This document defines pulsating flow, compares it with steady flow, indicates how it can be detected, and describes the effects it has on orifice plates, nozzles or Venturi tubes, turbine and vortex flowmeters when these devices are being used to measure fluid flow in a pipe. These particular flowmeter types feature in this document because they are amongst those types most susceptible to pulsation effects. Methods for correcting the flowmeter output signal for errors produced by these effects are described for those flowmeter types for which this is possible. When correction is not possible, measures to avoid or reduce the problem are indicated. Such measures include the installation of pulsation damping devices and/or choice of a flowmeter type which is less susceptible to pulsation effects.

This document applies to flow in which the pulsations are generated at a single source which is situated either upstream or downstream of the primary element of the flowmeter. Its applicability is restricted to conditions where the flow direction does not reverse in the measuring section but there is no restriction on the waveform of the flow pulsation. The recommendations within this document apply to both liquid and gas flows although with the latter the validity might be restricted to gas flows in which the density changes in the measuring section are small as indicated for the particular type of flowmeter under discussion.