Flow meter turbine

• US 4,856,348 A
• Filed: 09/21/1987
• Issued: 08/15/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Great Plains Industries Incorporated (Great Plains Ventures, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Great Plains Industries Incorporated (Great Plains Ventures, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldstein, Herbert
• Application Number:
  US07/099,132
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 73/861.78, 73/861.83-861.94, 416/242, 416/243, 416/DIG. 2
• US Class Current: 73/861.78
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/115 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/12 Adjusting, correcting, or compensating means therefor

Abstract

Improved turbine comprising plural turbine blades supported by a turbine rotor of a flow meter, each turbine blade having a rounded leading edge, a feathered trailing edge, a convave top blade surface and a convex bottom blade surface, the turbine blade tapered from the leading edge to the trailing edge to form a hydrofoil shape defined by empirical profile date.

Claims

1. An improved turbine rotatingly supported in a fluid opening of a meter housing of a flow meter, the flow meter mounted in a fluid delivery line for dispensing fluids, the turbine comprising:

a turbine rotor;

a plurality of turbine blades supported by the turbine rotor, each such turbine blade comprising;

a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the turbine rotor with the blade extending outwardly therefrom, the second end having a flattened surface with an aperture therein for receiving a ferrous slug, the ferrous slug disposed within the aperture so as to be flush with the flattened surface of the second end;

a rounded leading edge;

a feathered trailing edge;

a first blade surface concave in shape along the length of the blade, the concave first blade surface disposed to receive fluid flow thereagainst to rotate the turbine; and

an opposed second blade surface convex in shape along the length of the blade, the blade tapered from the rounded leading edge into the feathered trailing edge so that the blade has a hydrofoil shape.

2. Improved turbine blades mounted in a spaced relationship to each other on a turbine rotor of a turbine, the turbine received in a fluid opening of a meter housing of a flow meter, the flow meter mounted in a fluid deliver line for dispensing fluids, each turbine blade comprising:

a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the turbine rotor with the blades extending outwardly therefrom, the second having a flattened surface portion and including an aperture therein for receiving a ferrous slug, the ferrous slug being disposed within the aperture so as to be flush with the flattened surface portion of the second end;

a rounded leading edge;

a feathered trailing edge;

a first blade surface, the first blade surface concave in shape along the length of the blades, the concave first blade surface receiving the force of fluid flow thereagainst to rotate the turbine rotor; and

an opposed second blade surface, the second blade surface convex in shape along the length of the blades, the blades, when viewed end to end, are tapered from the rounded leading edge into the feathered trailing edge and have a hydrofoil design.

3. The turbine blades of claim 2 wherein four such blades with the first ends thereof attached to the turbine rotor at 90°

separations between adjacent blades.

4. In a flow meter mounted in a fluid delivery line for dispensing fluids, the flow meter having a turbine with a turbine rotor having plural turbine blades extending therefrom and rotatably supported in a fluid opening of flow meter along the centerlines along the length of the flow meter opening and the centerline of the turbine rotor being coincident, and wherein each turbine blade comprises:

a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the turbine rotor with the blade extending outwardly therefrom;

a leading edge made up of a rounded nose, the front of the nose disposed below the centerline of the turbine rotor when viewing the blade end to end;

a feathered trailing edge;

a first blade surface, the first blade surface concave in shape along the length of the blade, the concave first blade surface receiving the force of fluid flow thereagainst and driving the turbine, the concave first blade surface disposed above the centerline of the turbine rotor when viewing the blade end to end; and

an opposed second blade surface, the second blade surface convex shaped along the length of the blade, the convex second blade surface disposed below the centerline of the turbine rotor and extending upwardly above the centerline, the blade when viewed end to end being tapered from the rounded leading edge into the feathered trailing edge so that the blade profile forms a hydrofoil shape.

5. The turbine blades of claim 4 in which the second end of each turbine blade has a flattened surface having a bore, the turbine blade further comprising:

a ferrous slug disposed in the bore and flush with the flattened surface of the turbine blade second end.