Estimation of velocity profile effects in the shell-type Coriolis flowmeter using CFD simulations

This paper presents a study of the axisymmetric velocity profile effects in the shell-type Coriolis flowmeter with a second circumferential mode, which exploits the results of computational fluid dynamics simulations. Simulations were carried out for viscous fluid flow in the vibrating measuring tube, whose mode shape remained fixed during the transient simulation process. We observed time responses of the integral anti-symmetric fluid forces acting on the inner wall of the measuring tube. Their magnitudes and their relative variations with the mass flow rate of the fluid were used for the integral estimation of the velocity profile effect. Simulation results are presented for different fluid velocities through the measuring tube and show considerable loss of flowmeter's sensitivity in the range of lower Reynolds numbers. The results are also compared with the weight vector estimations of the velocity profile effect and are evaluated for two different turbulent models.