Liquid metering system
First Claim
1. A system for monitoring fluid flow through a passageway comprising:
- a) a heater that heats a portion of the fluid in the passageway;
b) a light source that generates a beam of light that illuminates the fluid in the passageway; and
c) a light detector positioned to receive a portion of the beam, wherein the detector measures a change in the intensity of the beam caused by diffraction of the beam when the heated portion of the fluid passes through the beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for measuring the flow of a fluid along a passageway are disclosed. A heat source applies thermal energy to a portion of the fluid thereby elevating its temperature and decreasing its density. An optical sensing means measures a change in a property of illumination directed through the passageway caused by the change in the density of the heated portion of fluid. The time required for the heated portion of the liquid to move from the point of application of thermal energy to the point of optical sensing is measured. This measured time, and the distance of separation of the source of heat and the optical sensor permits calculation of the fluid velocity in the passageway.
70 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A system for monitoring fluid flow through a passageway comprising:
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a) a heater that heats a portion of the fluid in the passageway;
b) a light source that generates a beam of light that illuminates the fluid in the passageway; and
c) a light detector positioned to receive a portion of the beam, wherein the detector measures a change in the intensity of the beam caused by diffraction of the beam when the heated portion of the fluid passes through the beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 25, 26, 27)
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10. A system for monitoring fluid flow comprising:
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a) a passageway along which the fluid may flow such that the average flow rate is relatively high, b) a heat source that heats a portion of the fluid in the passageway at a first position along the passageway, c) a source that generates a light beam that illuminates the fluid in the passageway at a second position downstream from the first position, and d) a light detector positioned to receive illumination from the source and to detect a change in intensity of the received illumination when the heated portion of the fluid passes through the beam. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 28, 29)
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17. A system for monitoring flow of a liquid through a passageway, comprising:
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a heat laser that generates a first beam directed toward the passageway wherein the first beam is focused to a region at a first location within the passageway such that a localized portion of the liquid in the passageway is heated and the liquid in the passageway has a non-uniform temperature cross-section;
a sense laser that generates a second beam directed toward and focused on the passageway at a second location downstream from the first location such that the heated localized portion of the liquid will be illuminated by the second beam when the heated localized portion flows through the second beam; and
a light detector positioned to receive a portion of the second beam when the heated localized portion of the liquid passes through the second beam. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 30, 33, 41, 42)
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20. A method of measuring flow of a liquid in a passageway, the method comprising:
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a) heating a portion of the liquid in the passageway at a first position, b) directing a beam of light from an optical source into the liquid in the passageway at a second position downstream from the first position, and c) detecting a change in intensity in of the light from the optical source caused by diffraction of a portion of the beam when the heated portion of the fluid passes through the beam. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 31, 32)
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34. A system for monitoring fluid flow through a passageway comprising:
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a) a heater that heats a portion of the fluid in the passageway;
b) a light source that generates a beam of light that illuminates the fluid in the passageway; and
c) a light detector positioned to receive a portion of the beam, wherein the detector senses a change in the intensity of the beam caused by diffraction of the beam induced by the heated portion of the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 48, 49, 50)
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43. A method of measuring flow of a liquid in a passageway, the method comprising:
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a) heating a portion of the liquid in the passageway at a first position, b) directing a beam of light from an optical source into the liquid in the passageway at a second position downstream from the first position, and c) measuring a change in intensity in of the light from the optical source caused by diffraction of a portion of the beam when the heated portion of the fluid passes through the beam. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 51, 52)
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Specification