Abstract
In the past several years, the slotted orifice plate has been evaluated for its performance as a single phase flow meter using air and as a two-phase flow meter using water and air. These previous studies have both shown superior performance to that of the standard orifice plate flow meter. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the slotted orifice plate two-phase flow meter with water and steam as the working fluids and compare this data with previous data taken from other test facilities to further develop the calibration of this new two-phase flow meter. Tests for repeatability will be shown for beta ratios of 0.430, 0.467, and 0.500. Reproducibility will also be evaluated between a water and steam facility and three water and air facilities. This includes comparing data obtained using a set of brass slotted orifice plates and a set of stainless steel slotted orifice plates. The brass plates were tested in one water and air facility in a previous study and the stainless steel plates were tested using two phase data from air and water and also from steam and water. Differential pressure effects using water and steam as a mixture will be considered since there is a change in fluid quality as the fluid drops in pressure across an orifice plate. Reproducibility from six different data sets found using different facilities, different slotted orifice plates, and different working fluids were shown to converge to the same relationship. This relationship contained non-dimensional variables which included the calibration coefficient (KY= flow coefficient (K) multiplied by the expansion factor (Y)), the Euler number, and the beta ratio. These results were analyzed to develop a calibration for the slotted orifice plate two-phase flow meter which can ultimately be used to determine the flow rate of a two-phase mixture.
Flores, Anita Elena (2000). Evaluation of a slotted orifice plate flow meter using horizontal two phase flow. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2000 -THESIS -F573.