ultrasonic flowmeter

Results of investigating the additional error of ultrasonic flowmeters caused by the distortion of the flow are presented in the article. The location coordinates of acoustic paths were calculated for their number from 1 to 6 according to the different numerical integrating methods: Gauss (Gauss-Legendre, Gauss-Jacobi), Chebyshev (equidistant location of acoustic paths), Westinghouse method, method of OWICS (Optimal Weighted Integration for Circular Sections).

The article investigated the influence of turbulence parameters of the SolidWorks Flow Simulations CFD package on the results of flow simulation in a two-path ultrasonic flowmeter. It has been found that the main turbulence parameters of SolidWorks Flow Simulations (turbulence intensity, turbulence length, turbulence energy and turbulence dissipation) slightly affect the result of the flow simulation in a full-filled pipeline of circular profile without additional turbulous elements (turbine, rotor, other).

In this work, ways of reducing the hydrodynamic flow measurement error of chordal ultrasonic flowmeter for the distributed location schemes of their acoustic paths are investigated. The method of calculating optimal location coordinates of the acoustic paths of ultrasonic flowmeters is considered in detail, using the analytical-empirical power law of the distribution of the velocity of the undistorted flow. As a result of the work, the authors calculated the optimal arrangement of acoustic paths for chordal schemes of two- and three-path ultrasonic flowmeters.

The paper presents a methodology for improving mathematical model of ultrasonic flowmeter (USM) results through the application of CFD simulation along with experimental reference data on measured consumption. On the basis of the proposed methodology, USM errors research method in terms of distortion of the flow structure has been developed. Using the proposed methodology mathematical model of two-path chordal USM has been improved and its study in terms of distortion of the flow structure after seven types of fittings has been conducted.