Flowmeter for gas-entrained solids flow
First Claim
1. A flowmeter for measurement of solids feedrate in a gas-entrained solids flow conveyance system comprising:
- a vertical duct connected at the top end to a source of solids for gas-entrainment and connected at the bottom end to a gas-entrained flow conveyance system,a control valve positioned in said vertical duct capable of restricting the flow of solids so that below said control valve, the solids fall by force of gravity, anda capacitive densitometer positioned on said duct at a location a known distance below said control valve,whereby the solid feedrate, Q, of a gas entrained flow can be determined by
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Q=Sρ
φ
v.sub.s where S is the cross sectional area of said duct, ρ
is the density of the solid, φ
is the solid volume fraction determined by said capacitive densitometer, and vS is the local solid velocity which can be inferred from the known distance of said capacitive densitometer below said control valve.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for the measurement of solids feedrate in a gas-entrained solids flow conveyance system. The apparatus and method of the present invention include a vertical duct connecting a source of solids to the gas-entrained flow conveyance system, a control valve positioned in the vertical duct, and a capacitive densitometer positioned along the duct at a location a known distance below the control valved so that the solid feedrate, Q, of the gas entrained flow can be determined by
Q=SρφV.sub.S
where S is the cross sectional area of the duct, ρ is the density of the solid, φ is the solid volume fraction determined by the capacitive densitometer, and vS is the local solid velocity which can be inferred from the konown distance of the capacitive densitometer below the control valve.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A flowmeter for measurement of solids feedrate in a gas-entrained solids flow conveyance system comprising:
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a vertical duct connected at the top end to a source of solids for gas-entrainment and connected at the bottom end to a gas-entrained flow conveyance system, a control valve positioned in said vertical duct capable of restricting the flow of solids so that below said control valve, the solids fall by force of gravity, and a capacitive densitometer positioned on said duct at a location a known distance below said control valve, whereby the solid feedrate, Q, of a gas entrained flow can be determined by
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Q=Sρ
φ
v.sub.swhere S is the cross sectional area of said duct, ρ
is the density of the solid, φ
is the solid volume fraction determined by said capacitive densitometer, and vS is the local solid velocity which can be inferred from the known distance of said capacitive densitometer below said control valve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for measuring the feedrate of solids in a gas-entrained solids flow conveyance system comprising the steps of:
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introducing a supply of solids into the top end of a vertical duct, restricting the flow of solids the vertical duct with a control valve so that below the control valve, the solids fall by force of gravity, measuring the solid volume fraction of the solids in the vertical duct with a capacitive densitometer positioned on the vertical duct at known distance below the control valve, injecting the solids from the vertical duct into the gas-entrained conveyance system, whereby the solid feedrate, Q, of a gas entrained flow can be determined in accordance with the equation
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Q=Sρ
φ
v.sub.Swhere S is the cross sectional area of said duct, ρ
is the density of the solid, φ
is the solid volume fraction determined by the capacitive densitometer, and vS is the local solid velocity which can be inferred from the known distance of the capacitive densitometer below the control valve. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification