Influence of blockage and upstream disturbances on the performance of a vortex flowmeter with a trapezoidal bluff body

Experimental investigations are conducted on vortex flowmeter with the differential wall pressure measurement method. The bluff body employed is trapezoidal in shape and water is used as the working fluid. Three different blockages (0.14, 0.24 and 0.3) are considered in this study. The performance of the vortex flowmeter is studied both under fully developed condition and in the presence of flow disturbances. The flow disturbance is created using 45° swirl generator and gate valve placed at different upstream distances. The performance of the flowmeter is also evaluated in the presence of a Laws Vanes flow conditioner placed downstream of the swirl generator. The blockage ratio of 0.3 is found to be the best among all the blockages studied under both disturbed and undisturbed conditions.     

Response of a dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter to oscillatory flow

In this paper, on an experimental facility, the measurement characteristics of a diameter 50 mm dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter in steady flow and oscillatory flow were investigated. Then, the Hilbert Huang Transformation (HHT) method was used to assess the anti-interference performances and the vortex street stability in oscillatory flow for the dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter and a single bluff body vortex flowmeter. Offline simulation was carried out on the anti-interference performances of the dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter signal noise in oscillatory flow by the method of the EMD-scales filter. The major findings are: (a) in most case, the EMD-scales filter may be as good at de-noising effect for the dual bluff body vortex flowmeter in oscillatory flow than that for the single bluff body vortex flowmeter in oscillatory flow. The vortex street stability in oscillatory flow for the dual bluff body is similar to that for the single bluff body. (b) In some special case, the EMD-scales filter is unable to play a better de-nosing role for the dual bluff body vortex flowmeter in oscillatory flow. The invalid condition of the EMD-scales filter for the dual bluff body vortex flowmeter in oscillatory flow is different to that of the single bluff body vortex flowmeter and it was advanced in this paper. (C) The vortex street stability for the dual bluff body vortex flowmeter is better than that for the single bluff body vortex flowmeter.     

双钝体涡街流量计流体振动特性的试验研究

研究了双钝体旋涡脱离的流体动力学特性以及利用双钝体增强流体振动的最佳组合结构。给出了多种钝体组合结构的斯特劳哈尔数的试验结果,表明双钝体结构具有常定的斯特劳哈尔数。用50 mm口径涡街流量计进行的试验证明,双钝体组合在一定的条件下能获得理想的旋涡重叠,从而增强流体的振动。在钝体的轴对称点上,还观察到强度和频率相同,相位相差180°的流体振动点,利用优化的双钝体结构和差动传感技术,研制出小流量灵敏度和抗干扰性能很好的新型旋涡流量计。     

A new approach to detection of vortices using ultrasound

The measurement principle of vortex flowmeter is based on von Karman vortex shedding phenomenon. Frequency of vortices, behind the bluff body, is proportional to the mean flow velocity. There are different ways of detection of vortices, and different sensors are used (presser sensors, capacitive sensors, thermo-resistance sensors, ultrasonic sensors, etc.). Proposed method to vortex identification, presented in this paper is based on simultaneous detection of pair of vortices with opposite circulation, by means of two pairs of ultrasonic transducers. A beam of ultrasound, from ultrasonic transmitter to ultrasonic receiver is transmitted perpendicularly to the vortex street. The received ultrasonic signal is amplitude and phase modulated. Frequency of demodulated signal is equal to the frequency of vortices. This technique allows a number of advantages comparing to conventional solutions: reduction, or elimination of noises caused by installation vibration and disturbances in the flow, higher sensor sensitivity, which as a result leads to a possibility of a reduction of the bluff body size, i.e. reduction of the pressure drop on the flow meter, increase of the measurement range in the low flow region, the possibility of redundant operation of the flow meter, reduced measurement uncertainty, instrument technology improvements, improved reliability of the instrument, assured improved statement of complete uncertainty contributions, improved metrology of the equipment as such and calibration procedures that contribute to measuring capabilities etc. For experimental testing a prototype vortex flowmeter of a nominal inner diameter (ID) 50 mm is developed. A cylindrical bluff body for vortex shedding is used. Ultrasonic transducers based on piezo-crystal PZT-5A, inserted in the wall of the vortex meter casing are utilized. The testing of prototype ultrasonic vortex flowmeter is realized on the calibration station on the water. The results at the testing point to the possibility of measuring flow of liquid fluids at velocities less than 0.5 m/s, with an uncertainty better than ±1%.     

