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Project

Multiphase flow reference metrology

[Translate to English:] 06/2017 - 05/2020

Funding

  • European Metrology Programme for Innovation and Research (Opens external link in new windowEMPIR)

[Translate to English:]

The aim of the EMPIR project „Multiphase flow reference metrology“ is to explain and reduce the uncertainty in multiphase flow metering in the oil and gas industries. Therefore, a typical multiphase flow measurement set-up consisting of a 16 meter long horizontal pipe followed by a relatively complex measurement unit is examined experimentally and numerically. Within the working group 8.41, a variety of industrially relevant configurations with different oil, water, and gas flow rates are simulated with the commercial CFD code ANSYS Fluent. Depending on the prescribed superficial velocities of the gas and liquid phases, different flow patterns are observed at the end of the inflow section, which have an influence on the accuracy of the Venturi meter. The CFD simulations allow a visualization of the different structures in all parts of the geometry, even in areas that are hardly observable in experiments. Furthermore, the influence of different parameters (like the use of different fluids in the laboratories taking part in the experimental intercomparison of the project) on the pressure measurement in the Venturi tube has been investigated. An advantage of the simulation over the experiment is that it is possible to change only one parameter and keep the others constant. Thus, the influence of the different parameters can be investigated separately.

Partners

  • 4 European national Metrology Institutes 
  • 3 Universities
  • 11 Industrial partners