Systems and methods for measuring low speed fluid flow
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsErcan M. Dede, Yuqing Zhou, Feng Zhou, Danny Lohan
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are an apparatus and method fluid flow measurements which include a pressure transducer and a flexible tube. The pressure transducer is tuned to measure flow speeds having a Reynolds number less than 100 and include an inlet. The flexible tube has a first end fluidly coupled to the inlet and a second end positioned adjacent to and in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid outlets of a microchannel flow structure. Each of the plurality of fluid outlets has a cross section defining an outlet area. The second end has a cross section defining a flexible tube area that is larger than the outlet area.
Claims9
A fluid flow velocity measurement apparatus comprising:
- a pressure transducer tuned to measure flow speeds having a Reynolds number less than 100 and comprising an inlet;
- and
- a flexible tube having a first end fluidly coupled to the inlet and a second end positioned adjacent to and in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid outlets of a microchannel flow structure, each of the plurality of fluid outlets having a cross section defining an outlet area, the second end having a cross section defining a flexible tube area that is larger than the outlet area.
A method for measuring fluid flow velocity comprising:
- translating a flexible tube to be adjacent to and in fluid communication with a portion of a plurality of fluid outlets each having a cross section defining an outlet area, the flexible tube having a cross section defining a flexible tube area that is larger than the outlet area;
- receiving a portion of the fluid flow from the portion of the plurality of fluid outlets via the flexible tube;
- determining an experimental pressure of the portion of the fluid flow by a pressure transducer via the flexible tube;
- and
- applying a correction factor to the experimental pressure to determine a corrected pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.