Advanced Measurement Probe System for Non-Nulling Velocity Testing

Industrial facilities and power plants that burn fossil fuels exhaust the combustion products to atmosphere through their smokestacks. Stack pollutant emissions are quantified using manual testing method developed in the 1960s, which are prone to error due to biases from human operators and any non-axial flow in a stack.NIST has been working on an improved technique of performing 3D flow testing for smokestacks, which significantly reduce the complexity, duration, and potential for error. Advanced data acquisition systems were developed to accommodate the NIST test methodology. These systems are highly accurate but still rely on human intervention to move and control the test probe. The systems are also relying on probe technology and manufacturing techniques developed 30 years ago.This project proposes to develop an advanced probe movement system suitable for the “non-muling” technique. The system requires highly accurate probe positioning with the capability of moving up to four probes simultaneously. The probe movement will be computer-controlled and coordinated with the data collection operations of the existing non-mulling hardware. The project will also investigate the optimum prove geometry and manufacturing techniques. A prime objective will be to optimize the manufacturability and cost to the end-user of the non-mulling probe.