Flow rate measuring method and flowmeter, flow rate measuring section package used for them and flow rate measuring unit using them, and piping leakage inspection device using flowmeter

• US 20060005620A1
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun-S Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Atsushi Koike, Kiyoshi Yamagishi, Takayuki Takahata, Toshiaki Kawanishi, Toshimi Nakamura
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Kiyoshi, Koike, Atsushi, Nakamura, Toshimi, Kawanishi, Toshiaki, Takahata, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,028,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/204.170
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/68 by using thermal effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6847 where sensing or heating elements are not disturbing the fluid flow, e.g. elements mounted outside the flow duct
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/699 by control of a separate heating or cooling element
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 7/00 Volume-flow measuring devices with two or more measuring ranges; Compound meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2807 for pipes G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence

Abstract

Measurements are obtained by a computing unit based on an output Vh from an indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section (16) and an output Vout from a two-constant-point temperature difference detecting flow rate measuring sections (18a, 18b). In the flow rate measuring section (16), a heating element (163) is feedback-controlled based on a detected temperature by a heat sensing element (162) to obtain an output Vh based on the feedback-controlled condition. An output Vout is obtained from flow rate measuring sections (18a, 18b) based on the detected temperature difference between a heat sensing element (182) disposed on the liquid-flow-direction upstream side of the flow-rate measuring section (16) and a temperature sensing element disposed on the downstream side. A computing unit outputs as a measurement a flow rate obtained based on the output Vh in a flow rate region where a flow rate is larger than a predetermined boundary flow rate, and outputs as a measurement a flow rate obtained based on the output Vout in a flow rate region where it is less than a boundary flow rate. Accordingly, a flow rate is measured with good precision and sensitivity over a wide flow rate range from a trace-amount flow rate region to a comparatively large flow rate region.

Claims

1. A flowmeter which measures a flow rate of a fluid in a fluid flow channel, comprising:

an indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section and a two-constant-point temperature difference detecting flow rate measuring section disposed facing the fluid flow channel; and

a computing section which obtains a measurement based on a first flow rate corresponding output obtained using the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section and a second flow rate corresponding output obtained using the two-constant-point temperature difference detecting flow rate measuring section, wherein the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section has a heating element and a first temperature detecting element disposed adjacent to the heating element, the heating element is feedback-controlled based on a detected temperature of the first temperature detecting element, and the first flow rate corresponding output is obtained based on a state of the feedback control, the two-constant-point temperature difference detecting flow rate measuring section has a second temperature detecting element and a third temperature detecting element disposed on upstream and downstream sides, respectively, of the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section with respect to a fluid flowing direction in the fluid flow channel, and a second flow rate corresponding output is obtained based on a difference between detected temperatures of the second and third temperature detecting elements, and

the computing section outputs a flow rate value obtained based on the first flow rate corresponding output as a measurement with respect to a high flow rate region larger than a boundary flow rate region predetermined concerning the value of the flow rate, outputs a flow rate value obtained based on the second flow rate corresponding output as a measurement with respect to a low flow rate region smaller than the boundary flow rate region, and outputs a flow rate value obtained based on the first or second flow rate corresponding output as a measurement with respect to the boundary flow rate region.

2. The flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein the boundary flow rate region is constituted of one specific flow rate value only.

3. The flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein the computing section first outputs the flow rate value obtained based on the first flow rate corresponding output as the measurement, when the first flow rate corresponding output corresponds to the high flow rate region or one of the high flow rate region and the boundary flow rate region, and, in another case, outputs the flow rate value obtained based on the second flow rate corresponding output as the measurement.

4. The flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein the computing section first outputs the flow rate value obtained based on the second flow rate corresponding output as the measurement, when the second flow rate corresponding output corresponds to the low flow rate region or one of the low flow rate region and the boundary flow rate region, and, in another case, outputs the flow rate value obtained based on the first flow rate corresponding output as the measurement.

5. The flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein both the heating element and the first temperature detecting element have energizeable thin film shapes, and are stacked via an electrically insulating thin film.

6. The flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein the first flow rate corresponding output is obtained from a detection circuit including the heating element, the first temperature detecting element, and a temperature detecting element for temperature compensation.

7. A flow rate measuring section package for measuring a flow rate of a fluid in a fluid flow channel, comprising:

an indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section and a two-constant-point temperature difference detecting flow race measuring section which are attached to the fluid flow channel, the two-constant-point temperature difference detecting flow rate measuring section comprising an upstream-side temperature detecting section and a downstream-side temperature detecting section disposed on upstream and downstream sides, respectively, of the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section with respect to a fluid flowing direction in the fluid flow channel;

wherein the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section has a heating element and a first temperature detecting element disposed adjacent to the heating element, the upstream-side temperature detecting section has a second temperature detecting element, and the downstream-side temperature detecting section has a third temperature detecting element, and

the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section is connected to a first wiring section for electric connection to the heating element and the first temperature detecting element, the upstream-side temperature detecting section is connected to a second wiring section for electric connection to the second temperature detecting element, and the downstream-side temperature detecting section is connected to a third wiring section for electric connection to the third temperature detecting element.

