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This paper presents a new estimation method to determine the optimal number of transducers using an Ultrasonic Velocity Profile (UVP) for accurate flow rate measurement downstream of a single elbow. Since UVP can measure velocity profiles over a pipe diameter and calculate the flow rate by integrating these velocity profiles, it is also expected to obtain an accurate flow rate using multiple transducers under nondeveloped flow conditions formed downstream of an elbow. The new estimation method employs a wave number of velocity profile fluctuations along a circle on a pipe cross-section using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The optimal number of transducers is estimated based on the sampling theorem. To evaluate this method, a preliminary experiment and numerical simulations using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) are conducted. The evaluating regions of velocity profiles are located at 3 times of a pipe diameter () for the experiment, and 1 and for the simulations downstream of an elbow, respectively. Reynolds numbers for the experiment and simulations are set at and , respectively. These results indicate the efficiency of this new method.

Twin vortices flow behavior with out-of-plane angle effect in double bent pipe system is studied numerically and experimentally. Double bent pipe system generates very complicated flow behavior including twin vortices in the downstream of the double bent. Moreover, angle from the plane of the double bent forms more complicated flow behavior due to the flow twist by out-of-plane angle. In this study, numerical analysis is examined for this double bent system using three-dimensional CFD code, FLUENT, to reproduce those complicated flow behaviors with twin vortices. Numerical results are compared with experimental results obtained by Ultrasonic Velocity Profiler (UVP). Discrepancy between numerical and experimental result is discussed changing out-ofplane angle, α. Velocity profiles obtained by numerical results are converted into UVP profiles, and they are compared with the experimental results by UVP. Consequently, velocity behavior especially around the pipe wall obtained by numerical results is agreed with experimental results.