Monolithic Thermal Flow Sensor Housing for Heat Transfer Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal flow measuring devices face measurement errors due to changes in heat transfer at joints, which are prone to stress concentrations and non-reproducible production conditions when welded seams are used.
Innovation Solution
A thermal flow measuring device with a metal sensor housing where pin sleeves are connected seam-freely to the hollow body, allowing for monolithic construction and thin, elongated pin sleeves with heaters and temperature sensors, enabling thermal decoupling and improved heat distribution, and optionally including a third pin sleeve for direction detection and drift compensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If welded seams are used to connect pin sleeves to the hollow body, then the device can be manufactured using conventional assembly methods, but measurement errors occur due to changes in heat transfer at the joints with temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The pin sleeves and hollow body are merged into a single monolithic component manufactured by additive manufacturing, eliminating the welded joint that caused heat transfer variations and measurement errors. This integration ensures consistent thermal properties throughout the structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing method is changed from conventional welding to additive manufacturing, fundamentally altering how the components are joined. This parameter change in the manufacturing process eliminates the joint-related heat transfer issues while maintaining ease of manufacture through digital fabrication.
2Ease of manufacture
If welded seams are used to connect pin sleeves to the hollow body, then the device can be assembled from separate parts, but stress concentrations occur at the joints leading to reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The pin sleeves and hollow body are combined into a single monolithic structure, eliminating the welded joints that created stress concentrations. This merger removes the weak points in the structure while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through additive processes.
3Strength
If pin sleeves are made thicker for structural strength, then the device can withstand higher mechanical loads, but the response time to flow changes decreases due to slower heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The pin sleeves are designed with non-uniform wall thickness, featuring thinner sections where heat transfer is critical for rapid response and thicker sections where structural strength is required. This local variation in geometry optimizes both thermal performance and mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from uniform cylindrical pin sleeves to elongated structures with varied cross-sectional properties. By introducing dimensional variation along the length of the pin sleeves, the structure achieves both rapid thermal response in contact regions and structural strength in support regions.
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
This design minimizes measurement errors by ensuring consistent heat transfer and rapid response to flow changes, while maintaining stability and chemical resistance, and allows for accurate flow direction detection and drift compensation.
Implementation Method 1
at the gap, or joint, the heat transfers change in the case of temperature change
Implementation Method 2
a temperature sensor is arranged for ascertaining the temperature of the medium
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal, flow measuring device comprising a sensor with a metal sensor housing, which has a hollow body for connecting to a plug-in apparatus and/or a tube or pipe wall, wherein the hollow body has a base area; wherein the sensor housing has at least first and second pin sleeves, which protrude starting from the base area, wherein the metal sensor housing is embodied as one piece and the pin sleeves and the hollow body are connected together seam freely, especially weld seam freely.