Venturi flow sensor
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorJamie W. Speldrich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A venturi flow sensing method, system, and apparatus. A tube or chamber may be tapered from a larger to smaller diameter to create a venturi region within the tube or chamber. The venturi region causes a local increase in flow velocity. The change in velocity creates a local change in pressure which is, in turn, used to drive flow through a parallel bypass tube or chamber. Inside this bypass, a flow sensor can be located, and in some cases, a pressure sensor as well. The flow is then either exhausted back into the original tube or the bypass tube may alternatively dead end. In either case, flow can be measured without causing a significant overall pressure drop in the system.
Claims18
A method, comprising;
- providing a flow channel including a reduced diameter portion defining a venturi region;
- connecting a bypass flow channel to the flow channel, the bypass flow channel connected to the flow channel upstream of the venturi region via a first tap;
- and
- disposing a microeleetromechanical system (MEMS) based flow sensor in said bypass flow channel, said MEMS based flow sensor configured to measure a parameter of a fluid within the bypass flow channel.
A venturi flow system, comprising:
- a flow channel including a first region having a first diameter, a second region having a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter, and a third region positioned between the first region and the second region, the third region tapering from the first diameter to the second diameter and defining a venturi region;
- a first tap connected to said flow channel upstream from said venturi region;
- a second tap connected to said flow channel downstream of said first tap;
- a bypass flow channel connected to the first tap and the second tap;
- and
- a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based flow sensor located within said bypass flow channel, the MEMS based flow sensor configured to measure a parameter of a fluid in said bypass flow channel.
A venturi flow sensing apparatus, comprising:
- a flow channel including a tapered region defining venturi flow region;
- a first tap connected to said flow channel on a first side of said venturi flow region;
- a second tap connected to said flow channel, the second tap spaced a distance along the flow channel from said first tap;
- a bypass flow channel coupled to and extending between the first tap and the second tap;
- and
- a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based sensor positioned in said bypass flow channel for measuring a parameter related to a flow in said flow channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.