APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FLUID FLOW MEASUREMENT
First Claim
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1. A method of measuring flow through an orifice, comprising:
- flowing a fluid through the orifice;
measuring a pressure drop across the orifice and a temperature of the fluid at one or more predetermined intervals;
calculating an interval amount of flow of fluid through the orifice for each interval based on the measured pressure drop and temperature of the fluid; and
summing the calculated interval amounts of flow of fluid to determine an accumulated amount of fluid flow through the orifice.
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Abstract
A method of measuring flow through an orifice includes flowing a fluid through the orifice, measuring a pressure drop across the orifice and a temperature of the fluid at one or more predetermined intervals, calculating an interval amount of flow of fluid through the orifice for each interval based on the measured pressure drop and temperature of the fluid, and summimg the calculated interval amounts of flow of fluid to determine an accumulated amount of fluid flow through the orifice.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of measuring flow through an orifice, comprising:
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flowing a fluid through the orifice; measuring a pressure drop across the orifice and a temperature of the fluid at one or more predetermined intervals; calculating an interval amount of flow of fluid through the orifice for each interval based on the measured pressure drop and temperature of the fluid; and summing the calculated interval amounts of flow of fluid to determine an accumulated amount of fluid flow through the orifice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of operating a frozen beverage machine, comprising:
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determining an amount of a first fluid to be dispensed; opening a first valve to flow the first fluid therethrough toward a dispenser; measuring a pressure drop of the first fluid across the first valve and a temperature of the first fluid at the first valve at one or more preselected intervals; calculating an amount of flow of the first fluid through the second valve at each of the one or more preselected intervals; summing the calculated amounts of flow of the first fluid through the first valve to determine an accumulated flow of the first fluid; and stopping the flow of first fluid through the first valve when the accumulated flow of the first fluid is equal to or greater than the amount of first fluid to be dispensed. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A flow control it for a beverage machine, comprising:
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a housing having a fluid outlet; a first valve disposed in the housing and configured to selectably direct a first fluid therethrough toward the fluid outlet; a second valve disposed in the housing and configured to selectably direct a second fluid therethrough toward the fluid outlet; wherein the first valve and the second valve are selectably operable to deliver a preselected amount of the first fluid and the second fluid through the fluid outlet; and wherein an actual delivered amount of the first fluid is determined by a summation of first fluid amounts calculated at one or more selected intervals based on a pressure drop of the first fluid across the fluid outlet and a temperature of the first fluid measured at the one or more selected intervals. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification