Development of a power-independent IoT flowmeter for simultaneous measurement of each phase flowrate of gas-liquid two-phase mixtures

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K03852
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 19010:Fluid engineering-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Uchiyama Tomomi 名古屋大学, 未来材料・システム研究所, 教授 (90193911)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高牟禮 光太郎 名古屋大学, 未来材料・システム研究所, 助教 (80847335)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 気液二相流 / タービン流量計

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study presents a method that can simultaneously measure the volumetric flowrates of each phase of gas and liquid two-phase mixtures, Qg and Ql, respectively, without separating the phases. The method employs a turbine flowmeter and two pressure sensors connected to the pipes upstream and downstream of the turbine flowmeter. By measuring the rotational speed of the rotor and the pressure loss across the flowmeter, the flowrate of the two-phase mixtures Qtp (= Qg + Ql) and the gas volumetric flowrate ratio β (= Qg/Qtp) are determined. The values of Qg and Ql are calculated as βQtp and (1-β)Qtp, respectively. This study also investigates the measurement accuracies, concluding that the full-scale accuracies of Qtp, β, Qg, and Ql are 3.1 %, 4.8 %, 3.9 %, and 3 %, respectively. These accuracies demonstrate that the proposed method is a viable solution for the determination of phase-specific flowrates in gas-liquid two-phase mixtures.

Free Research Field

流体工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

円管内で気体と液体が混在して相互作用を及ぼし合いながら流れる気液二相流は，熱交換装置や反応装置など，様々な工業装置の内部で頻繁に観察される．このため，装置の動作を精密に監視・制御するうえで，気液二相流の流量測定が重要な技術となっている．とくに，気相と液相を分離することなく各相の流量を同時かつ高精度に測定できる方法の確立が切望されている．本研究では，タービン流量計と圧力センサを用いて気液二相流の各相を同時に測定できる方法を確立した．その精度は既存の技術と同程度以上であることを確認し，工業装置への実装が可能である能力をもつことも確認できた．