Simulation of flow meter calibration factors for various installation effects

Abstract The determination of flow meter calibration factors has been made using a computer simulation approach. The proposed technique is based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The CFD tools were used to determine the flow field in a flow meter as developed by three different pipe configurations. These flow fields were used to determine the calibration factor for an ultrasonic flow meter. The results have been compared with calibration factors obtained by CFD using detailed LDV input boundary data, analytical calculations and experimental data. Tests were made for reference conditions of 10013 straight-pipe and for single- and double-elbow pipe configurations using Reynolds numbers from 100 to 100,000. For reference conditions good agreement is shown. For disturbed flow conditions the simulations well resembled the experimental data. However we find differences for transitional and swirl flows.