Patent ID: 6237426
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
An airflow sensor for mounting within a flow conduit having a radius, an inner wall and defining an upstream direction and a downstream direction, the airflow sensor comprising:(a) a central hub comprising an exterior having an upstream surface and a downstream surface, a side surface connecting said upstream surface and said downstream surface, an interior comprising two hollow chambers, and at least one static pressure port located on the side surface of the hub, a first of said chambers communicating with the exterior of the hub through said at least one static pressure port;(b) a plurality of upstream airflow sensing tubes extending radially outwardly from said central hub and communicating with a second of said chambers, each of said tubes having a hollow interior, an exterior, an upstream facing surface and a downstream facing surface on said exterior, an outermost end, and at least one total pressure port, the hollow interior communicating with the exterior of the tube through said at least one total pressure port, each said at least one total pressure port comprising a hole formed through said upstream facing surface of said tube; and(c) attachment means provided at the outermost end of each of said upstream airflow sensing tubes and attached to said inner wall of the flow conduit;wherein said at least one static pressure port comprises a plurality of said static pressure ports, said plurality corresponding in number to said plurality of upstream airflow sensing tubes, said static pressure ports being located downstream relative to said upstream airflow sensing tubes, and wherein each of said static pressure ports is angularly aligned with one of said upstream airflow sensing tubes, and wherein the upstream facing surface of each said upstream airflow sensing tubes is streamlined and the downstream facing surface is flat.