Systems and methods for measuring pressure differential created by flowing fluids

• US 20130008264A1
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Yates Mcdaniel, Philip Edward Heil
• Original Assignee: Hunter Yates Mcdaniel, Philip Edward Heil
• Inventors: Heil, Philip Edward, McDaniel, Hunter Yates
• Granted Patent: US 8,833,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.65
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/363 with electrical or electro-mechanical indication G01F1/37 and G01F1/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/46 Pitot tubes
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/50 Correcting or compensating means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method for measuring pressure differential including a first pitot tube, a second pitot tube, a pressure sensor, a low pass filter, a microcontroller, and a control system is presented. A first and second pitot tube are positioned in flowing fluid, creating positive pressure and negative pressure in the pitot tubes that may be transmitted to a pressure sensor. The positive and negative pressure may create a pressure differential in the pressure sensor measured as voltage. Voltage from the pressure sensor may be transmitted to a microcontroller which may be calibrated to a standard flow meter to fit a curve of the voltage in relation to the flow rate, enabling the fluid flow rate through the pipeline to be measured. The microcontroller may be used to store fluid flow rates or to further calculate volume of fluid flowing through a pipeline and may transmit data to a control system which may be used to program the microcontroller or may be used to display collected fluid flow rate and volume data. The system and method for measuring pressure differential may further be used to control fluid flow through a pipeline. A user may use a control system to monitor fluid use in a pipeline system and may program a microcontroller to open or close a control valve depending on the amount of fluid volume or flow rate flowing through the pipeline.

Claims

1. A pressure differential measurement system, said system including:

a first pitot tube;

a second pitot tube, wherein said second pitot tube is separate from said first pitot tube, wherein both said first pitot tube and said second pitot tube are positioned in a flowing fluid, wherein said flowing fluid causes a positive pressure to be established in said first pitot tube, wherein said flowing fluid causes a negative pressure to be established in said second pitot tube wherein said positive pressure and said negative pressure are combined to create a pressure differential; and

a pressure sensor, wherein said pressure sensor detects said pressure differential.

2. The first pitot tube and second pitot tube of claim 1, wherein said first pitot tube and said second pitot tube are positioned in the center of a fluid pipeline.

3. The first pitot tube and second pitot tube of claim 1, wherein said first pitot tube and said second pitot tube are positioned inside fluid pipeline, wherein said first pitot tube and said second pitot tube have single openings that face in opposite directions in said fluid pipeline.

4. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensor is located on the exterior wall of a pipe carrying said flowing fluid.

5. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensor is a piezoresistive sensor chip, wherein said pressure differential creates a voltage differential in said piezoresistive sensor chip.

6. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensor is a temperature compensated piezoresistive sensor chip, wherein said pressure differential creates a voltage differential in said temperature compensated piezoresistive sensor chip.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a microcontroller, wherein said microcontroller is in unidirectional communication with said pressure sensor.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said microcontroller receives said pressure differential from said pressure sensor, wherein said microcontroller stores said pressure differential measurement.

9. The system of claim 7, further including a valve, wherein said valve is located inside a pipe containing said flowing fluid, wherein said valve is in unidirectional communication with said microcontroller, wherein said microcontroller opens or closes said valve when said fluid flow has reached a specified threshold stored on said microcontroller.

10. The system of claim 7, further including a control system, wherein said control system is in bidirectional communication with said microcontroller, wherein said pressure differential measurement stored on said microcontroller is transmitted to said control system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said control system is a computer.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said control system is a portable handheld device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said bidirectional communication is wireless communication.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said bidirectional communication is wired communication.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said control system is located in a remote location relative to said microcontroller, wherein said pressure differential measurements are transmitted to said control system.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said control system is in bidirectional communication with a plurality of said microcontrollers, wherein said microcontrollers transmit pressure differential data to said control system.

17. The system of claim 7 further including a display system, wherein said display system is in bidirectional communication with said microcontroller, wherein said pressure differential is transmitted from said microcontroller to said display system, wherein said pressure differential is displayed to a user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said display system is a digital display.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said display system is a computer monitor.

20. A method for measuring pressure differential, said method including:

placing a first pitot tube in flowing fluid;

placing a second pitot tube in flowing fluid, wherein said second pitot tube is placed in a separate location relative to said first pitot tube;

establishing a positive pressure in said first pitot tube with said flowing fluid;

establishing negative pressure in said second pitot with said flowing fluid;

combining said positive pressure and said negative pressure into a pressure differential; and

measuring said pressure differential with a pressure sensor.

21. The method of claim 20, further including programming a microcontroller to store fit coefficients, wherein said fit coefficients are estimated by fitting said pressure differential to a polynomial.

22. The method of claim 21, further including calculating fluid flow rate in a pipeline, wherein said pressure differential is transmitted to said microcontroller, wherein said microcontroller uses said fit coefficients to convert said pressure differential to fluid flow rate.

23. The method of claim 22, further including displaying fluid flow rate on display screen.

24. The method of claim 22, further including controlling fluid flow through a pipeline with said microprocessor, wherein said microprocessor is programmed to open or close a valve in said pipeline.

25. The method of claim 22, further including transmitting fluid flow rate to a control system.

26. The method of claim 22, further including transmitting said pressure differential from said microcontroller to said control system using wireless communication.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said control system is in communication with a plurality of microcontrollers.