Tri Flo Tech Pitot tube measures a fluid velocity by converting the kinetic energy of the flow into potential energy. The conversion takes place at the stagnation point, located at the Pitot tube entrance (see the schematic below). A pressure higher than the free-stream (i.e. dynamic) pressure results from the kinematic to potential conversion.
This "static" pressure is measured by comparing it to the flow's dynamic pressure with a differential manometer. Tri Flo Tech can manufacture Hot tap, retractable high pressure pitot tubes from 0.8" to 126.0" in different materials. Tri Flo Tech can offer transmitters, valve manifold and condensate chambers for the pitot tubes. Tri Flo Tech calculation programme is available on our site to calculate the differential pressure or the flow rate. Tri Flo Tech can supply your exotic or hot rush pitot tube needs.
Converting the resulting differential pressure measurement into a fluid velocity depends on the particular fluid flow regime the Pitot tube is measuring. Specifically, one must determine whether the fluid regime is incompressible, subsonic compressible, or supersonic.
Things to know about pitot tubes
A pitot tube is a device commonly used for measuring fluid flow velocity. The mechanism works by converting the kinetic energy of the flow into potential energy. It is used to determine the difference between static, dynamic, and total pressure of a fluid at the same time. The device was invented by the French engineer Henri Pitot in 1732.
Initially, it was used to measure the velocity of a river.
One major advantage of using these tubes over other fluid pressure measurement instruments is that they can be easily implemented across a diverse range of environments, such as, high pressure conditions, and high temperature conditions. Read this article to know about some important facts about pitot tubes.
How It Works
A pitot tube consists of a small cylinder positioned in the pathway of the fluid. One side of the cylinder is open in order to allow the fluid to enter into the tube. Once the fluid enters into the tube, it cannot flow further, because the cylinder doesn’t have an outlet. There is a diaphragm inside the tube, which enables it to measure static pressure and stagnation pressure separately. Static pressure is measured when the fluid enters into the tube, while stagnation pressure or total pressure is measured when the fluid comes to rest. Finally, fluid flow velocity is determined considering the difference between static pressure and stagnation pressure.
Applications
Pitot tubes are used for a wide range of applications across several industries. Most common applications are seen in aircrafts and racing cars. These tubes are fitted on the wing of an aircraft in order to measure the aircraft’s speed. Some major industrial applications of these tubes include measuring liquid flow and/or air flow in pipes and channels, ducts, and stacks during construction.
Benefits
Advantages of using pitot tubes are varied. Let’s take a quick look at some major advantages of using these devices.
- They provide accuracy consistently across different environmental conditions
- Because they are small in size, they can be easily installed in tight space.
- They don't consist of moving parts.
- They are more durable than several other fluid measurement devices.
- They are less expensive than orifice plates.
Although these tubes provide numerous benefits, there is one major disadvantage of using these tubes. Entry of foreign material in fluid can cause blockage in these tubes. This may cause disturbance in its normal reading.
