Numerical Study of Perforated Plate Balanced Flowmeter Performance for Liquid Hydrogen

A balanced flowmeter not only inherits the advantages of orifice plate flowmeters but also stabilizes the flow field, reduces permanent pressure loss, and effectively increases the cavitation threshold. To perform an in-depth analysis of flow characteristics through the perforated plate and achieve performance optimization for the liquid hydrogen (LH2) measurement, a numerical calculation framework is established based on the mixture model, realizable turbulence closure, and Schnerr–Sauer cavitation model. The model is first evaluated through comparison with the liquid nitrogen (LN2) experimental results of a self-developed balanced flowmeter as well as the measuring setup. The flow coefficient and pressure loss coefficient are especially considered, and a comparison is made with the orifice plane considering cavitation and non-cavitation conditions. The cavitation cloud and temperature contours are also presented to illustrate the difference in the upper limit of the Re between water, LN2, and LH2 flow. The results show that compared to LN2 and water, LH2 has a larger cavitation threshold, indicating a wider range of Re number measurements.