MODULAR FLOW SENSOR

• US 20140090464A1
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Sorenson, Richard C., Milley, Andrew J., Hoover, William, Speldrich, Jamie
• Granted Patent: US 9,354,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/273
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6842 with means for influencing the fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/14 Casings, e.g. of special material
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/18 Supports or connecting means for meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 5/00 Measuring a proportion of the volume flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to modular flow sensor assemblies and methods. The modular flow sensor assembly may include a main sensor body, a first end adapter having a first connection port configuration, and a second end adapter having a second connection port configuration. The main sensor body may include a main housing and a sensor, where the first end adapter is configured to engage the main housing and the second end adapter is configured to engage the main housing. The first end adapter and the second end adapter may be selected from a group of end adapters, wherein at least two of the end adapters has a different connection port configuration. The selected first end adapter and the selected second end adapters may have the same or different connection port configurations. The first end adapter and the second end adapter are configured to be interchangeable end adapters.

Claims

1. A modular flow sensor, comprising:

a main sensor body including;

a main housing having a first end and a second end, where the main housing defines a flow channel from the first end to the second end;

a sensor configured to be received by the main housing for sensing fluid flowing through the flow channel of the main housing;

a first end adapter configured to engage and form a seal with the main housing, the first end adapter defining a first flow channel extension that extends the flow channel of the main housing to a first connection port of the modular flow sensor; and

a second end adapter configured to engage and form a seal with the main housing, the second end adapter defining a second flow channel extension that extends the flow channel of the main housing to a second connection port of the modular flow sensor.

2. The modular flow sensor of claim 1, wherein the first end adapter and the second end adapter are selected from a group of end adapters, wherein each end adapter has a different connection port configuration.

3. The modular flow sensor of claim 1, wherein the first connection port is different from the second connection port.

4. The modular flow sensor of claim 3, wherein the first connection port forms a male connection port, and the second connection port forms a female connection port.

5. The modular flow sensor of claim 1, wherein the first connection port forms a male connection port, and the second connection port forms a male connection port.

6. The modular flow sensor of claim 1, wherein the first connection port forms a female connection port, and the second connection port forms a female connection port.

7. The modular flow sensor of claim 1, wherein the first connection port exits an end of the first end adapter, and the second connection port exits a side of the second end adapter.

8. The modular flow sensor of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first end adapter and the second end adapter includes one or more fins configured to precondition the flow prior to the flow entering the flow channel of the main housing.

9. The modular flow sensor of claim 8, wherein the one or more fins are configured to precondition the flow by straightening a direction of a flow velocity of the fluid flow.

10. The modular flow sensor of claim 1, wherein the first end adapter comprises an elbow manifold connector and the second end adapter comprises a straight-through threaded connector.

11. The modular flow sensor of claim 1, wherein a flow direction is changed one or more times internally to the modular flow sensor.

12. The modular flow sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a laminar flow enhancing element configured to be positioned at least partially within the main housing.

13. A modular flow sensor assembly, comprising:

a main sense element assembly defining a flow channel, with a sensor for sensing fluid flow through the flow channel, the main sense element assembly further configured to receive one or more interchangeable end adapters, wherein each end adapter extends the flow channel of the main sense element assembly and defines a particular connection port configuration; and

one or more of the interchangeable end adapters secured to the main sense element assembly, the one or more interchangeable end adapters forming at least a portion of an outer housing of the modular flow sensor apparatus and covering at least part of the main sense element assembly.

14. The modular flow sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein each of the one or more interchangeable end adapters include a common main sense element assembly interface for engaging the main sense element assembly.

15. The modular flow sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein one or more of the interchangeable end adapters includes one or more fins configured to precondition the fluid flow prior to the fluid flow entering the flow channel of the main sense element assembly.

16. The modular flow sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the main sense element is configured to be calibrated prior to receiving the interchangeable end adapters.

17. The modular flow sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein the one or more of the interchangeable end adapters include:

a first interchangeable end adapter defining a first connection port configuration; and

a second interchangeable end adapter defining a second connection port configuration, wherein the first connection port configuration is different from the second connection port configuration.

18. The modular flow sensor assembly of claim 17, wherein the first connection port configuration is a male connection port or a female connection port, and the second connection port configuration is a male connection port or a female connection port.

19. A method for assembling a flow sensor, comprising:

obtaining a main sense element assembly that defines a flow channel from a first end to a second end of the main sense element assembly, the main sense element assembly also having a flow sensor for sensing fluid flow through the flow channel of the main sense element assembly;

selecting a first end adapter from a plurality of different end adapters, wherein each of the plurality of different end adapters have a common main sense element assembly interface but a different connection port configuration, and wherein each of the plurality of different end adapters is configured to extend the flow channel of the main sense element assembly to a corresponding connection port;

selecting a second end adapter from the plurality of different end adapters;

engaging the common main sense element assembly interface of the first end adapter with the main sense element assembly to extend the flow channel of the main sense element assembly to the connection port of the first end adapter; and

engaging the common main sense element assembly interface of the second end adapter with the main sense element assembly to extend the flow channel of the main sense element assembly to the connection port of the second end adapter.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

calibrating the flow sensor before engaging the first end adapter and second end adapter.