Hot Wire Anemometry

By
Mudrika Khandelwal
IIT Bombay
2
Flow is all around
Blood inside us
Air around us
Fuel and air flow in Rockets in space
Flow of water around submarine
Flow of polymers during blending
Flow of fluids in reactors
Flow
Why is flow measurement
important?
Flow can be of solids, liquids or gases
Types: Incompressible
Compressible (Mac>0.3)
Measurements are important to monitor
control and analyse a process
Thus, a lot of considerations go into the
designing the method of measurement
and understanding the underlying
principle
3
Measurement is a design exercise, does
not matter how accurate you are, you can
always make mistakes in interpretation
4
Flow Measurements rely on
experiments!!
The physics behind any process can be
understood only through first hand
experience.
Computers alone are lame : They simulate
situations only based on the input
parameters
Experimentation is a more lucid means of
disseminating facts and knowledge. It helps
in proper visualisation and thus better
5
Non
invasive
Invasiv
e
6
Techniques involving integral
property
a)Venturimeter
b)Rotameter
7
Techniques involving local flow
properties
a)Hot Wire Anemometer
b)Laser Doppler Anemometer
c)Particle Image Velocimetry
d)Ultrasonic Technique
e)Magnetic Technique
8
HOT WIRE ANEMOMETRY
Invasive technique
Local flow properties evaluation
Why HWA?
Necessary resolution in terms of time and
space
Correlations of the velocity fluctuations
requires local investigation
Such measurements can be made by means
of hot-wire or hot-film anemometry and
Laser-Doppler anemometry
9
Drawbacks:
Inherent perturbations caused by the
introduced measuring sensors.
Special designs of measuring sensors are
required to keep low measuring errors
High turbulence intensity leads to
difficulties concerning the interpretation of
signals
Indirect measurement technique
10
If velocity changes, convective heat transfer coefficient
will change, wire temperature will change and
eventually reach a new equilibrium.
Principles of Operation
Velocity U
Current I
Sensor (thin wire)
Sensor dimensions:
length ~1 mm
diameter ~5 micrometer
Wire supports
(St.St. needles)
11
Governing Equation:
E = thermal energy stored in wire
E = CwTs
Cw = heat capacity of wire
W = power generated by J oule heating
W = I
2
Rw
recall Rw = Rw(Tw)
H = heat transferred to surroundings
H W
dt
dE
=
12
Heat transferred to surroundings
( convection to fluid + conduction to
supports + radiation to surroundings)
Convection Qc = Nu A (T
w
-T
a
)
Nu = h d/k = f (Re, Pr, M, Gr, ),
Re = U/
Conduction f(T
w
, l
w
, k
w
, T
supports
)
Radiation f(T
w
4
- T
f
4
)
H =
Probes
Probes are the sensor which are the means
of measure of change of some property
Classification:
On basis of number of sensor
Single
Dual
Triple
14
Classification Contd..
On basis of type of sensor
Miniature wires
Gold-plated wires
Fibre-film
Film-sensors
15
Important Considerations
Wire length should be as short as
possible
spatial resolution
probe length << eddy size
Aspect ratio (l/d) should be high
to minimize effects of end losses
allow 2D assumption
16
Wire should resist oxidation. High Temperature to
get good sensitivity, high signal to noise ratio
Temperature coefficient of resistance should
be high for high sensitivity, signal to noise ratio and
frequency response
Wires of less than 5 m diameter cannot be drawn
with reliable diameters
To overcome thermal inertia, reduce time constant
by using thin wires, but are mechanical instability
17
Temperature profile in Small Vs Long wire
Rw = Ro(1+ ())
Rw =wire hot resistance
Ro=wire resistance at To
=Temp.coeff. of resistance
Tw =Wire temperature
To =Reference temperature
18
Properties disturbing the
measurement
1. The boiling temperature of fluids is low.
2. Organic fluids can decompose.
3. Fluids generally possess electric
conductivity.
4. Fluids dissolve gases.
5. Fluids are usually more
soiled/contaminated than gases.
6. In water and other fluids salts are
dissolved.
7 Tap water contains algae bacteria and
19
Types
20
Constant Current
Anemometer
Principle: Current through sensor is kept constant
A fine current carrying wire is exposed to the flow
velocity. Wire attains equilibrium when heat
generated equals heat loss. The equilibrium
temperature is a measure of velocity
21
Constant Temperature
Anemometer
Principle: Sensor resistance is kept constant by servo
amplifier The current through wire is adjusted to
keep the wire temperature constant The current
required to do this is a measure of flow velocity
22
Constant Temperature
Anemometry principle
23
Heat Exchanges at Hot Wire
Involved heat transfers:
Radiation
Conduction
Self Convection
Forced Convection
24
Radiation : can be neglected accounts for
only 10% of the black body
radiation
Conduction: 2 pins therefore factor of 2
10-20 % of the total loss
This contribution becomes more prominent
as the length to diameter decreases
25
Self convection: buoyancy forces at the hot
wire influences the flow field around the
wire
According to collis and williams
Free convection neglected for v>0.1m/s
Forced convection: Major contribution to
the heat exchange
26
Assumption:
In general flow higher the 0.1m/s,
therefore no free convection
If the velocity does not exceed a certain
limit, no compressibility effects
When l<<d no influence of Kn number
When l>>d, two dimensional heat flow
27
Calibration
Uncertainties in the complicated process of
wire drawing (eg. about diameter)
Uncertainties in the sensor length owing to
welding of pins to the wire tip
Other influences like aging corrosion
homogeneity
28
Calibration Procedure
The Probe is placed in a low turbulence air
stream of known and variable velocity, and
the anemometer output voltage E and the
flow velocity U are determined in the range
of planned measurement.
The calibration curve is obtained by plotting
the anemometer output voltage above the
known velocity.
29
Calibration Procedure
30
Determination of velocity:
Relating velocity and voltage output :
31
Turbulence Measurement
HWA is a good tool to measure turbulence
or fluctuations in velocity.
A turbulent flow field varies in both space
and time, making it very difficult to
analyze, understand and control
Fluctuations in velocity is captured as
change in voltage.
32
Statistical Representation of
Turbulence
Velocity takes random values as a function
of space coordinate and time according to
some probability laws.
Laws determined by the experimental data
from the flow field, a lot of data is required.
But the amount of data required is
drastically reduced by some statistical
principles.
Stationarity of fluctuations permits time
averaging instead of ensemble
33
At any instant bulk velocity U and
fluctuation component u can be known
Mean velocity is calculated by time
averaging
As a result time mean fluctuation is zero
But time mean square of the fluctuation
component is not zero
34
Analog measurement of
turbulence
35
36

