Virtual Coriolis Flow Meter: A Tool for Simulation and Design

Abstract

A modelling tool has been developed, which has enabled significant new findings in relation to rapid dynamic response measurements of time-dependent flows using Coriolis meters. The tool comprises a finite element modelling capability that simulates the meter flow tube in motion and allows the generation of pseudo-data at points on the tube corresponding to sensor locations. Combined with this, a suite of signal processing algorithms then enables the representation of an indicated flow time history output by a Coriolis meter in response to a prescribed input flow. The aims were then to investigate meter response to flow steps, ramps, and pulsations. Methods of increasing speed of response are of particular importance, for example, in fast batch-filling applications. Flow steps introduce one or more inevitable noise components in the meter sensor signals, and modelling results suggest that for a given meter geometry, the corresponding noise amplitude in the meter-indicated flow is a constant fraction of the step height. The virtual Coriolis meter has also demonstrated the potential for a substantial contribution to meter design by enabling the development of new meters with specifications matched to selected requirements to meet a wide range of applications.