Effect of Turbulence on Orifice Meter Performance

Abstract

Mean and turbulent velocity profiles downstream of a 19-tube bundle are presented. Experiments have been carried out in 101.6-mm-dia piping configuration at prevalent atmospheric conditions with air as the fluid. The two cases considered are: one with the tube bundle placed in good flow conditions and the other with the tube bundle used as a sliding vane downstream of a single 90-deg elbow. In both cases, for various positions of the tube bundle with respect to an orifice plate, the discharge coefficient for the orifice plate has been compared to a baseline value. The results indicate that it is possible to correlate the deviations in the discharge coefficient to the mean and turbulent velocity field upstream of the orifice.