Flow in a Rotating Straight Pipe, With a View on Coriolis Mass Flow Meters

Abstract

The fully developed flow through a straight pipe, which rotates about an axis perpendicular to its own, is considered. The perturbation of the Hagen-Poiseuille flow, produced by the pipe rotation, is computed to second order and its features are described. The force of the fluid on the rotating pipe is correlated with other parameters of the flow, among them the mass flow rate Q̇. Possible relevance of the flow field and of the fluid forces in the rotating pipe for Coriolis flow meters are discussed.