Measuring pressure in an air duct

I have an odd problem to overcome. I need to measure pressure changes in air ducts, from small 2" to much larger.

Pressure changes come every time the air systems are turned on, but more importantly when something is blocking airflow.

I was thinking about placing turbine like fans in the ducts and measure the speed changed in the fans themselves. But, I am not sure if this is the most accurate option.

Any thoughts?

Zero

0 DAB over 14 years ago

Hi Zero,

Do you need to measure the actual air pressure or just if air is moving through the vent? There are several easy ways to just verify air flow, but I not aware of any easy way to measure the true air pressure without putting in a lot of pressure sensors.
If all you need is air movement, you can install small magnets on strips of a thin film and then use a reed switch or inductive coil to indicate if the air is moving.

Hopefully this helps you better quantify your problem.

DAB
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0 Catwell over 14 years ago in reply to DAB

Zero,

Back pressure in the system would, indeed, cause the vent fan to slow down. Measure changes in the motor itself. Take samples of the motor profiles and then check to see if the motor is still within range. When something does block airflow, the motor should show a dramatic change.

Cabe
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0 Former Member over 14 years ago

I think that most reliable solution would be using mass air flow sensors like those used in cars (they should be widely available). Check this pdf: http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h34.pdf it gives an view to overall principle of operation.
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