Fluid Conducting System

Abstract

A fluid conducting system for transport of a fluid has a housing with an inlet for the fluid and an outlet for the fluid. A sensor is arranged in the housing or protrudes from an exterior into the housing and measures a mass flow or a volume flow of a fluid flow that is flowing through the housing from the inlet to the outlet. A filter element is arranged upstream of the sensor in the housing. A fluid channel section has an inlet cross section and an outlet cross section, wherein the fluid channel section is arranged upstream of and in front of the sensor and the outlet cross section adjoins the sensor. The fluid channel section has a tapering cross section tapering from the inlet cross section toward the sensor and accelerating at least a portion of the fluid flow and conducting the fluid flow to the sensor. The tapering cross section of the fluid channel section tapers constantly at least in an area of the outlet cross section in front of the sensor.

Claims

1. A fluid conducting system for transport of a fluid, the fluid conducting system comprising: a housing comprising an inlet for the fluid and an outlet for the fluid; a sensor arranged in the housing or protruding from an exterior into the housing and configured to measure a mass flow and/or a volume flow of a fluid flow that is flowing through the housing from the inlet to the outlet; a filter element arranged upstream of the sensor in the housing; a fluid channel section comprising an inlet cross section and an outlet cross section, wherein the fluid channel section is arranged upstream of and in front of the sensor and the outlet cross section adjoins the sensor; wherein the fluid channel section comprises a tapering cross section tapering from the inlet cross section toward the sensor and accelerating at least a portion of the fluid flow and conducting said at least a portion of the fluid flow to the sensor; wherein the tapering cross section of the fluid channel section tapers constantly at least in an area of the outlet cross section in front of the sensor.

2. The fluid conducting system according to claim 1, further comprising a fluid conducting element, wherein the fluid channel section is a component of the fluid conducting element, wherein said at least a portion of the fluid flow conducted to the sensor is a portion of a total flow cross section of the fluid flow in front of the fluid conducting element and is captured by the inlet cross section of the fluid channel section.

3. The fluid conducting system according to claim 2, wherein said portion of the total flow cross section is captured from a central area of the total flow cross section.

4. The fluid conducting system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is arranged with at least a portion of a sensor surface within the fluid conducting element.

5. The fluid conducting system according to claim 2, wherein the sensor is arranged in the fluid conducting element so as to be exchangeable from the exterior of the housing.

6. The fluid conducting system according to claim 1, further comprising a fluid conducting element, wherein the fluid channel section is a component of the fluid conducting element, wherein said at least a portion of the fluid flow conducted to the sensor amounts to a total flow cross section of the fluid flow in front of the fluid conducting element and is captured by the inlet cross section of the fluid channel section.

7. The fluid conducting system according to claim 6, wherein the sensor is arranged with at least a portion of a sensor surface within the fluid conducting element.

8. The fluid conducting system according to claim 6, wherein the sensor is arranged in the fluid conducting element so as to be exchangeable from the exterior of the housing.

9. The fluid conducting system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid channel section is a conically tapering pipe, wherein the fluid flow enters the inlet cross section that is greater than the outlet cross section, wherein a sensor surface of the sensor is arranged adjoining the outlet cross section.

10. The fluid conducting system according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of an inner wall of the fluid channel section is designed with an aerodynamic profile that increases the flow rate.

11. A fluid conducting element comprising a fluid channel section configured to be arranged in a fluid conducting system upstream in front of a sensor of the fluid conducting system, the fluid channel section comprising an outlet cross section adjoining the sensor and an inlet cross section, wherein the fluid channel section comprises a tapering cross section tapering from the inlet cross section toward the outlet cross section adjoining the sensor and configured to accelerate at least a portion of a fluid flow flowing through the fluid conducting system and conducting said at least a portion of the fluid flow to the sensor, wherein the tapering cross section tapers constantly at least in an area of the outlet cross section in front of the sensor.

12. The fluid conducting element according to claim 11, comprising an opening downstream of the outlet cross section through which the sensor protrudes at least with a sensor surface into the fluid conducting element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Further advantages result from the following description of the drawings. In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated. The drawings, the description, and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person of skill in the art will consider the features expediently also individually and combine them to meaningful further combinations.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section of a fluid conducting system according to an embodiment of the invention with a fluid conducting element comprising a fluid channel section arranged in front of a sensor and conducting a portion of a fluid flow to the sensor.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows an interior view of a part of a housing of a fluid conducting system according to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 with a fluid conducting element comprising a fluid channel section arranged in front of a sensor and conducting a portion of a fluid flow to the sensor.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section of a fluid conducting system according to a further embodiment of the invention with a fluid conducting element comprising a fluid channel section arranged in front of a sensor and conducting a total flow cross section of a fluid flow to the sensor.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross section of a fluid conducting system according to another embodiment of the invention with a fluid conducting element comprising a fluid channel section conducting a portion of a fluid flow to the sensor which is arranged with a sensor surface in the fluid conducting element.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross section of a fluid conducting system according to a further embodiment of the invention with a fluid conducting element comprising a fluid channel section conducting a total flow cross section of a fluid flow to the sensor which is arranged with a sensor surface in the fluid conducting element.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] In the Figures, same or like components are identified with same reference characters. The figures show only examples and are not to be understood as limiting.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section of a fluid conducting system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention with a fluid conducting element 20 comprising a fluid channel section 22 arranged in front of a sensor 50 and conducting a portion of the fluid flow to the sensor 50.

[0038] The fluid conducting system 100 for transport of a fluid, in particular of air as a fluid in the intake tract of an internal combustion engine, comprises a housing 108 with an inlet 102 and with an outlet 104 for the fluid into the housing 108. Moreover, the fluid conducting system 100 comprises a sensor 50 protruding from the exterior into the housing 108 for measuring a mass flow and/or a volume flow of the fluid flowing in the housing 108, as well as a filter element 10 which is arranged upstream of the sensor 50 in the housing 108, wherein a fluid channel section 22 is arranged upstream in front of the sensor 50 and adjoins with its outlet cross section 36 the sensor 50. The fluid channel section 22 comprises a cross section that tapers from its inlet cross section 34 for the fluid toward the sensor 50 and accelerates at least a portion of the flowing fluid and conducts this portion to the sensor 50. The cross section tapers constantly at least in an area of the outlet cross section 36 in front of the sensor 50. The inlet opening into the fluid conducting element 20 has the shape of an inflow tulip. The sensor 50 protrudes into a pipe section 30 that conducts the flowing fluid from the interior 106 of the housing to the outlet 104. The inlet opening into the pipe section 30 also has the shape of an inflow tulip. The fluid channel section 22 is arranged upstream of the sensor 50 at least partially in the pipe section 30. Alternatively, it is also conceivable that the pipe section 30 itself comprises the fluid channel section 22 or constitutes it itself.

[0039] The fluid path 14 of the flowing fluid is indicated purely schematically with dashed arrows. The fluid enters through the inlet 102 into the housing 108 and passes through the filter element 10. The filtered fluid can then flow in the interior 106 of the housing 108 through the pipe section 30 to the outlet 104 wherein a portion of the fluid flow flows through the fluid conducting element 20 and is conducted by it to the sensor surface 52 of the sensor 50.

[0040] The fluid channel section 22 is a component of the fluid conducting element 20 whose inlet cross section 34 captures at least a portion of the flowing fluid, namely a portion of a central area of a total flow cross section 28 of the flowing fluid. The total flow cross section 28 encompasses in this context the entire fluid quantity which is passing from the inlet 102 to the outlet 104, in particular the total flow cross section 28 encompasses thus an inlet cross section into the pipe section 30 in which the sensor 50 is arranged and that conducts the flowing fluid to the outlet 104. The fluid conducting element 20 is arranged upstream of the sensor 50. The fluid channel section 22, as a component of the fluid conducting element 20, is configured as a conically tapering pipe wherein the fluid flow enters the greater inlet cross section 34 and the sensor surface 52 of the sensor 50 is arranged adjoining the outlet cross section 36 of the fluid conducting element 20. The sensor 50 is arranged in the fluid channel section 22 so as to be exchangeable from the exterior.

