Hot Wire Anemometer

Syllabus : Hot wire anemometer , Operation Principle of CTA circuit

,single wire & cross wire measurement.
Use ; To measure fluid flow. Turbulent Fluctuations

Advantages of HWA

1. Hot wire anemometry is an ideal tool for measurement of velocity

fluctuations in time domain in turbulent flows.
2. Good Frequency response: Measurements to several hundred kHz
possible, 1 MHz also feasible
3. Velocity Measurement: measures magnitude and direction of velocity
and velocity fluctuations, Wide velocity range
4. Temperature Measurements
5. Two Phase Flow: Measurements in flows containing continuous
turbulent phase and distributed bubbles.
6. Signal to noise ratio : have low noise levels. Resolution of 1 part in
10000 is accomplished

Drawbacks

1. Disturbance in local flow field reversal of flow direction.

2. Deposition of impurities in flow on sensor alter the calibration
characteristics and reduce frequency response.
3. Probe breakage and burn out
4. Unable to fully map velocity fields that depend strongly on space
coordinates and simultaneously on time.
5. Fails in hostile environment like combustion

Principle
The hot wire anemometer is used to measure fluid velocities
by measuring heat loss by convection from a very fine wire
which is exposed to the fluid stream. The wire is electrically
heated by passing an electrical current through it. When the
heated wire is cooled by a fluid stream its electrical resistance
decreases, because the resistance of metal wire varies linearly
with its temperature.

Characteristics of material used for making sensor

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

High Temperature Coefficient of resistance

High Specific Resistance
High Mechanical Strength
Good Oxidation Resistance
Low Thermal Conductivity
Availability in small diameters

Tungsten : good strength, poor oxidation resistance

Platinum: good oxidation resistance, weak
Tungsten with thin platinum coating is generally used.
At high temperatures Platinumiridium alloys, Platinumrhodium alloys
are used.

Wire Dimensions
1. Large aspect ratios i.e l/d where l is the wire length and d is the
wire diameter, to minimize conduction losses to supports and have
uniform temperature distribution
2. Small diameter are preferred even though they have less
3. strength as:
4. maximizes time response due to low thermal inertia
5. maximize spatial resolution
6. improves signal to noise ratio at high frequencies
7. eliminates output noise