An improved three-dimensional coupled fluid–structure model for Coriolis flowmeters

The paper presents a coupled numerical model built to simulate the operation of Coriolis flowmeters, which exploit the alteration of the vibration mode shape of the measuring tube for the mass flow rate measurement. The explained measuring effect is a consequence of the interaction between the motion of the tube, vibrating at its natural frequency, and the fluid flow in it. The numerical model is realized by coupling of a finite volume (FV) code for fluid flow analysis with a finite element (FE) code for structural analysis using the conventional staggered solution procedure, with added inner iterations to achieve strong coupling. The simulation algorithm is divided into two steps. A free vibration of the measuring tube considered in the first step is complemented in the second step, after the numerical free vibration response is properly stabilized, with the harmonic excitation force actuating the measuring tube at its resonant frequency of several hundreds of Hertz to resemble the operation of actual Coriolis flowmeters. Different scenarios using zero-order or three-point fluid load predictor and soft application of the fluid load in the initial stages of the simulation are compared to yield a simulation strategy, which will minimize the time needed to obtain the stabilized steady-state response of the vibrating measuring tube. The proposed simulation procedure was applied on a straight-tube Coriolis flowmeter and used for the estimation of the velocity profile effect. The results exhibit sufficient stability (low scatter) to be used for the estimation of sensitivity variations of order of magnitude around tenths of a percent.