Ultrasonic impeller flowmeter
First Claim
1. A flowmeter for measuring fluid flow along a flow path through a conduit having an aperture therein, said flowmeter comprising:
- a housing carried by the conduit and projecting through the aperture into the flow path in the conduit, a circular impeller mounted in said housing for rotation about an axis inclined with respect to the fluid flow path with no part of said impeller extending beyond said housing, said housing having a parallel-sided opening therethrough disposed for alignment with the flow path to permit the flow of fluid therethrough without substantially changing the rate of fluid flow to engage and rotate said impeller at a speed proportional to the rate of flow of fluid through the conduit, and detection means coupled to said impeller for providing an indication of the speed of rotation of said impeller.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic impeller flowmeter for measuring fluid flow through a conduit includes a paddle wheel impeller rotatably mounted in a cylindrical protective housing which extends radially into the conduit through an aperture therein. A diametrical slot through the distal end of the housing admits fluid to rotate the paddle wheel. Ultrasonic transducers are embedded in the housing on opposite sides of the paddle wheel for establishing an ultrasonic carrier signal. Circumferentially spaced-apart openings in the paddle wheel modulate the ultrasonic signal to produce an output signal which is applied to detection and indicating circuitry. The depth of insertion of the housing and paddle wheel into the conduit is adjustable.
35 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A flowmeter for measuring fluid flow along a flow path through a conduit having an aperture therein, said flowmeter comprising:
- a housing carried by the conduit and projecting through the aperture into the flow path in the conduit, a circular impeller mounted in said housing for rotation about an axis inclined with respect to the fluid flow path with no part of said impeller extending beyond said housing, said housing having a parallel-sided opening therethrough disposed for alignment with the flow path to permit the flow of fluid therethrough without substantially changing the rate of fluid flow to engage and rotate said impeller at a speed proportional to the rate of flow of fluid through the conduit, and detection means coupled to said impeller for providing an indication of the speed of rotation of said impeller.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An ultrasonic flowmeter for measuring fluid flow along a flow path through a conduit having an aperture therein, said flowmeter comprising:
- a housing carried by the conduit and projecting through the aperture into the flow path in the conduit, a circular paddle wheel mounted in said housing for rotation about an axis inclined with respect to the fluid flow path with no part of said paddle wheel extending beyond said housing, said housing having a parallel-sided opening therethrough disposed for alignment with the flow path to permit the flow of fluid therethrough without substantially changing the rate of fluid flow to engage and rotate said paddle wheel at a speed proportional to the rate of flow of fluid through the conduit, ultrasonic transducer means for establishing an ultrasonic carrier signal acoustically coupled to said paddle wheel by the fluid, said paddle wheel including means for modulating said carrier signal as a function of the speed of rotation of said paddle wheel to produce an output signal, and indicating means coupled to said transducer means and responsive to said output signal for producing an indication representative of the rate of flow of fluid through the conduit.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An ultrasonic flowmeter for measuring fluid flow through a conduit, said flowmeter comprising:
- paddle wheel means supported by the conduit for rotation by the fluid flowing therethrough about an axis inclined with respect to the direction of fluid flow at a speed proportional to the rate of fluid flow, ultrasonic transducer means for establishing a beam of ultrasonic energy including an ultrasonic energy signal acoustically coupled to said paddle wheel means by the fluid, said beam of ultrasonic energy extending substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said paddle wheel means, said paddle wheel means including means for modulating said carrier signal as a function of the speed of rotation of said paddle wheel means to produce an output signal, and indicating means coupled to said transducer means and responsive to said output signal for producing an indication representative of the rate of flow of fluid through the conduit.
- View Dependent Claims (15)
Specification