ANSYS today announced that German flowmeter manufacturer VSE Volumentechnik GmbH uses tools from ANSYS to improve the performance of its industrial flowmeters. Fluid dynamics analysis enabled the company to virtually identify and troubleshoot specific noise, vibration and pressure loss problems, resulting in the elimination of excessive gear wear and worker discomfort. VSE’s flowmeters are used to measure critical fluid flows in a wide range of applications, from pharmaceutical processing to power generation to automotive manufacturing.

“Because our instruments are designed to operate in small, fluid-filled spaces, it is difficult to analyze them under actual working conditions,” said Axel Vedder, technical director at VSE Volumentechnik. “Software from ANSYS allowed us to assess the performance of our flowmeters in a virtual environment that accurately replicated real-world operating conditions. We were able to quickly identify, and address, the relevant design issues.”

Flowmeters designed by VSE help customers around the world to ensure that their technical systems and processes are running smoothly, by measuring such fluid characteristics as volume flow rates, pressure, temperature and materials concentrations. These sensitive measurement systems indicate whether hydraulics are operating under optimal conditions, whether pipelines are running at maximum capacity, and whether additives are being properly injected into primary fluids — among many other industrial applications.

While there are many ways to measure fluid flows, VSE instruments are based on the positive displacement principle. The company’s flowmeters include a pair of gears that are continually rotated by fluid flows. As these gears rotate, they produce an output frequency that corresponds to a specific flow rate. Gear-based flowmeters represent a precise and efficient system for measuring fluid characteristics, but have traditionally included some application drawbacks — specifically, noise, vibration and pressure loss created by the constantly spinning gears. This can cause discomfort for personnel working nearby as well as excessive wear on flowmeter gears and bearings.

Using simulation software from ANSYS, VSE has been able to address these user concerns and introduce new product features that have significantly reduced its flowmeters’ noise output, vibration and negative pressure effects. Meshing technology from ANSYS enabled product engineers at VSE Volumentechnik to create three-dimensional virtual models of flowmeters, and then animate gear movement within a typical customer application. Engineers were then able to isolate those gear surface segments that were creating the greatest torque — and thus making the largest contribution to noise, vibration and pressure loss. The German firm intends to continue using software from ANSYS to assess and improve specific aspects of its product designs — with the goal of optimizing the performance of its flowmeters, creating a significant competitive advantage and potentially creating new applications for its innovative fluid measurement technologies.

“There is little room for error in this industry, as many industrial processes around the world rely upon highly accurate fluid flow measurement. To fulfill this demand, flowmeters must meet stringent requirements and be robust and reliable, all while providing precise measurements,” said Dipankar Choudhury, vice president, corporate product strategy and planning at ANSYS, Inc. “The design enhancements that VSE engineered are certain to have a far-reaching impact. ANSYS technology has helped this leading instrument manufacturer to virtually assess all the detailed aspects of its products, under real-world operating conditions, and then arrive at design improvements that will only reinforce its leadership position.”