If you’ve ever spent time in a hospital, you may have noticed a device similar to a home thermostat mounted on the wall with a display stating “ACH”. What exactly does “ACH” stand for and why is it important in a building or hospital? Continue reading “What is ACH and Why is It Important?”
Air Velocity and Flow Measurement with Pitot Tubes
Dwyer offers many styles of Pitot tubes. Pitot tubes are commonly used sensors for monitoring air velocity and flow rate in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Some examples include the: Stainless Steel Pitot Tube Series 160, Telescoping Stainless Steel Pitot Tube Series 166T, and “S” Type Stainless Steel Pitot Tube Series 160S.
Pitot tubes are based on Bernoulli’s equation, which states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with an increase in dynamic pressure and a decrease in static pressure. Pitot tubes sense the dynamic pressure of the fluid flow at a particular point and were invented by French Engineer Henri Pitot in the early 18th century. Continue reading “Air Velocity and Flow Measurement with Pitot Tubes”
Understanding Air Velocity Sensors
Dwyer Instruments, Inc. offers a multitude of sensors for monitoring air velocity in HVAC systems. Some of this instrumentation has a simple construction (Pitot tubes, for example) while others are more complex, such as hot-wire anemometers.
The initial term and first “hot-wire anemometer” was developed back in 1914 by Louie Vesso King. He is also accredited for King’s Law, which mathematically describes heat transfer in air flows using a heated wire. As the air moves over the wire, it causes a loss of temperature in the wire and removes some of the wire’s heat energy. Continue reading “Understanding Air Velocity Sensors”
Duct Traversing for Average Air Velocity and Air Volume
The velocity of an air stream in a duct is not uniform over the cross section of the duct. This is because friction against duct walls causes the air velocity to be lower near the sides than the velocity in the center, creating a parabolic velocity profile. Continue reading “Duct Traversing for Average Air Velocity and Air Volume”
Ask the Expert – Sensing Liquid Flow with DS Flow Sensor
Question: Can the standard Series 160 Pitot Tubes be used to sense liquid flow as well as gas flow? Continue reading “Ask the Expert – Sensing Liquid Flow with DS Flow Sensor”