Performance evaluation of piezoelectric and differential pressure sensor for vortex flowmeters

Piezoelectric and transient differential pressure sensors are two among the most widely employed sensors for vortex flowmeter application. The present study evaluates the performance of these two techniques under fully developed and disturbed flow conditions. Firstly, the location of the transient differential pressure sensor is optimized to obtain high amplitude signals and good linearity in Strouhal number. Empirical mode decomposition method in combination with autocorrelation decay is successfully employed at high Reynolds numbers to identify the vortex shedding frequency in presence of hydrodynamic noise. The performance of the differential pressure sensor deteriorates significantly under disturbed flow conditions at low Reynolds number due to the presence of low frequency components. This deterioration in the signal quality limits the lower operating range of the flowmeter with differential pressure sensor. The output signals of the piezoelectric sensor and differential pressure sensor under no flow condition are compared to obtain the background noise due to piping vibrations and electrical interferences. These results will help a designer to suggest robust signal processing algorithms for vortex frequency detection.     

差压式涡街质量流量计取压位置的研究

在涡街流量计中，流体通过涡街发生体后会产生压力损失及由旋涡引起的压力波动，根据这一特点，本文提出利用差压检测技术，通过单路差压传感器同时感受由涡街发生体引起的流体双重变化特性，测量流体质量流量的新方法。本文重点对差压检测取压位置进行研究，利用空气和水两种流体介质进行了一系列实验，得到不同取压位置的差压信号与流量关系，确定了能正确测量质量流量的差压取压位置。结果表明，该测量方法结构简单，是测量质量流量的有效方法。     

Experimental verification and numerical simulation of a vortex flowmeter at low Reynolds numbers

This study presents experimental verification and numerical simulations of a vortex flow meter in the Reynolds number range between 8300 and 50,000. A custom-designed bluff body with a wedge back shape was used in the flowmeter. A shedding frequency of the flowmeter was measured in an air duct using a hot-film probe. To evaluate the accuracy of the flowmeter, a measurement uncertainty analysis was performed. Numerical simulations of the vortex flowmeter were performed with the open source code OpenFOAM. Transient simulations of periodic vortex shedding behind the bluff body were performed using different simulation methods depending on the pipe Reynolds number, such as Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS), Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) method. The simulated vortex shedding frequencies matched the experimental data very well. Experiments and simulations demonstrated a clear linear dependence of the shedding frequency on the volumetric flow rate over the entire range of Reynolds numbers. In addition, numerical simulations were used to study the main mechanisms of vortex formation and shedding behind the considered bluff body.     

Comparison of flow characteristics around an equilateral triangular cylinder via PIV and Large Eddy Simulation methods

The flow structures around an equilateral triangular cylinder, which is commonly used as a vortex shedder in the vortex flowmeter, were investigated experimentally and numerically. Flow characteristics such as vorticity contours, patterns of sectional streamlines, velocity vectors, velocity fields, Reynolds stress correlations, Strouhal numbers and drag coefficients were examined using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique and the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) turbulence model. Experimental studies were performed in an open water channel for Re=2.9×10³, Re=5.8×10³ and Re=1.16×10⁴ based on the equilateral triangle edge. A sharp-tip corner of the cylinder with a triangle cross-section was exposed to the upstream side while the other two sharp-tip corners were placed on the downstream side. Numerical studies were also completed at Reynolds numbers in the range of 2.9×10³≤Re≤1.16×10⁵ to obtain the changes in the Strouhal numbers and drag coefficients. When the results of PIV and LES are considered in the same interval of Reynolds numbers, the maximum and minimum values of each flow pattern were nearly the same. The time-averaged patterns had considerable symmetry with respect to the axis line passing through the sharp-tip corner of the cross-section of the triangular cylinder. The Strouhal number was independent of the Reynolds number and was found to be approximately 0.22. The drag coefficient decreased with increasing Reynolds numbers while increasing the Power Spectral Density (PSD) and the vortex shedding frequency. For the same Reynolds numbers, the experimental and numerical results were in good agreement. Therefore, the LES turbulence model is recommended for applications of flow around this type of bluff body that is generally used in the design of vortex flowmeters to generate vortex shedding.     

