Pipe Flow Control and Flow Metering
Abstract
This paper aims to reveal the relation between pipe flow control and accurate flow metering. Every flow meter is subject to installation effects, because it is calibrated in a fully developed pipe flow (standard pipe flow), that is usually different from the flow condition in the industrial application. Dimensional analysis for flow meters identifies a set of similarity criteria. Kinematic similarity requires to keep the same velocity profile both for calibration and application, that is usually difficult. In order to control the velocity profile of the pipe flow, a spindle-shaped central body, as a passive flow control device, is designed and installed aligned with the axis of the pipe. Numerical simulations indicate that any incoming flow will be conditioned to the same velocity profile in the annular channel. The central body also functions as a throttle to generate differential pressure for a special type of differential pressure (DP) flow meter, which is named SPINDLE. To validate the numerical simulation, calibration experiments have been carried out in different facilities at different organizations worldwide, including NIM China, PTB Germany and CEESI USA. All the results of calibration experiments confirm the CFD analysis.The performance of the SPINDLE flowmeter in critical flow is investigated by numerical simulation and experiment as well.
Event details
- Event
- FLOMEKO 2022
- Technical Committee
- TC9
- lich@nim.ac.cn
- Place
- Chongqing, CHINA
- Time
- 1 November 2022 - 4 November 2022
- Website
- http://flomeko2022.msmk.tech/c/index.html