Flow Rate Meter Plate Member Bypass Flow Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Flow rate meters with a bypass path outlet design often experience flow separation when the bypass flow joins the main flow, leading to vortex formation and reduced measurement accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A flow rate meter design featuring a plate member arranged parallel to the sidewall of the housing, intersecting the center line perpendicular to the main flow direction, which redirects the bypass flow to align with the main flow, reducing separation and vortex occurrence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the bypass path outlet is designed as a through-hole in the housing sidewall, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but flow separation occurs when the bypass flow joins the main flow
Solution Approach 1:
A guide wall is introduced as an intermediary structure between the bypass path outlet and the main flow path. This guide wall mediates the transition of bypass flow by providing a gradual transition surface that redirects the flow smoothly into the main flow direction, preventing sudden separation and vortex formation while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wall is designed with a curved surface that transitions from the bypass path outlet to the main flow direction. This curvature allows the bypass flow to gradually change direction and merge smoothly with the main flow, eliminating sharp edges that would cause flow separation and improving measurement reliability
2Stability of the object's composition
If guide walls and guide plates are added to restrict spatial diffusion of separated flow, then flow diffusion is reduced, but the occurrence of flow separation is not prevented and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the root cause of flow separation by removing sharp edges and abrupt transitions at the bypass path outlet. By designing a smooth curved transition surface, the separation problem is prevented at its source rather than attempting to control or contain the separated flow with additional components
Solution Approach 2:
The guide wall is designed to preliminarily redirect the bypass flow before it joins the main flow. The curved surface gradually changes the flow direction in advance, ensuring smooth integration with the main flow and preventing separation from occurring in the first place
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The plate member effectively reduces flow separation and vortex formation, enhancing the accuracy of flow measurement by ensuring the bypass flow smoothly integrates with the main flow.
Implementation Method 1
the plate member can change a flow direction of air flowing from the through-hole to a direction parallel with the sidewall
Implementation Method 2
the flow separation that occurs when the flow from the outlet joins the main flow can be reduced
Data Source
AI summary
A flow rate meter has (i) a housing therein defines a bypass path in which a part of the main flow flows, and (ii) a flow rate sensor that is arranged in the bypass path. The housing has a sidewall arranged to extend along a main flow direction. The bypass path has, as an outlet, a through-hole that is defined in the sidewall. The flow rate meter further has a plate member that is arranged to face the sidewall and defines a space into which a part of the main flow flowing outside of the housing flows. The plate member is arranged parallel with the sidewall and intersects with a center line that is perpendicular to the main flow direction and passes through a center of the through-hole.