CFD Methodology Presented at IMECE 2023

On October 30 – November 3, 2023, CIVS Associate Director for Operations for CIVS and Research Associate Professor, Armin Silaen presented “Optimization of Vane-Style Variable Area Flowmeter Calibration Through CFD Analysis” at the 2023 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) in New Orleans, LA.

The main aim of this work was to perform calibration of a Vane-style variable area flowmeter. To achieve this, a series of CFD simulations were conducted for different flow rates of water. The angles at which the vane of the flowmeter settled were recorded and plotted for all flowrates. The results obtained from the simulations were compared to experimental data to validate their accuracy. A grid sensitivity analysis was also performed to determine the effect of mesh size on the accuracy of the results. The study found that a finer mesh size produced more accurate results compared to a coarser mesh.

Thanks to Dwyer Instruments, Inc. flowmeters for the support in the course of the project. The Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) at Purdue University Northwest is gratefully acknowledged in the publication, for providing all the resources required for this work.

The International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) is ASME’s largest research and development (R&D) conference focused primarily on mechanical engineering while encompassing perspectives from many engineering disciplines. Each year, roughly 2,400 papers, presentations, and posters are presented at IMECE in 17 core tracks. Attendees include the leading researchers in their representative disciplines from academia, government, and industry R&D labs. The greatest strength of IMECE is the breadth of research presented. With approximately 30 parallel sessions running over a 4-day technical program, every field is addressed. From critical advancements in mature fields to new and innovative areas of R&D.