FLOW SENSING DEVICE INCLUDING A TAPERED FLOW CHANNEL

• US 20100154559A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Speldrich, Jamie
• Granted Patent: US 8,104,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6842 with means for influencing the fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6845 Micromachined devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/72 Devices for measuring pulsing fluid flows
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 5/00 Measuring a proportion of the volume flow

Abstract

A fluid flow sensing device can include a tapered fluid flow channel formed into a main channel defining a fluid flow tube as an alternate fluid flow path. A tapered fluid flow channel can bypass some fluid flow from the main fluid flow channel into said alternate fluid flow path and a flow sensor disposed within said alternate fluid flow path. The tapered flow channel is tapered in a direction of fluid flow toward said flow sensor to thereby reduce flow eddies and enable optimal sensing performance by fluid flow sensor. An upstream fluid flow channel and a downstream fluid flow channel can be molded into the main fluid flow channel, especially bypassed in the fluid flow path of the main fluid flow channel. A fluid flow sensor can be placed between the upstream fluid flow channel and the downstream fluid flow channel for measuring fluid flow rate the channel.

Claims

1. A fluid flow sensing device for use in sensing a flow of a fluid through a main channel, the fluid flow sensing device comprising:

a housing defining;

an input port configured to be in fluid communication with the main channel;

an outlet port configured to be in fluid communication with the main channel downstream of the input port;

a flow channel extending between the input port and the output port, wherein the flow channel has a tapered region having a tapered inner dimension extending along at least part of the flow channel, wherein the tapered region is tapered from a larger inner dimension to a smaller inner dimension in a direction of fluid flow through the flow channel; and

a fluid flow sensor exposed to the flow channel of the housing for measuring the flow of a fluid flowing through the flow channel of the housing, the tapered region of the flow channel directing fluid towards and across the fluid flow sensor.

2. The flow sensing device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one fluid flow restrictor arranged within said main channel upstream of the input port of the housing,

said at least one fluid flow restrictor restricting a fluid flow rate within said main channel and said flow channel of the housing.

3. The flow sensing device of claim 1, wherein said tapered region is tapered by reducing a dimension of the tapered region as said tapered region approaches the fluid flow sensor.

4. The flow sensing device of claim 3, wherein said dimension of the tapered region is continuously reduced along at least part of the tapered region.

5. The flow sensing device of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a gas or a liquid.

6. The flow sensing device of claim 1, wherein said main channel has a cross-sectional shape selected from a group comprising triangle, square, rectangle, semi-circle and semi-oval.

7. The flow sensing device of claim 1, wherein said flow channel of the housing includes the tapered region upstream of the fluid flow sensor and a downstream channel region downstream of the fluid flow sensor.

8. The flow sensing device of claim 7, wherein the downstream channel region includes a downstream tapered region that is tapered from a smaller inner dimension to a larger inner dimension in a direction of fluid flow through the flow channel.

9. A fluid flow sensing device, comprising:

a main fluid flow channel defining at least one fluid flow path, through which a fluid flows;

an upstream fluid flow channel and a downstream fluid flow channel connecting said main flow channel to an interconnecting fluid flow channel, wherein said at least one upstream fluid flow channel, said at least one downstream fluid flow channel and said interconnecting fluid flow channel collectively provide an additional fluid flow path for fluid flowing through said main fluid flow channel; and

a fluid flow sensor disposed between said at least one upstream flow channel and said at least one downstream fluid flow channel in the interconnecting fluid flow channel for measuring a fluid flow rate of the fluid in said interconnecting fluid flow channel, wherein at least part of the interconnecting fluid flow channel includes a tapered region upstream of the fluid flow sensor having a tapered inner dimension extending along at least part of the interconnecting fluid flow channel, wherein the tapered region is tapered from a larger inner dimension to a smaller inner dimension in a direction of fluid flow through the interconnecting fluid flow channel.

10. The flow sensing device of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one fluid flow restrictor arranged within said main fluid flow channel upstream of the upstream fluid flow channel, said at least one fluid flow restrictor provided to limit fluid flow rate within said main fluid flow channel and said interconnecting fluid flow channel.

11. The flow sensing device of claim 9, wherein said interconnecting fluid flow channel includes an upstream tapered region upstream of the fluid flow sensor and a downstream tapered region downstream of the fluid flow sensor, wherein the downstream tapered region is tapered from a smaller inner dimension to a larger inner dimension in a direction of fluid flow through the interconnecting fluid flow channel

12. The fluid flow sensing device of claim 9, wherein the fluid comprises a gas or a liquid.

13. The flow sensing device of claim 9, wherein said main flow channel has a cross-sectional shape selected from a group comprising triangle, square, rectangle, semi-circle and semi-oval.

14. The fluid flow sensing device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the upstream fluid flow channel and said downstream fluid flow channel include a rounded inner profile when transitioning to the interconnecting fluid flow channel.

15. A fluid flow sensing device, comprising:

a bypass fluid flow channel in fluid communication with a main fluid flow channel, wherein the bypass fluid flow channel provides a bypass for at least

a flow sensor disposed within said bypass fluid flow channel, wherein said bypass fluid flow channel includes a tapered region that is tapered in a direction of fluid flow toward said fluid flow sensor to thereby reduce fluid flow eddies and enable optimal sensing performance by said fluid flow sensor; and

at least one flow restrictor arranged within said main fluid flow channel upstream of the bypass fluid flow channel, said at least one fluid flow restrictor provided to restrict a fluid flow rate within said main fluid flow channel and said bypass fluid flow channel.

16. The fluid flow sensing device of claim 15, wherein said tapered region of the bypass fluid flow channel is tapered by increasing an inner dimension toward a fluid flow inlet and reducing the inner dimension as said tapered region approaches the fluid flow sensor.

17. The fluid flow sensing device of claim 15, wherein the fluid comprises a gas or a liquid.

18. The fluid flow sensing device of claim 15, wherein said main fluid flow channel has a cross-sectional shape selected from a group comprising triangle, square, rectangle, semi-circle and semi-oval.

19. The flow sensing device of claim 15, wherein said bypass fluid flow channel includes an upstream the tapered region upstream of the fluid flow sensor and a tapered downstream region downstream of the fluid flow sensor.

20. The fluid flow sensing device of claim 15, wherein the bypass fluid flow path is defined by a fluid flow tube.