United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Gas Research Institute

Bharatan R Patel

Sukhvinder Singh Kang

Douglas R Barnes

Richard G Sam

F Miguel Joos

Kirankumar M Kothari

William E Nutt

Kirankumar K Kothari

A temperature time-of-flight (TOF) sensor is combined with a nozzle of known flow area to create a TOF flowmeter. The TOF measured by the flow sensor provides a measure of gas volumetric flow rate. A TOF sensor has of a pulse heated wire and a single temperature sensor downstream of the wire. This single temperature sensor arrangement allows the accurate measurement of gas velocities much lower than the previously demonstrated limit of 0.3 m/s. The TOF sensor combined with a nozzle creates a new device such that the TOF measured with this device provides a measure of the gas flow rate rather than just the gas velocity. More than one nozzle in series is combined to achieve high flow measuring ranges. Compensation for variations in the thermophysical properties of the gas being metered is provided by pulsing the heated wire and measuring sensor outputs when both are immersed in the gas at zero velocity.

Gas flowmeter using thermal time-of-flight principle

The present invention provides a wide range fluid flowmeter, having a body with a central air flow passage and a target in the air flow passage to direct fluid flow to one of the first and second flow loops. The fluid alternates between the first and second flow loops to create an oscillatory system, whose frequency can be measured to determine fluid flow rate. A preferred frequency measuring device is a piezoelectric diaphragm provided within the body of the flowmeter. In a preferred embodiment, a low flow rate sensor is provided in a nozzle of the flowmeter proximal the inlet to the body of the oscillatory, high flow rate flowmeter. The low flow rate sensor can incorporate a convection system which measures flow rates beyond the lower scale of the oscillatory flowmeter, thereby providing an apparatus and a method for measuring flow rates in a compact flowmeter, and with greater efficiency than previous apparatuses and methods. In its preferred embodiment, the low flow rate sensor is a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor provided in a constricted nozzle proximal the inlet to the oscillatory flowmeter.

Fluidic gas flowmeter with large flow metering range

A separator for removing frozen or condensed water from an air stream, such as to aircraft environmental and avionics cooling systems, is described which comprises a generally tubular housing having an inlet and outlet, one or more flexible disks and baffle plates disposed in preselected spacing within the housing to define a tortuous air path therethrough, a motor, such as in the form of a magnetic pulse solenoid, operatively connected to each disk for controllably flexing each disk whereby moisture deposited on the disk is removed, and a conduit operatively connected to the housing for draining moisture therefrom.

Compact device for continuous removal of water from an airstream-cascade

A separator for removing frozen or condensed water from an air stream, such as to aircraft environmental and avionics cooling systems, is described which comprises a generally tubular housing having an inlet and outlet, one or more screens of selected mesh size disposed in preselected spacing generally transverse of a direction of air flow within the housing, a brush or wiper disposed against each screen for removing moisture from each screen, either the screen or contacting brush being rotatable relative to the other, a motor operatively connected to the rotatable screen or brush for rotating one against the other to remove moisture from the screen, and a conduit operatively connected to the housing for draining moisture therefrom.

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Etna, NH, United States of America

Bharatan R Patel