DYNAMIC FLOW SENSOR

• US 3,557,811 A
• Filed: 10/18/1968
• Issued: 01/26/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William L. Livingston
• Original Assignee: William L. Livingston
• Inventors: Livingston, William L.
• Application Number:
  US04/768,862
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• US Class Current: 137/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/0006 of fluids or of granulous or powder-like substances
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/006 involving a first fluid acting on the feeding of a second fluid
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0352 Controlled by pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2273 Device including linearly-aligned power stream emitter and power stream collector

Abstract

A flow sensing and control arrangement by which a jet of line fluid is continuously directed across a flow line against a biased pressure responsive device which moves to initiate a control function upon diffusion of the jet when line flow occurs. In a preferred embodiment, the pressure-responsive device controls a valve, normally closed by the jet but which opens upon the presence of line flow to introduce an additive to the flow line.

Claims

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said means to develop a continuous jet comprises a pump having an intake in communication with the conduit and a nozzle outlet directed transversely of the conduit.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 including a valve for controlling the admission of an additive to the fluid in said conduit, said pressure sensitive means being coupled to said valve, said valve being closed when said pressure sensitive Means is in said first position and opened when said pressure sensitive means is in said second position.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1 when said pressure sensitive means is a diaphragm and including means to bias said diaphragm to said second position.

5. The apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein said biasing means includes a compression spring.

6. The apparatus recited in claim 2 including means defining a chamber on each side of said diaphragm, one of said chambers including said biasing means and the other of said chambers being exposed to said jet.

7. The apparatus recited in claim 6 including a flow line having one end opening to the conduit at a location so that the said flow line receives said jet, the opposite end of said flow line opening to the other of said chambers.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 7 including a vent line extending between each of said chambers and the conduit, the vent line connected to the other of said chambers having a flow restrictor therein to develop a back pressure in the other of said chambers acting on said diaphragm as a result of said jet.

9. In a fire extinguishing system of the type in which an ablative gel formed of a mixture of water and a gelling agent is supplied as an extinguishant to sprinkler heads upon the existence of a fire in the vicinity of the sprinkler heads, apparatus for introducing the gelling agent into a water supply line upon the existence of water flow in the line, said apparatus comprising valve means for controlling admission of said gelling agent to the pipe line and means for retaining of said valve means in a closed position in the absence of water flow in said pipe line and to open said valve upon the existence of water flow in said pipe line, said last mentioned means including means for directing a jet of water transversely of said pipe line, and means responsive to said jet to retain said valve in said closed position, whereby diffusion of said jet due to flow in said pipe line results in said valve moving to its open position.

10. The method of controlling the introduction of an additive to a fluid in a conduit, said method comprising the steps of:

directing a continuous jet of fluid across at least a portion of said conduit;

developing a continuous output to block the introduction of additive in response to the presence of said jet at a point spaced in said conduit from the origin of said jet; and

initiating the introduction of said additive upon the interruption of said output due to diffusion of said jet by fluid flow in said conduit.

11. The method recited in claim 10 wherein said fluid is water and wherein said additive is a gelling agent.

12. The method recited in claim 11 wherein said conduit supplies an ablative gel formed by the mixture of said gelling agent and said water to the sprinkler heads of a fixed fire extinguishing system.

13. The method of sensing flow of fluid in a conduit said method comprising the steps of:

continuously directing a jet of fluid across at least a portion of said conduit;

developing a continuous output in response to the presence of said jet at a point spaced in said conduit from the origin of said jet; and

providing a flow signal upon the interruption of said output due to diffusion of said jet by fluid flow in said conduit.