A study of mass flow rate measurement based on the vortex shedding principle

Mass flow rate measurement is very important in the majority of industry processes because the mass of fluid is not affected by ambient temperature and pressure as the volume will be. Conventional mass flow rate is normally derived from the volumetric flow rate multiplied by fluid density. The density can be obtained by a densitometer or calculated according to the temperature and pressure measured by a thermometer and pressure gauge respectively. However the measurement accuracy is not always satisfactory. Flowmeters directly measuring mass flow rate have been studied and developed recently, such as Coriolis and thermal flowmeters. Unfortunately they still have some limits in practical applications. A new method in which mass flow rate can be directly measured based on the vortex shedding principle is presented in this paper. As a vortex flowmeter, von Kàrmàn vortex shedding is generated by a bluff body (vortex shedder), leading to a pressure drop and pressure fluctuation. A single differential pressure sensor is employed to detect the pressure difference between upstream and downstream sides of the vortex shedder. Both vortex shedding frequency and pressure drop are contained from the output signal of the differential pressure sensor, so that the mass flow rate can be obtained from the pressure signal. Numerical simulation has been done to analyze the characteristics of the fluid field and design the measurement device. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes Fluent were used in the numerical simulation. Experiments were carried out with water and gas, and the results show that this method is feasible and effective to measure the mass flow rate. This method has also robustness to disturbances such as pipe vibration and fluid turbulence.     

低雷诺数下涡街流量计线性度的试验

在DN25水流量标准装置上对装有梯形漩涡发生体的涡街流量计在低雷诺数下进行试验研究,利用数字信号处理方法(频谱分析方法)得到涡街脱落频率,较传统模拟信号处理方法在保证较好线性度的基础上,有效地扩展了测量下限。绘制雷诺数—仪表系数曲线,发现梯形发生体在低雷诺数下仪表系数K呈递减趋势,当Re>2 000时K趋于常数,这与圆柱发生体在低雷诺数时曲线递增的趋势截然相反。通过分析得知,管道内流速分布的影响、发生体形状的影响和流速与频率关系的影响是导致上述变化趋势的3个主要影响因素。     

Design conditions for optimal dual bluff body vortex flowmeters

Examination of the performance of a large number of dual bluff body combinations leads to the conclusion that optimum repeatability of vortex shedding may be obtained with combinations satisfying certain basic conditions. One possible condition is the coincidence of the positions of maximum vortex strength for the individual bluff bodies which make up the combination. The aim of this paper is to describe the results of a test of the above principle using rectangular bluff bodies. The first stage is to find the mathematical relationship between the position of maximum strength and the depth of a single rectangular bluff body. The next stage is to use this relationship to find which combinations satisfy the above coincidence condition. These ‘optimal’ combinations were then tested against a number of ‘non-optimal’ combinations as controls. The overall conclusion is that the above condition is just one of five conditions underlying the design of optimum dual bluff body vortex flowmeters.     

低含气率气液两相流涡街特性研究

气液两相涡街现象广泛存在于生产实际中,由于相间作用,研究变得较为复杂。通过数值模拟和实流试验,对水平管低含气率情况下气相对两相涡街的影响进行研究。建立三维计算流体力学（Computational fluid dynamics, CFD）仿真模型,采用VOF多相流模型和RNG k-e 湍流模型,模拟气液两相钝体绕流。仿真与试验结果在定量频率上具有良好的一致性。结合仿真与试验结果,从近尾迹流场与涡拓扑、斯特劳哈尔数两方面,对不同含气率两相涡街特性进行对比研究。结果表明,在稳定涡街范围内,随着气相含率增大,对涡街起重要作用的滞止区长度增大,导致斯特劳哈尔数线性减小;同时,涡街周期性和信号质量变差,涡街能量降低,这是由于涡中心吸入密度小、速度大的气泡,造成涡的旋转能量降低,进而影响涡街的稳定性。     

三棱柱阻流体无阀压电泵的设计与试验

以三棱柱阻流体为无移动部件阀,结合3D打印技术的快速一体成型特点,设计并制作了以压电振子为动力源的三棱柱阻流体无阀压电泵。分析了该无阀压电泵的工作原理、理论流量和振子振动特性,推导出了它的的流量表达式。利用有限元法对三棱柱阻流体的流阻特性进行了仿真模拟,由其内部压强分布及进出口流速情况,定性分析了三棱柱阻流体的正反向流阻大小。最后,使用3D打印机制作了该无阀泵的试验样机,并进行了流阻和流量测量试验。试验结果表明:三棱柱阻流体具有正反向绕流流阻不等的特性,当驱动电压为550V,驱动频率为8 Hz时,该压电泵的输出流量达到最大,为29.8mL/min。结果证明了该三棱柱阻流体无阀压电泵具有良好的输送流体的能力。     

Vortex shedding mechanisms in single and dual bluff bodies

This paper presents studies of vortex shedding mechanisms in a single bluff body and two dual bluff body combination. These studies are based on video imaging of vortex shedding in open channel flow. Three thousand frames were analysed for each geometry under specified flow conditions and used to derive statistical distributions for the periods of individual cycle. For each of the combinations, the vortex mechanism for a typical half cycle is presented in six stages. The differences in mechanisms between the three geometries are highlighted and used to explain the differences in the statistical distribution of cycle periods.     