Electrical Energy Generated Energy lost by Convection=
Energy stored in the wire
Convective heat transfer coefficient varies as:
H=C
0
+C
1
V
Energy lost by convection=HA(T
w
-T
f
)Kdt
Temperature and resistance dependence:
T
w
=K
tr
(R
wo
+r
w
)
Change in heat transfer coefficient:
h=
dV
df
(V-V
0
)~K
v
v
37
Involved Equation
Where the time constant > 0.001
And thus limits frequency response to 160 cps
Turbulence studies require above 50000cps
Limitation is overcome by dynamic compensation
38
For constant current:
I
2
(R
wo
+r
w
)dt A(K
tr
(R
wo
+r
w
)-T
f
)K(C
0
+C
1
V +K
v
v)dt =MCdr
w

I
2
(R
wo
)dt A(K
tr
R
wo
-T
f
)K(C
0
+C
1
V )dt=0


(I
2
r
w
A(K
tr
r
w
)K(C
0
+C
1
V -K
v
v) K
c
A(K
tr
R
w0
-T
f
)K
v
v)dt =MCK
tr
dr
w
Ir
w
=e
1
) (
+
=
D
K
D
v
e

where
2 1 0 ) ( I V C C A K K
MC K
o tr c
tr

=
Improving Response
39
Force a square
wave current
through hot wire
Output voltage
response to this
current signal has
the same time
constant as the
response to the
flow velocity signal
Which is same as that for response to velocity
change
40
Due to Change in current:
Energy change:
(I
0
+i)
2
(R
wo
+r
w
)-K
c
A(K
tr
(R
w0
+r
w
)-T
f
)H=MCK
tr
dt
drw

