https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201921302010
Steady and transient flow structure in a rotameter with a ball float
Selcuk University, Mechanical Engineering Department, 42003 Konya, Turkey
* Corresponding author: ecanli@selcuk.edu.tr
Published online: 28 June 2019
Dimensions and material specifications of a commercial rotameter were used for investigating steady and transient flow structure in a rotameter with a ball float. Since drag coefficient of sphere versus Reynolds number is well known and the range of the commercial rotameter is given, the investigation relies on strong validation data. An axially symmetric geometric model is used for steady analysis of the system as the initial step of the investigation. Assessing the proper mesh structure and turbulence model is aimed for this step. Then full three dimensional solid model is put into transient analysis with RANS and LES models. Vortex shedding frequency, Strouhal number and drag coefficient values are evaluated. Vortex induced vibrations are assessed according to transient results. The work is a preliminary study for future investigation on rotameter floats. The framework of future studies is also presented.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2019
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
