Teledyne t320u Manuale Utente

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Teledyne API – Model T300/T300M CO Analyzer 
Theory of Operation 
305
 
13.3.1.1. CRITICAL FLOW ORIFICE 
The most important component of this flow control assembly is the critical flow orifice.   
Critical flow orifices are a remarkably simple way to regulate stable gas flow rates.  
They operate without moving parts by taking advantage of the laws of fluid dynamics.  
By restricting the flow of gas though the orifice, a pressure differential is created.  This 
pressure differential combined with the action of the analyzer’s pump draws the gas 
through the orifice.   
As the pressure on the downstream side of the orifice (the pump side) continues to drop, 
the speed that the gas flows through the orifice continues to rise.  Once the ratio of 
upstream pressure to downstream pressure is greater than 2:1, the velocity of the gas 
through the orifice reaches the speed of sound.  As long as that ratio stays at least 2:1, 
the gas flow rate is unaffected by any fluctuations, surges, or changes in downstream 
pressure because such variations only travel at the speed of sound themselves and are 
therefore cancelled out by the sonic shockwave at the downstream exit of the critical 
flow orifice.   
 
SPRING 
O-RINGS 
FILTER 
CRITICAL 
FLOW 
ORIFICE 
AREA OF 
LOW 
PRESSURE 
AREA OF 
HIGH 
PRESSURE 
Sonic 
Shockwave 
 
Figure 13-8: 
Flow Control Assembly & Critical Flow Orifice 
The actual flow rate of gas through the orifice (volume of gas per unit of time), depends 
on the size and shape of the aperture in the orifice.  The larger the hole, the more the gas 
molecules move at the speed of sound and pass through the orifice.  Because the flow 
rate of gas through the orifice is only related to the minimum 2:1 pressure differential 
and not absolute pressure, the flow rate of the gas is also unaffected by degradations in 
pump efficiency due to age.   
The critical flow orifice used in the T300/T300M is designed to provide a flow rate of 
800 cc/min. 
06864B DCN6314