Analysis of the Influence of the Vortex Shedder Shape on the Metrological Properties of the Vortex Flow Meter

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 21; no. 14; p. 4697
• Main Authors: Rzasa, Mariusz R., Czapla-Nielacna, Beata
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 09.07.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Barriers; Computational fluid dynamics; Energy dissipation; flow measurement; Flow velocity; flow visualization; Fluid flow; Frequency stability; Karman vortex street; Numerical analysis; Reynolds number; Rheological properties; Rheology; Shape effects; Turbulence models; Velocity distribution; Viscosity; vortex flow meter; Vortex flowmeters; Vortex generators; Vortices
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s21144697

Vortex flow meters are used to measure the flow of gases and liquids. The flow meters of this type measure the frequency of vortices that arise behind an obstacle set in the path of the flowing fluid. The frequency is a function of the speed of the flowing fluid. This obstacle is called the vortex shedder bar. The advantage of this solution is that the frequency of vortices does not viscose on the rheological properties of the fluid, such as viscosity or density. As a result, the indications of the vortex flowmeter do not depend on the temperature and type of fluid. The work includes numerical and experimental studies of the effect of changing the shape of a vortex generator on the stability of vortex generation in a vortex flowmeter. The article presents a numerical analysis of the influence of selected surfaces of the vortex shedder on the parameters of the vortex flowmeter. In order to determine the influence of the shape of the vortex shedder on the type of generated vortices, simulations were carried out for various flow velocities. Numerical calculations were experimentally verified for a cylinder-shaped vortex shedder. The experimental tests consist in determining the velocity field behind the vortex shedder. For this purpose, a proprietary method of determining local liquid velocities and the visualization of local vortices were used. On the basis of the conducted research, the influence of the shape of the vortex shedder on the width of the von Karman vortex street was determined and the optimal longitudinal distance from the shedder was determined in which it is most useful to measure the frequency of the vortices. This place ensures the stability of the frequency of the generated vortices.