Flow-rate measurement nozzle with velocity pressure pickup channel

1. Apparatus for measuring a velocity pressure of a fluid flowing through a fluid line having an upstream line connection, the apparatus comprising:

a nozzle having a nozzle inlet end fluidly communicating with the upstream line connection and a nozzle outlet end, the nozzle including a side wall extending along a nozzle axis from the nozzle inlet end to the nozzle outlet end, the side wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining a nozzle chamber and having a nozzle inlet cross-sectional area at the nozzle inlet end that is greater than a nozzle outlet cross-sectional area at the nozzle outlet end; and

a first pressure port extending through the side wall from the exterior surface of the nozzle to the interior surface of the nozzle, the first pressure port including a velocity pressure pickup channel extending along a channel axis oriented substantially parallel to the nozzle axis and including a channel inlet formed at the interior surface of the side wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the interior surface tapers from the nozzle inlet end to the nozzle outlet end at a substantially constant rate of area reduction.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the first pressure port further includes a first port outlet formed at the exterior surface of the side wall.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further including a first pressure coupling coupled to the first port outlet.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , in which the first port outlet includes internal threads and the first pressure coupling includes a threaded fitting configured to threadably engage the internal threads of the first pressure port.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a differential pipe having a pipe inlet end in fluid communication with the nozzle and a pipe outlet end, the differential pipe having a pipe interior surface defining a differential chamber fluidly communicating with the nozzle chamber.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a second pressure port formed in the differential pipe and fluidly communicating with the differential chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a differential gauge operably coupled to the first and second pressure ports and configured to determine a differential pressure of the fluid.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , in which the second pressure port in the differential pipe is substantially aligned with the nozzle outlet end.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a pipe coupling configured to releasably secure the pipe inlet end to the nozzle outlet end.

11. Apparatus for measuring a velocity pressure of a fluid flowing through a fluid line having an upstream line connection, the apparatus comprising:

a nozzle having a nozzle inlet end fluidly communicating with the upstream line connection and a nozzle outlet end, the nozzle including a side wall extending along a nozzle axis from the nozzle inlet end to the nozzle outlet end, the side wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining a nozzle chamber and having a nozzle inlet cross-sectional area at the nozzle inlet end that is greater than a nozzle outlet cross-sectional area at the nozzle outlet end, the interior surface tapering from the nozzle inlet end to the nozzle outlet end at a substantially constant rate of area reduction;

a differential pipe having a pipe inlet end in fluid communication with the nozzle and a pipe outlet end, the differential pipe having a pipe interior surface defining a differential chamber fluidly communicating with the nozzle chamber;

a first pressure port extending through the side wall from the exterior surface of the nozzle to the interior surface of the nozzle, the first pressure port including a velocity pressure pickup channel extending along a channel axis oriented substantially parallel to the nozzle axis and including a channel inlet formed at the interior surface of the side wall; and

a second pressure port formed in the differential pipe and fluidly communicating with the differential chamber.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , in which the first pressure port further includes a first port outlet formed at the exterior surface of the side wall.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further including a first pressure coupling coupled to the first port outlet.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , in which the first port outlet includes internal threads and the first pressure coupling includes a threaded fitting configured to threadably engage the internal threads of the first pressure port.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a differential gauge operably coupled to the first and second pressure ports and configured to determine a differential pressure of the fluid.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , in which the second pressure port in the differential pipe is substantially aligned with the nozzle outlet end.

17. A method of measuring a velocity pressure of a fluid flowing through a fluid line having an upstream line connection, the method comprising:

directing the fluid through a nozzle having a nozzle inlet end fluidly communicating with the upstream line connection and a nozzle outlet end, the nozzle including a side wall extending along a nozzle axis from the nozzle inlet end to the nozzle outlet end, the side wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining a nozzle chamber and having a nozzle inlet cross-sectional area at the nozzle inlet end that is greater than a nozzle outlet cross-sectional area at the nozzle outlet end; and

obtaining the velocity pressure of the fluid by communicating a portion of the fluid flowing through the nozzle to a first pressure port extending through the side wall from the exterior surface of the nozzle to the interior surface of the nozzle, the first pressure port including a velocity pressure pickup channel extending along a channel axis oriented substantially parallel to the nozzle axis and including a channel inlet formed at the interior surface of the side wall.

18. The method of claim 17 , in which the interior surface tapers from the nozzle inlet end to the nozzle outlet end at a substantially constant rate of area reduction to produce a laminar flow of the fluid.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising converting the velocity pressure into a fluid flow rate based on a comparison of the velocity pressure with atmospheric pressure.

20. The method of claim 17 , in which the velocity pressure pickup channel includes a channel inlet formed at an interior surface of the nozzle.