The effects on velocity profiles caused by upstream disturbances within flow measurement.

Accurate measuring of flow in the water industry is critical to protect our vital water supply in the UK, this is the same for abstraction, treatment, and the supply of clean water to customers. To make the industry efficient and to reduce waste of resources accurate measurement technology must be installed.

Using the correct flow meter in the correct application is not a straightforward task, there are many factors that can influence accuracy, one of those being the flow profile within the pipe and how disturbances upstream of the meter can cause shifts in the profile and may result in false readings.

This project will create a better understanding of how these disturbances are created and the distance it takes for the disturbance to dissipate; there is an understanding in the industry, and we hope to confirm or challenge those understandings. Specifically, we will be investigating the effect on clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters which are one of the most commonly used technologies to verify permanently installed flow meters in the water distribution networks.