REMOTE FLOW RATE MEASURING

• US 20140260673A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rain Bird Corporation
• Inventors: Turk, Michael F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,506,785 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.77
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/065 with radiation as transfer means to the indicating device, e.g. light transmission

Abstract

The methods and systems described herein can be used for remote measuring of flow rate from a multitude of different flow meters without requiring each flow meter to be capable of onboard processing and displaying of flow rate information. A single electronic device can be used to remotely measure the flow rate of a multitude of different flow meters.

Claims

1. A method of remote measuring of flow rate using a measured element rotating in response to flow, the method comprising:

identifying one or more properties associated with a measured element rotating in response to flow;

remotely measuring rotational speed of the measured element using an electronic device including a processor; and

calculating a flow rate using the one or more properties associated with the measured element and the rotational speed of the measured element using the processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of remotely measuring the rotational speed of the measured element includes the step of sequentially illuminating the measured element at a variety of frequencies until a predetermined condition is met at one of the frequencies.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one of the frequencies is used in the step of calculating the flow rate.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition is a stroboscopic effect.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of remotely measuring the rotational speed of the measured element includes the step of recording a plurality of sequential images or a video of the measured element as it rotates.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of calculating a flow rate includes analyzing the recording of the images or video to determine the rotational speed of the measured element.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the rotational speed of the measured element prior to the step of remotely measuring the rotational speed of the measured element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties include location of the measured element within a flow network, type of measured element, specific one of a measured element, predicted flow rate, prior measured flow rate, and/or past measured flow rate.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of saving data corresponding to the flow rate in a memory.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of comparing the flow rate to another flow rate stored in a memory and outputting an indicator corresponding to the degree of any difference.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of coupling the measured element to a turbine in a fluid flow path such that rotation of the turbine in response to the flow rate of fluid through the flow path causes rotation of the measured element.

12. A system for remote measuring of flow rate, the system comprising:

a measured element rotating in response to flow; and

an electronic device configured for identifying one or more properties associated with the measured element, remotely measuring the rotational speed of the measured element, and calculating a flow rate using the one or more properties associated with the measured element and the rotational speed of the measured element using a processor.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the electronic device includes a light that is illuminated at a variety of frequencies such that, in use, the light can illuminate the measured element at the variety of frequencies until a predetermined condition is met at one of the frequencies.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the electronic device includes an input for indicating to the processor that the predetermined condition has been met so the processor can utilize the one of the frequencies in calculating flow rate.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined condition is a stroboscopic effect.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the device includes a memory and a camera for recording a plurality of sequential images or a video of the measured element as it rotates, the processor being configured for accessing the memory and analyzing the recording of the images or video to calculate the rotational speed of the measured element.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a memory to which the calculated flow rate can be stored and accessed by the processor, the memory including another calculated flow rate accessible by the processor for comparison.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a turbine in a fluid flow path coupled to the measured element to a turbine in a fluid flow path such that rotation of the turbine in response to the flow rate of fluid through the flow path causes rotation of the measured element.