High temperature, high bandwidth pressure acquisition system

• US 8,578,782 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kulite Semiconductor Products Inc
• Original Assignee: Kulite Semiconductor Products Inc
• Inventors: Kurtz, Anthony D., Ned, Alexander A., VanDeWeert, Joseph R.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US13/253,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/721
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 15/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring two or more fluid pressure values simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/00 Measuring steady of quasi-steady pressure of fluid or fluent solid material by electric or magnetic pressure-sensitive elements G01L11/004 takes precedence; Transmitting or indicating the displacement of mechanical pressure-sensitive elements, used to measure the steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluid or fluent solid material, by electric or magnetic means measuring differences of two or more pressure values G01L13/00; measuring two or more pressure values simultaneously G01L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/065 with temperature compensating means non electric temperature compensating means G01L19/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 9/06 Measuring arrangements specially adapted for aerodynamic testing

Abstract

A system for measuring a multiplicity of pressures as those experienced by a model in a wind tunnel is depicted. The system includes individual sensor devices which are connected to an electronics module. The sensors may be connected to the electronics module via a cable in a first embodiment. In an alternate embodiment, the sensors may be connected to the electronics module via a mating connector located therebetween. A memory component which stores compensation coefficients associated with each of the sensors may also be included in the system to correct errors associated with each sensor. The advantage of the various embodiments is that each sensor does not have any compensation stored thereon and thus, the sensors can be made very small to operate at very high temperatures without any loss of accuracy.

Claims

1. A pressure transducer assembly for measuring a plurality of pressures, comprising:

a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor transmits a signal indicative of a sensed pressure condition;

a memory component having a plurality of storage locations storing correction coefficients for each sensor;

an electronic assembly having a plurality of inputs, wherein each input receives a signal from a corresponding sensor; and

a processor in electrical communication with the memory component and the electronic assembly, wherein the processor corrects errors associated with each signal using a corresponding correction coefficient and outputs a corrected signal for each sensor.

2. The pressure transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein the processor is located in the electronic assembly.

3. The pressure transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein the memory component is located in the electronic assembly.

4. The pressure transducer assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of cables that connects a corresponding sensor to the electronic assembly.

5. The pressure transducer assembly of claim 4, wherein each cable is connected to a spring loaded reel device to automatically retract the corresponding sensor when not in use.

6. The pressure transducer assembly of claim 4, wherein each cable is connected to a connector, with said electronic assembly having a mating connector for each cable.

7. The pressure transducer assembly of claim 1, wherein each sensor is a piezoresistive semiconductor sensor.

8. The pressure transducer assembly of claim 7, wherein each sensor comprises a Wheatstone bridge array.

9. A method for measuring a plurality of pressures, comprising;

sensing a first applied pressure condition via a first sensor;

sensing a second applied pressure condition via a second sensor;

transmitting a first signal indicative of the first applied pressure condition and a second signal indicative of the second applied pressure condition to an electronic assembly;

reading a first correction coefficient for the first sensor and a second correction coefficient for the second sensor, wherein the first and second correction coefficients are stored in a memory component;

correcting errors associated with the first signal using the first correction coefficient and the second signal using the second correction coefficient; and

outputting a first corrected signal for the first sensor and a second corrected signal for the second sensor.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the first and second signals to the electronic assembly via a first multiplexer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting the first and second correction coefficients via a second multiplexer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second signals are in analog form.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising amplifying the first and second analog signals via an amplifier.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising converting the first and second analog signals to first and second digital signals via an analog to digital converter.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first applied pressure condition and the second applied pressure condition are different.