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Numerical analysis of liquid flow measurement using multipath ultrasonic phased array flowmeter
Nowrouz Mohammad Nouri1, Noureddin Sakhavi1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Ultrasonics
|November 17, 2022
Summary
This study introduces a multipath ultrasonic flowmeter with phased array transducers for accurate flowrate measurement. The innovative design minimizes errors, even in complex flow conditions like pipe bends, enhancing flow measurement reliability.
Area of Science:
- Fluid Mechanics
- Instrumentation and Measurement
Background:
- Accurate flowrate measurement is crucial in various industrial applications.
- Traditional flowmeters face challenges in complex flow conditions, such as those downstream of pipe bends.
- Phased array ultrasonic technology offers potential for advanced flow measurement capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and evaluate a multipath ultrasonic flowmeter utilizing phased array transducers.
- To investigate the flowmeter's performance under different flow conditions, including straight pipes and downstream of single and double bends.
- To analyze the influence of various parameters (number of paths, beam angles, installation angles) on measurement accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Development of a multipath ultrasonic flowmeter with dynamic beam steering using phased array sensors.
- Numerical integration of path velocities to calculate the overall flowrate.
- Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to validate performance, particularly after a single bend in turbulent flow (Re = 2x10^5 to 10^6).
Main Results:
- For turbulent flow in a straight pipe, minimum relative errors of 0.03% were achieved with a specific path arrangement.
- Downstream of single and double bends, errors were dependent on installation angle due to asymmetric flow fields.
- In 5-path configurations, minimum error ranges of 0.14% (single bend) and 1.03% (double bend) were obtained with optimized path arrangements.
- CFD simulations showed maximum absolute relative errors of approximately 3% and 1.8% after a single bend for different path configurations.
Conclusions:
- The multipath ultrasonic phased array flowmeter demonstrates high accuracy in straight pipes and provides reliable measurements even after pipe bends.
- Optimized path arrangements and installation angles are critical for minimizing errors in asymmetric flow fields.
- The study validates the effectiveness of this advanced flowmeter technology for industrial applications.
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