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ARTICLE CRITIQUE REPORT FOR THE COURSE

CHE131 A01

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SUBMITTED BY:
PABALAN, FRANCIS AERON R.
2012102620
B.S CHEMICAL ENGINEERING / 4

AUGUST 14 2017
Analysis of flow through an orifice meter: CFD simulation

Manish S. Shah, Jyeshtharaj B. Joshi Avtar S.Kals, C. S. R. Prasad, Daya S. Shukla

Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga, Mumbai

400019, India
Chemical Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Trombay, Mumbai 400085,
India
Homi Bhabha National Institute, Trombay, Mumbai 400094, India

Article history:
Received 29 July 2011
Received in revised form 11 November 2011
Accepted 14 November 2011
Available online 1 December 2011
Available from: doi:10.1016/j.ces.2011.11.022

Abstract

Orifice meters are the most common instruments used for fluid flow measurement because

of its ruggedness, simple mechanical construction and other known advantages. Orifice

coefficients are empirical because of difficulty in accurately predicting the effects of geometrical

complicacy and flow separation from the wall on the flow. In the present paper, Computational

Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation has been used to predict the orifice flow with better accuracy.

CFD simulations have been performed using OpenFOAM-1.6 solver and validated with the

published experimental data of Nail (1991) and Morrison et al. (1993). CFD simulations have been

validated with pressure drop and energy balance of our experimental data of water as fluid. The

outcomes of the CFD simulations in terms of profiles of velocity, pressure, etc. are discussed in

detail. A new scheme has been proposed to track vena-contracta with the help of CFD and with a

suitable provision in the hardware of orifice meter. The new scheme maintains the existing

advantages of orifice meters and provides better accuracy and sensitivity.

 This is a review of the journal Analysis of flow through an orifice meter: CFD simulation

of Manish S. Shah, Jyeshtharaj B. Joshi Avtar S.Kals, C. S. R. Prasad, and Daya S. Shukla. The

review is about what are the points, concepts, problems and others that the authors want to share

and prove.

The journal article Analysis of flow through an orifice meter: CFD simulation is a practical

and educational article which discussed a computer program or application that develops a method

in solving flows through an orifice meter in faster and efficient way. The main purpose of the

article is to design a method of solving flow of fluids through an orifice meter using different

computer application, algorithms and equations available. This project was made to cater the

limitations of the traditional way of solving the flow through an orifice meter which are not

efficient is some cases due to limited data obtained. Orifice meters is supplied with discharge

coefficient and installation procedure, which the discharge coefficient is obtained from

experimental measurements where it is in controlled condition.

The main problem of the CFDs are the techniques used requires reliable experimental data

on flow profiles to validate its outcome The main objective of the author is to use CFD to

accurately compute for fluid flows through an orifice meter because it is very important to have

information on flow rates of various chemical process streams with adequate accuracy in the

plants, especially when it has direct influence in efficiency and productivity of a given process.

The methods to achieve the objectives are studying previous works related and analyze what can

be modified to calibrate to orifice meters standards. To summarize, through reliable experimental

data are available, comprehensive information is not available in the published literature on the

predicted flow structure downstream of orifice explaining the flow features using CFD

simulations.
 The author cites theories, models and other approaches in this method such as governing

equations, grid independence, boundary conditions and Energy balance. There are strengths and

weaknesses presented in the article, such as the advantages and disadvantages of experiments done

to acquire flow discharge coefficient compared to the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics. It is

also known that the actual locations of vena-contracta change with flow rates and may not match

the vena-contracta tapping. It is shown that in the CFD simulation, it is possible to locate the vena-

contracta. Using this capability of CFD, a suitable modification in the hardware has been proposed

to position the pressure tap at vena-contracta for flow measurement with better accuracy and

sensitivity without compromising the existing advantages of orifice meter. The author did

recommend that the advancement in the CFD, availability of high speed computing machines and

robust solvers have encouraged the authors to make an attempts on predicting orifice flow with

better accuracy.

In conclusion, the article is not mid-level type of read as for the methods and equations

used are too technical and advanced but the purpose is simple and understandable. The information

given in this article is very important for Chemical Engineering students because this type of

development in the field is a great addition to the many methods that can give results that efficient

not only in data gathered but also the time and cost invested in the method. I totally agree with the

major points and premises that the author presented, he tackled first the limitations of the present

works and then presented the solutions to these limitations and developed a new method. The one

idea the impressed me the most is that using CFDs, the cost of analyzing fluid flows can be cut

down and even with the cost cutting, it is much more accurate than the experimental way of

analyzing. Flow through an orifice meter has been simulated successfully using CFD technique

using OpenFOAM-1.6 solver. There is no major concern for this article because the authors
presented it well and it is validated through a very good agreement between experimental data and

CFD predictions viz. energy balance, flow pattern, pressure recovery, velocity profiles, pressure

profiles, and sensitivity analysis of turbulence model parameters, validates the CFD prediction and

also the applicability of standard k- turbulence model for capturing turbulence effect in orifice

flow.

Overall, the article is a very informative article that presented the development of a new

method in solving fluid flows through an orifice meter. This developed method is also concluded

that it can be used as an alternative and cost effective tool towards replacement of experiments

required for estimation discharge coefficient, empirically. Validity of proposed design of an orifice

meter with a provision to track vena-contracta using CFD technique has been explained with

predicted linear relationship between flow rate and maximum pressure drop through an orifice,

however, its performance has to be evaluated, experimentally, in small pipeline before using the

design for higher bore pipelines.