Ball valve with flow-rate gauge incorporated directly in the ball

• US 20030205095A1
• Filed: 05/02/2003
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enolgas Bonomi S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Enolgas Bonomi S.p.A.
• Inventors: Lazzaretto, Andrea, Cipolla, Giovanni, Benini, Ernesto
• Granted Patent: US 6,923,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.55
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/40 Details of construction of the flow constriction devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/005 Valves valves in general F16K

Abstract

The patent concerns a ball valve with a flow-rate gauge incorporated into it, said ball being equipped with a calibrated borehole which constitutes a constriction to the passage of the fluid which passes through the ball. The valve also has two pressure intakes placed before and after the ball respectively, to measure the flow-rate of the fluid that passes through it.

Claims

1. A ball valve with a flow-rate gauge incorporated directly in a ball, the ball valve comprising:

a ball including a calibrated borehole, wherein the borehole being a constriction to the passage of a fluid that passes through the ball.

2. The ball valve of claim 1 further comprising:

a first and second flange;

tie-rods, wherein the dismantling of the ball valve and the replacement of the ball with another ball possibly with a different calibrated borehole.

3. The ball valve of claim 2 further comprising two pressure intakes placed respectively before and after the ball to measure the flow-rate of the fluid which passes through the ball valve.

4. The ball valve of claim 3, wherein the two pressure intakes can be rotated after the dismantling of the ball valve to allow the measurement of the flow-rate.

5. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of a gas.

6. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of a liquid.

7. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of fluids with different dynamic and thermodynamic characteristics.

8. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of the flow rate of a gas.

9. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of the flow rate of a liquid.

10. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of the flow rate of fluids with different dynamic and thermodynamic characteristics.

11. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of fluids with different dynamic characteristics.

12. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of fluids with different thermodynamic characteristics.

13. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of the flow rate of fluids with different dynamic characteristics.

14. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of the flow rate of fluids with different thermodynamic characteristics.

15. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of a solid.

16. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of the flow rate of a solid.

17. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate.includes measurement of any substance capable of flowing.

18. The ball valve of claim 4, wherein the measurement of the flow rate includes measurement of the flow rate of any substance capable of flowing.