[0041] The fluid conducting element 20 comprises a fluid channel section 22 which comprises a cross section which is constantly tapering from its inlet cross section 34 for the fluid to its outlet cross section 36 and to the sensor surface 52 of the sensor 50. An opening 60 is provided between inlet cross section 34 and outlet cross section 36 through which the sensor 50 protrudes with the sensor surface 52 into the fluid conducting element 20.

[0042] The fluid channel section 22 increases a flow rate of the fluid flowing in the fluid channel. This can be additionally increased in that the cross section of the inner wall 24 of the fluid channel section 22 is designed with an aerodynamic profile which increases the flow rate, for example, an airfoil profile. Also, it can be expedient to embody a surface of the fluid conducting element 20 located in the interior 26 of the fluid channel section 22 so as to be turbulence reducing in order to achieve a further homogenization of the fluid flow.

[0043] In FIG. 2, an interior view of a part of a housing 108 of a fluid conducting system 100 according to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 is illustrated with a fluid conducting element 20 comprising a fluid channel section 22 that is arranged in front of a sensor 50 and conducts a portion of the fluid flow to the sensor 50. The pipe section 30 is arranged in a half shell of the housing 108 and is connected with a hidden outlet 104. In the interior of the pipe section 30 the fluid channel section 22 is arranged as a cone-shaped fluid conducting element 20 that can conduct the fluid flow through the inlet cross section 34 to a sensor 50, not illustrated. The sensor 50 protrudes in the illustrated illustration from below into the fluid channel section 22.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section of a fluid conducting system 100 according to a further embodiment of the invention with a fluid conducting element 20 comprising a fluid channel section 22 that is arranged in front of a sensor 50 and conducts a total flow cross section 28 of a fluid flow to the sensor 50. In this configuration of the fluid conducting system 100, in contrast to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the entire fluid flow that is flowing to the outlet 104 is conducted through the inlet cross section 34 of the fluid conducting element 20 to the sensor surface 52 of the sensor 50. By constricting the flow cross section within the fluid conducting element 20, the flow rate of the fluid flow is significantly increased and in this way the measuring precision of the determination of the fluid masses and/or volume values is improved.

[0045] In FIG. 4, a schematic cross section of a fluid conducting system 100 according to another embodiment of the invention is illustrated with a fluid conducting element 20 comprising a fluid channel section 22 which conducts a portion of a fluid flow to the sensor 50 which is arranged with a sensor surface 52 in the fluid conducting element 20. In this configuration, the sensor 50 is arranged with a portion of its sensor surface 52 within the fluid conducting element 20. The fluid flow in this context is still guided through the fluid conducting element 20 even downstream of the sensor 50 so that at the location of the sensor surface 52 an additional homogenization of the flow of the fluid is achieved. In this configuration of the fluid conducting system 100, the sensor 50 is also arranged so as to be exchangeable from the exterior in the pipe section 30 as well as in the fluid channel section 22 as a component of the fluid conducting element 20. A portion of the flowing fluid flows in the cross section between the fluid conducting element 20 and the pipe section 30 externally past the fluid conducting element 20.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross section of a fluid conducting system 100 according to another embodiment of the invention with a fluid conducting element 20 comprising a fluid channel section 22 which conducts a total flow cross section 28 of a fluid flow to the sensor 50 which is arranged with a sensor surface 52 in the fluid conducting element 20. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4. In this case, the inlet cross section 34 of the fluid conducting element 20 however captures the total flow cross section 28 of the fluid flow and conducts it to the sensor surface 52 which is arranged in the interior 26 of the fluid conducting element 20. This fluid conducting element 20 is continued downstream of the sensor 50 in order to achieve an increased homogenization of the fluid flow.