Experimental study on response of hot wire and cylindrical hot film anemometers operating under varying fluid temperatures

Abstract

The working principle of constant temperature anemometer (CTA), used for fluid velocity and/or turbulence measurements, is based on convective heat transfer from a sensor (a hot wire or a hot film) to the fluid being measured. Response of a CTA, working in temperatures other than its calibration temperature, involves errors which must be corrected for reliable measurement data. We have experimentally studied the effect of variations in fluid temperature on the response of hot wire and cylindrical hot film anemometers, and have discussed the application of different correction factors. Effects of overheat ratio (sensor temperature) and fluid velocity on the CTA output voltage correction factor have been discussed. The results show that the error in the CTA response depends on the sensor temperature, and it shows a decrease with increasing sensor temperature (increasing overheat ratio). The results also show that the error correction factor depends on the overheat ratio and fluid velocity. The required error correction factor also depends on whether the fluid temperature decreases or increases with respect to the calibration temperature of the CTA. In spite of differences in sensor characteristics, our work on cylindrical hot film sensors shows that the correction factors for hot wire and hot film sensors are similar and close in magnitude.