Numerical simulation of flow past rectangular cylinders with different aspect ratios using the incompressible lattice Boltzmann method

This paper presents a numerical study of a uniform flow past a rectangular cylinder using the incompressible lattice Boltzmann method (ILBM). Firstly, we use the ILBM to simulate the flow past a square cylinder symmetrically placed in a two-dimensional channel and results are validated against the well-resolved results obtained using finite-difference method and finite-volume method. Secondly, the effects of the aspect ratio defined as R = width/height on the fluid forces, vortex shedding frequency and the flow structures in the wake are investigated. Aspect ratios ranging from 0.15 to 4.00 and four Reynolds numbers Re = 100, 150, 200 and 250 are selected for the investigation. The results show that the effects of aspect ratio on physical quantities such as drag and lift coefficients, Strouhal number and the vortex shedding mechanism are very notable in the range between 0 and 2. In general, the drag coefficient decreases with the aspect ratio and the decreasing rate is more distinct in the range of 0.15 ≤ R ≤ 2.0. There is no local maximum found at around R = 0.6 in the drag coefficient as reported for higher Reynolds numbers in the literature. However the root-mean-square value of the lift coefficient shows a maximum value at R ≈ 0.5 for all Reynolds numbers selected. The variation of Strouhal number with R appears to be different for four selected Reynolds numbers. Especially for Re = 250, a discontinuity in St, as has been observed for higher Reynolds numbers, is observed at around R = 1.45 where multiple peaks are found in the result of Fourier spectrum analysis of the lift force and irregular vortex shedding behavior with no fixed shedding frequency is observed from the instantaneous vorticity contours. Such discontinuity is not observed for Re = 100, 150 and 200. The present results using the LBM are compared with some existing experimental data and numerical studies. The comparison shows that the LBM can capture the characteristics of the bluff body flow well and is a useful tool for bluff body flow studies.     

Computationally lean algorithm of novel optimal FIR adaptive filter for vortex signal extraction

In a vortex flowmeter vortices are generated by a bluff body, inserted in the path of flow, which has a piezoelectric sensor embedded in it. This piezosensor develops a signal having a fundamental frequency that is proportional to flow. The flow measurement relies completely on extraction of true vortex signal and estimation of the correct frequency. A novel adaptive FIR filter has been designed and implemented using low power computational resource (8.25 mW), which gives better results than an existing contemporary system when tested on an industrial flow rig. Further more a comparative study of autocorrelation, EMD Scales filter and proposed algorithm is carried on the good and bad vortex signals. From this comparative study it is seen that proposed algorithm is effective for bad vortex signals and low flowrates where vortex signals are weak.     

基于EEMD-Hilbert谱的气液两相流钝体绕流流型识别

为了有效识别气液两相流的流型,以水和空气为实验介质,以涡街流量计为元件诱发钝体绕流,通过管壁差压法获取气液两相流钝体绕流的尾迹波动信号,采用集总经验模态分解对信号进行分解,通过Hilbert变换得到Hilbert边际谱,利用最大互相关系数法对固有模态函数进行筛选,选取特征固有模态函数能量比分别与体积含气率、两相雷诺数构建流型图。结果表明,构建的两类新流型图对单相水、泡状流、塞状流、弹状流等典型流型的识别率分别可达91.67%和88.89%,能较好地满足工程实际应用的需求。     

Vortex wake transit time measurements for flow metering

A method of flow measurement is described based on using a vortex wake as a flow tracer shed from a low-blockage-ratio bluff body, the velocity of which is measured by cross-correlation. Preliminary comparisons are made between measurement iof the vortex shedding frequency and the vortex wake transit time between the two ultrasonic beams to determine the flow rates. Whilst preliminary results are confined to a 50 mm diameter sensing head, there is no upper limit to pipe size using the same suitably extended bluff body.     

Comparisons of different bluff bodies in vortex wake transit time measurements

This paper investigates the effects of different types of bluff body on the ultrasonic vortex wake transit time measurement technique for flow metering. Comparisons are made between results obtained from three different bluff bodies of low blockage ratio.     

Numerical study of vortex shedding from different shaped bluff bodies

A computer code based on the stream function-vorticity formulation of the unsteady incompressible Navier Stokes equations has been adapted to treat turbulent flows using the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model. The code was then used to analyse the flows inside vortex flowmeters with the aim of optimizing performance. The computed Strouhal numbers compared well with those acquired experimentally and the computed flow fields indicated how the bluff body shape can influence the size and strength of the shed vortices, with the T-shaped cylinder producing the largest vortices. In addition to the primary vortices shed from the bluff body, the computations gave a clear indication of the formation of secondary vortices near the meter wall and the front face of the bluff body.