The eddy current flow meter (ECFM) is a reliable and robust inductive sensor for the measurement of flow rates in liquid metal flows. This kind of sensor is usually being used in pipe flows where the flow is mostly parallel to the sensor axis. When this sensor is used as part of the safety instrumentation above the subassemblies in liquid metal cooled fast reactors, the flow angle may change rapidly according to the conditions within the reactor. In this paper, we investigate the performance of the ECFM in flows inclined to the sensor axis by numerical simulations as well as model experiments. We demonstrate that the ECFM yields reliable results for flow angles up to 30 deg while the sensitivity of the sensor is significantly reduced for larger angles.
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