Response of a dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter to oscillatory flow

• A diameter 50 mm dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter in uniform flow was studied by experiment.
• The dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter in oscillatory flow was studied by experiment.
• The Hilbert Huang Transformation method was used to assess the anti-interference performances and the stability in oscillatory flow for it.
• The anti-interference performances were assessed by signal-to-noise ratio and relative error of the main frequency.

In this paper, on an experimental facility, the measurement characteristics of a diameter 50 mm dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter in steady flow and oscillatory flow were investigated. Then, the Hilbert Huang Transformation (HHT) method was used to assess the anti-interference performances and the vortex street stability in oscillatory flow for the dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter and a single bluff body vortex flowmeter. Offline simulation was carried out on the anti-interference performances of the dual triangulate bluff body vortex flowmeter signal noise in oscillatory flow by the method of the EMD-scales filter. The major findings are: (a) in most case, the EMD-scales filter may be as good at de-noising effect for the dual bluff body vortex flowmeter in oscillatory flow than that for the single bluff body vortex flowmeter in oscillatory flow. The vortex street stability in oscillatory flow for the dual bluff body is similar to that for the single bluff body. (b) In some special case, the EMD-scales filter is unable to play a better de-nosing role for the dual bluff body vortex flowmeter in oscillatory flow. The invalid condition of the EMD-scales filter for the dual bluff body vortex flowmeter in oscillatory flow is different to that of the single bluff body vortex flowmeter and it was advanced in this paper. (C) The vortex street stability for the dual bluff body vortex flowmeter is better than that for the single bluff body vortex flowmeter.