Kirchoffs law:
e=-Ri
2
+(R
w0
+r
w
)i+I
0
r
w

1
) (
+
=
D
K I
D
i
e i o

2 1 0 ) ( I V C C A K K
MC K
o tr c
tr

=
For Constant Temperature:
Systemic dynamic response can be obtained by
superimposing previously obtained results for response
to velocity and response to current since in the
constant temperature mode both current and velocity
are changing simultaneously.
Effect of velocity on r
w
:
1
I /
) (
m
+
=
D
K
D
v
rw

Effect of current on r
w
:
1
I /
) (
m
+
=
D
K
D
i
r e w

41
The total effect on r
w
is given by
superimposition
Finally the Time constant comes out to be far
small than the normal. Therefore the response
limit for frequency increases and thus the band
width increases.
A typical instrument has frequency response of
17000 cps when the average flow velocity is 30
fps, 30000 cps for 100 fps, 50000 cps for 300
fps
42
1
) (
0
+
=
D
K
D
v
e
ct
ct

Where
G
ct
+
=
1

CCA Vs CTA
Current must be sufficient to increase the
temperature above fluid temperature
But a sudden drop in fluid velocity cause
burn out of the wire
No such drawback in constant
temperature as the feedback system
maintains the safe temperature for every
velocity
43
Constant current does not provide proper
compensation while constant temperature
does owing to feed back
But constant temperature set up suffers
larger noise level
CC uses dc amplifier and hence usable to
low frequencies but CT uses ac amplifier
which limits the use down to about 1cps.
44
Determination of Direction
Generally a single wire responds to
velocity component perpendicular to the
wire if the angle is between 25 to 90
therefore instead of velocity a component
is used.
To determine direction:
Rotate the probe to find angle for max
current
If the angle is roughly known, probe is
rotated in the opposite direction till we get
same current as before. Bisector is the
45
Effective Velocity
Perpendicular component of velocity was
considered to contribute to heat transfer
coefficient but later it was seen that the
parallel component also plays a role
Therefore effective velocity was defined as
below in order to relate output directly to
the velocity
46
Component and correlation
measurement
47
48
Wire position for sequence of hot-wire
measurements
Component correlation....
49
Component correlation...
50
at various angles like +45,-45 and 0
Film anemometry
Due to limited strength of thin wire , some
times films are used.
Basically similar to constant temperature
anemometry
Can be used at high temperature by
constructing internal water cooling
channels
51
Why Laser Doppler
Anemometry?
Most flow measuring instruments measure
physical quantities which are functions of
the flow velocity.
Measuring quantities by which flow
velocity is determined, often are functions
of the properties of state of the fluid
medium, which have to be known.
They have to be taken into account in the
calibration of the measuring method
These difficulties led to development of
LDV .
52
Laser Doppler Anemometry
Two beams of collimated, monochromatic
laser light in the flow eg HeNe or Argon ion
Fluid is targeted, reflected radiation is
collected.
Change in wavelength is function of
targeted object's relative velocity (Doppler
effect).
Velocity is obtained by measuring the
change in wavelength by forming an
interference fringe pattern (i.e. superimpose
the original and reflected signals ) .
53
54
Light source Generation of collimated
monochromatic laser light
Change in wavelength
Interference fringe pattern
Velocity determination
Reference
Ertunc(2001) Measurement of turbulence with
HWA its application to Axisymmetrically strained
turbulence
Doebelin Measurement Systems application and
design, Revised Edition, Mcgraw Hill Ltd
J orgensen (2002) How to measure turbulence with
hot wire anemometers- a practical guide
Goldstein RJ , editor (1983) Fluid Mechanics
Measurements, Hemisphere Publishing
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