Handheld digital manometer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current handheld manometers for testing flow rate through conduits, particularly using pitotless nozzles, are inconvenient and limited by pressure resolution, making them unsuitable for diagnosing borderline cases due to errors in pressure measurement exceeding 5% of full scale.
Innovation Solution
A high-precision, handheld, battery-operated manometer with a user-friendly interface and third-order calibration for pressure transducers, enabling accurate measurement of differential pressure and flow rate (GPM) without external tables, featuring adjustable damping, data storage, and auto-off functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional pressure transducers are used in handheld manometers, then the device is simple and inexpensive, but the pressure resolution is limited to about 5% of full scale
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters of the pressure transducer by applying third-order polynomial calibration curves to transform the transducer's output. This mathematical transformation converts the limited resolution output into high-resolution pressure measurements, achieving 0.05% full scale resolution from transducers that would normally provide only 5% resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational layer (the microprocessor with calibration algorithms) between the pressure transducer and the display. This intermediary processes the raw transducer signals through third-order polynomial transformations, effectively mediating the transition from low-resolution sensor output to high-resolution measurement display.
2Ease of operation
If conventional handheld manometers are used, then the device structure is simple, but additional user steps and external tables are required to determine GPM
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated device: pressure measurement, flow rate calculation, and display. By combining the pressure transducer, microprocessor with calibration data, and display unit into one handheld device, the system eliminates the need for separate external tables or manual calculations, allowing users to directly read GPM values from the display.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-service by automatically calculating flow rates from pressure measurements using内置 calibration curves. The microprocessor automatically applies the third-order polynomial transformations and computes GPM values without requiring user intervention or external reference materials, making the device completely self-sufficient for flow rate determination.
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 solution provides significantly improved pressure resolution, reducing measurement errors from 5% to 0.05% of full scale, enabling precise detection of small flow rate variations and simplifying the measurement process for various flow elements.
Implementation Method 1
the resolution of the pressure transducers used in the device
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for measuring a flow rate through a nozzle include generating a first polynomial relationship between pressure and output voltage for a first pressure transducer located at one end of the nozzle and generating a second polynomial relationship between pressure and output voltage for a second pressure transducer located at another end of the nozzle. When a first voltage signal is received from the first pressure transducer and a second voltage signal from the second pressure transducer, the associated first and second pressures are generated based on the first and second polynomial relationships. A flow rate through the nozzle is then constructed based on the difference between the first pressure and the second pressure.