure drop ∆P and flow rate Q in the evaluated VOFMs, with two different zones: one exhibiting non-linear behavior and another showing linear behavior. The results suggest that increased length and decreased thickness lead to higher sensitivity. However, it is essential to reduce the cross-sectional area to mitigate nonlinear effects of the sensor.

Structural optimization to improve the performance of turbine flowmeter under different pressure conditions

Gas turbine flowmeters are one of the most commonly used flowmeters. However, the pressure of the fluid flow has a great influence on their performance. To explore the influence mechanism and improve their performance, experiments and CFD simulations are carried out. The flow field analysis shows that the length of the upstream flow conditioner, the ratio of hub radius to housing inner radius, the blade tip clearance, and the blade overlap degree are the key factors that affect the performance of the gas turbine flowmeter. Accordingly, seven optimization schemes are proposed, which are determined by CFD simulations and experiments. The average meter factor-pressure error Em-n is proposed to evaluate the performance of the gas turbine flowmeter under different pressures. The results show that after optimization, the average meter factor-pressure error of the gas turbine flowmeter is reduced from 2.23% to 0.95%.

Parameter optimization of coriolis mass flow meter in laminar flow regime using Doe-Taguchi method

The paper outlines the progression of a mathematical model using the Taguchi approach to analyze the performance of a Coriolis mass flow meter (CMFM). The sensor position, exci-tation frequency, and flow rate parameters were optimized using the Taguchi method for the meter’s maximum time-lag output. An orthogonal array of experiments was designed, and the time lag results were obtained for two tube configurations (viz. Omega and Diamond) and parameter levels. The obtained data was analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to understand the relationship between the variables and the time lag. The results showed that the Omega tube configuration exhibited a lower percentage error compared to the Diamond tube configuration. Additionally, an increase in flow rate led to a decrease in the error. The regression models fitted the experimental data well, with high R2 values indicating a good fit. The ANOVA showed the factors’ importance in affecting the time lag and the levels of interac-tion between the best individual parameters for maximizing the outcome. The most important factors affecting the Omega and Diamond tube configurations’ maximum performance have been identified as the flow rate and sensor position, respectively. This study offers a system-atic method for optimizing sensor parameters and provides light on how CMFMs behave in laminar flow. The experimental setup and mathematical model also serve as a basis for future research and advancements in CMFM design and functionality.

The investigation of the correction factor for ultrasonic flow meters

The aim of this work is to combine analytical and computational techniques in investigation of correction factor for ultrasonic flow meters to improve their accuracy.Exploring velocity profiles that do not have axial symmetry we applied reconstruction of two-dimensional velocity field based on the inverse Abel’s transform.For velocity profiles that do not have rotational symmetry around the axis of the pipeline, the value of the correction factor will depend on the angle of measuring plane orientation relative to the diametrical plane of the flow meter. The calculation of the actual average flow velocity in the cross section of the meter was obtained from a specific mathematical dependencies describing velocity distribution by integration technique.This study allows us to conclude that even under conditions of distorted non-symmetric flows it is possible to determine the performance of ultrasonic flowmeters with sufficient accuracy using both methods of theoretical research and computational hydrodynamics.

On the effect of the electrode shape and contraction section on the right-angled electromagnetic flowmeter

Flow measurement is of great importance in many industries, such as the chemical industry, energy and urban drainage. Electromagnetic flowmeter is widely used due to its wide range, high response and suitability for multiphase flow detection. To meet the needs of small-caliber and low-flow applications and wider installation scenarios, this paper proposes a new insertion-type right-angled bent electromagnetic flowmeter. The measurement signal of the electromagnetic flowmeter is closely related to its internal fluid flow state, thus computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is used to optimize the electrode shape and contraction section shape of the electromagnetic flowmeter. Through comparison experiments of flat electrodes and cone electrodes, a better model is obtained. Furthermore, three new models of the contraction section are proposed: the sharp contraction type, the gradual contraction type, and the Widosinski curve contraction section. The Widosinski curve contraction section is easier to stabilize the flow field inside the flowmeter. The experimental data are in good agreement with the results of the large eddy simulation, and the results show that the measurement performance of the cone electrode is better than that of the flat electrode. When measuring small flow rates, the error of the cone electrode is only 5%, much smaller than the error of the flat electrode. The findings of this study provide a new idea for the development and optimization of the measurement performance of the right-angled electromagnetic flowmeters.