Kiel-Style Pressure Probe Drainage for Wet Steam Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Total-pressure probes in turbine environments face accuracy issues due to the formation of water 'legs' in pressure tubing during wet-steam measurements, where the length of water legs is unknown and dry air purging affects measurement accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A pressure probe design with a larger-diameter open-ended shroud and drainage apertures adjacent to the remote sensing tip, allowing for effective drainage of moisture and preventing water leg formation, enhancing measurement accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pressure tubing is used to measure total pressure in wet-steam environment, then pressure measurement can be obtained, but water legs form in the tubing causing measurement inaccuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful moisture from the pressure tubing system by providing drainage apertures in the shroud that allow water to escape. The shroud acts as a protective structure with integrated drainage pathways that remove water before it can enter and form legs in the pressure tubing, thereby preventing the harmful effect while maintaining pressure measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The shroud serves as an intermediary structure between the wet-steam environment and the pressure tubing. It provides a protective barrier while incorporating drainage apertures that mediate the removal of moisture. This intermediary structure prevents direct contact between moisture and the pressure tubing while still allowing the system to function in wet conditions.
2Reliability
If dry air is used to purge the pressure tubing of moisture, then water legs can be removed, but the accuracy of pressure measurements is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system becomes self-sufficient in moisture removal through the drainage apertures in the shroud. Instead of requiring external purging with dry air, the drainage system automatically removes water through gravity-driven flow. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for disruptive purging operations that compromise measurement accuracy while maintaining continuous moisture removal capability.
3Device complexity
If conventional Kiel-style probe design is used, then probe structure is simple, but moisture accumulates in pressure tubing over time
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is segmented with multiple drainage apertures positioned at different locations, creating multiple independent drainage pathways. This segmentation allows moisture to be removed through various routes, enhancing the reliability of moisture prevention while maintaining relatively simple overall probe structure. The distributed aperture pattern ensures comprehensive drainage coverage without requiring complex mechanisms.
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 effectively inhibits the formation of water legs in the pressure tubing, thereby improving the accuracy of total-pressure measurements in high-moisture conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a forward end of the open-ended shroud is formed with at least two drainage apertures in proximity to the remote sensing tip
Data Source
AI summary
A Kiel-style pressure probe includes pressure tubing having a remote sending end, the pressure tubing extending through an open-ended shroud, wherein the shroud has a diameter of at least about 0.375 to 0.50 inch and wherein a forward end of the shroud is formed with at least two drainage apertures in proximity to the remote sensing tip of the pressure tubing.