8. The flow rate measuring section package according to claim 7, wherein one of the first, second, and third wiring sections are all formed using flexible wiring substrates.

9. The flow rate measuring section package according to claim 7, wherein the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section, the upstream-side temperature detecting section, the downstream-side temperature detecting section, and a part of the fluid flow channel to which these sections are attached are housed in a casing.

10. The flow rate measuring section package according to claim 9, wherein first, second, and third terminals constituting the first, second, and third wiring sections, respectively, are extended from the casing.

11. The flow rate measuring section package according to claim 10, wherein a temperature detecting section having a temperature detecting element for temperature compensation is accommodated in the casing, the temperature detecting section is connected to a heat transfer member extending out of the casing, and a fourth terminal constituting a fourth wiring for electric connection to the temperature detecting element for temperature compensation is extended from the casing.

12. The flow rate measuring section package according to claim 7, wherein both the heating element and the first temperature detecting element have energizeable thin film shapes, and are stacked via an electrically insulating thin film.

13. A piping leakage inspection apparatus which inspects a leakage of a liquid from a piping to be measured, comprising:

an internal piping system comprising a connection end for communication with the piping to be measured, and a liquid discharge end;

a tank for temporarily storing a pressurized liquid, which is connected to the internal piping system; and

a pump and a flowmeter disposed in order in a path extending to the connection end from the tank for temporarily storing the pressurized liquid in the internal piping system, wherein the internal piping system is capable of forming a first path which transfers the liquid into the tank for temporarily storing the pressurized liquid from the piping to be measured through the connection end by the pump without passing the liquid through the flowmeter, a second path for pressure-feeding the liquid into the piping to be measured from the tank for temporarily storing the pressurized liquid through the flowmeter and the connection end by the pump, and a third path for transferring the liquid into the liquid discharge end from the tank for temporarily storing the pressurized liquid by the pump, and

the leakage of the liquid from the piping to be measured is inspected based on a liquid flow rate detected by the flowmeter at a time when a liquid pressure of a part of the second path extending to the connection end from the pump is raised by the liquid pressure-feeding by the pump in a state in which the connection end is connected to the piping to be measured.

14. The piping leakage inspection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the internal piping system is capable of forming a fourth path which returns the liquid into the tank for temporarily storing the pressurized liquid from a part between the pump and the flowmeter in a case where the liquid pressure of the part extending to the connection end from the pump exceeds a set value in the second path.

15. The piping leakage inspection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the internal piping system is further capable of forming a fifth path for releasing the liquid pressure of at least a part of the part extending to the connection end from the flowmeter in the second path.

16. The piping leakage inspection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the flowmeter comprises:

an indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section and a two-constant-point temperature difference detecting flow rate measuring section disposed facing a fluid flow channel constituting the internal piping system; and

a computing section which obtains a measurement based on a first flow rate corresponding output obtained using the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section and a second flow rate corresponding output obtained using the two-constant-point temperature difference detecting flow rate measuring section,

the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section has a heating element and a first temperature detecting element disposed adjacent to the heating element, the heating element is feedback-controlled based on a detected temperature of the first temperature detecting element, and the first flow rate corresponding output in obtained based on a state of the feedback control,

the two-constant-point temperature difference detecting flow rate measuring section has a second temperature detecting element and a third temperature detecting element disposed on upstream and downstream sides, respectively, of the indirectly-heated constant-temperature controlling flow rate measuring section with respect to a fluid flowing direction in the fluid flow channel, ani the second flow rate corresponding output is obtained based on a difference between detected temperatures of the second and third temperature detecting elements, and

the computing section outputs a flow rate value obtained based on the first flow rate corresponding output as i measurement with respect to a high flow rate region larger than a boundary flow rate region predetermined concerning the value of the flow rate, outputs a flow rate value obtained based on the second flow rate corresponding output as a measurement with respect to a low flow rate region smaller than the boundary flow rate region, and outputs a flow rate value obtained based on the first or second flow rate corresponding output as a measurement with respect to the boundary flow rate region.

17. The piping leakage inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the boundary flow rate region is constituted of one specific flow rate value only.

18. The piping leakage inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the computing section first outputs the flow rate value obtained based on the first flow rate corresponding output as the measurement, when the first flow rate corresponding output corresponds to the high flow rate region or one of the high flow rate region and the boundary flow rate region, and, in another case, outputs the flow rate value obtained based on the second flow rate corresponding output as the measurement.

19. The piping leakage inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the computing section first outputs the flow rate value obtained based on the second flow rate corresponding output as the measurement, when the second flow rate corresponding output corresponds to the low flow rate region or one of the low flow rate region and the boundary flow rate region, and, in another case, outputs the flow rate value obtained based on the first flow rate corresponding output as the measurement.

20. The piping leakage inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein both the heating element and the first temperature detecting element have energizeable thin film shapes, and are stacked via an electrically insulating thin film.

21. The piping leakage inspection apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the first flow rate corresponding output is obtained from a detection circuit including the heating element, the first temperature detecting element, and a temperature detecting element for temperature compensation.