Metal 3D Printing Design Guide

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3D printing for parts with reduced cost and little waste.

CNC Machining Design Guide

Optimize your designs, reduce machining time, and lower your costs.

Essentials of Manufacturing

Information, coverage of important developments and expert commentary in manufacturing.

Mechanical Engineers Outlook

Guide for those interested in becoming a mechanical engineer. Includes qualifications, pay, and job duties.

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Overview

A Pitot-static Tube is a flow velocity meter which is capable of measuring fluid velocities as a localized point (as opposed to an averaged velocity across a larger section). A schematic of a Pitot tube is shown below.

Typical Pitot Static Tube

The Pitot tube yields a pressure measurement which is typically measured with a differential manometer. The fluid velocity can obtained from the pressure value in accordance with incompressible (or compressble) fluid theory.

Pros and Cons

  • Pros:
  - Simple construction.
  - Relatively inexpensive.
  - Almost no calibration required.
  - Induces minimal pressure drops in the flow.
  - Requires only a few access holes into the flow conduit; no wide open cut needed.
  • Cons:
  - Accuracy and spatial resolution may not be high enough for some applications.
  - Tube must be aligned with the flow velocity to obtain good results. Any misalignment in yaw should not exceed ±5°.
Glossary
Metal 3D Printing Design Guide

Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 3D printing for parts with reduced cost and little waste.

CNC Machining Design Guide

Optimize your designs, reduce machining time, and lower your costs.

Essentials of Manufacturing

Information, coverage of important developments and expert commentary in manufacturing.

Mechanical Engineers Outlook

Guide for those interested in becoming a mechanical engineer. Includes qualifications, pay, and job duties.