Venturi meters are commonly used in single and multiphase flows. The ISO standard (ISO 5167-4) provides meter discharge coefficients for Venturi meters in turbulent flows with Reynolds numbers above 2 X 10~(5). In viscous fluids, Venturi are sometimes operated in laminar flows at Reynolds numbers below the range covered by the standards. Venturi meters may also be subjected to erosion from sand entrained in the fluid. The effects of erosion on the Venturi meter performance is a concern for long-term field operations. Test data were obtained on a classical Venturi meter operating in laminar flow to measure the discharge coefficient as a function of Reynolds number. Data were obtained over a range of flow rates and fluid viscosities. Modeling using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to obtain additional insight into the Venturi meter performance in laminar flow conditions. The test setup and test results are presented, with the CFD modeling results. Tests were also conducted to evaluate the effects of erosion on Venturi meters. Three Venturi meters were exposed to oil/sand and water/sand slurry erosion. The meters were flow tested before and after exposure to the slurry flows to measure changes in the meter discharge coefficients. Dimensional changes were also recorded.
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