Outside air thermometer

• US 20070242723A1
• Filed: 03/03/2007
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stiftung Alfred-Wegener-Institut Fuer Polar-Und Meeresforschung
• Original Assignee: Stiftung Alfred-Wegener-Institut Fuer Polar-Und Meeresforschung
• Inventors: Loose, Bernd, Koenig-Langlo, Gert
• Granted Patent: US 7,753,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/29
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/20 Compensating for effects of temperature changes other than those to be measured, e.g. changes in ambient temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/02 for measuring temperature of moving fluids or granular materials capable of flow

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring the temperature of outside air provided with a thermometer mounted in a housing connected to a forced ventilation blower for drawing a current outside air across the thermometer and with a Venturi nozzle having an air penetration opening disposed orthogonally relative to the air current for generating vacuum pressure and prevent reverse flow of air through the housing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring outside air temperature, comprising:

a housing provided with input and output openings for feeding a current of outside air through the housing;

a temperature sensor mounted within the housing;

means for moving the ambient air by suction through the housing and across the temperature sensor;

a Venturi nozzle connected to the output opening and provided with a housing forming an air penetration opening disposed orthogonally relative to the outside air current for generating vacuum pressure at the air penetration opening by the outside air current moving through the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the Venturi tube comprises concentrically aligned upper and lower rotationally symmetric components provided with convexly curved semi-surfaces facing and disposed at a predetermined distance from each other.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the lower nozzle component is mounted on the sensor housing and the air penetration opening is disposed in the lower nozzle component in alignment with the output opening.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the spacing between the convexly curved semi-surfaces diminishes uniformly from all directions toward the center of the semi-surfaces.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the upper and lower nozzle components is from about one time to two times the diameter of the housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the ratio of height to diameter of the convexly curved semi-surfaces is from about 50:

1 to about 5;

1.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the convexly curved semi-surfaces of the upper and lower nozzle components are of symmetrical cross-section.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the symmetrical cross-section is identical for the upper and lower nozzle components.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the lower nozzle component is provided with one of a flat surface and recess for connecting to the sensor housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower nozzle components are formed as light structures provided with a smooth surface.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light structures are formed as hollow bodies comprising a self-supporting shell.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light structure comprises a plurality of braces and non-self-supporting shell.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light structure comprises a honeycomb structure provided with a cover-like shell.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the light structure comprises one of a foam-like and sponge-like structure provided with a smooth surface formed by compaction.