PORTABLE FLOW MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS HAVE EXPRESSED A NEED FOR A TRULY PORTABLE FLOW MEASUREMENT SYSTEM THAT RELIES ON SIMPLE PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES. THE SYSTEM SHOULD INCLUDE INEXPENSIVE AND RELIABLE SENSORS CAPABLE OF INTERFACING WITH ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT. THIS RESEARCH WILL INVESTIGATE THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF A PORTABLE FLOW MEASUREMENT SYSTEM. FOR OVER 50 YEARS, THE CONCEPT OF A COMBINATION VENTURI FLAME/VENTURI TUBE HAS BEEN KNOWN BUT OF LITTLE UTILITY. IMPEDIMENTS TO APPLICATION OF THE CONCEPT HAVE INCLUDED (1) INABILITY OF MEASURING FLOWS IN THE TRANSITION REGION BETWEEN OPEN CHANNEL AND FULL PIPE FLOW AND (2) UNAVAILABILITY OF INEXPENSIVE YET ACCURATE PRESSURE TRANSMITTING AND SENSING SUBASSEMBLIES APPROPRIATE FOR BOTH FLOW CONDITIONS. PREVIOUS RESEARCH BY YELLOWSTONE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, INC. HAS SOLVED THE FIRST PROBLEM AND THIS RESEARCH WILL SOLVE THE SECOND. BASED ON AN ANAYLSIS OF PROMISING SENSING OPTIONS, A WORKING MODEL OF A PRESSURE TRANSMISSION/SENSING SUBASSEMBLY WILL BE FABRICATED. THE SUBASSEMBLY WILL UNDERGO STATIC AND DYNAMIC TESTING AT THE BENCH SCALE. LABORATORY-SCALE TESTING OF A COMPLETE WORKING MODEL OF THE PORTABLE FLOW MEASUREMENT SYSTEM WILL THEN BE CONDUCTED TO ASSESS SYSTEM ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY.