Thermal transit time flow measurement system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for measuring the rate of flow of a fluid through a conduit, comprising(a) at least one heater means for generating radiative heat energy in a manner sufficient to produce a thermal marker in said fluid flow, said heater means not physically in contact with said fluid;
- (b) at least one sensor means for detecting said thermal marker in said fluid, not physically in contact with said fluid, and adapted to generate an electrical signal responsive to the proximity of said thermal marker to said sensor means; and
(c) signal processing means operatively connected to said heater means and said sensor means for determining a parameter of fluid flow rate within the conduit based upon the magnitude of the signal from said sensor means as a function of time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The apparatus accurately measures flow rate of fluid within a conduit without direct fluid contact, based on the introduction of a thermal marker into the fluid stream by means of at least one externally mounted heater, and detection of the thermal marker by means of at least one externally mounted sensor. The transit time of the thermal marker can be ascertained for transit of the thermal marker from a heater to a sensor, or from one sensor to another sensor. A preferred embodiment of the heater comprises a resonant microwave cavity which heats the fluid radiatively, and a preferred embodiment of the sensor comprises a resonant microwave cavity through which a portion of the fluid conduit passes, the resonant characteristics of said microwave sensor being perturbed by the passage of the thermal marker.
118 Citations
29 Claims
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1. Apparatus for measuring the rate of flow of a fluid through a conduit, comprising
(a) at least one heater means for generating radiative heat energy in a manner sufficient to produce a thermal marker in said fluid flow, said heater means not physically in contact with said fluid; -
(b) at least one sensor means for detecting said thermal marker in said fluid, not physically in contact with said fluid, and adapted to generate an electrical signal responsive to the proximity of said thermal marker to said sensor means; and (c) signal processing means operatively connected to said heater means and said sensor means for determining a parameter of fluid flow rate within the conduit based upon the magnitude of the signal from said sensor means as a function of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. Apparatus for measuring the rate of flow of a fluid through a conduit, comprising
(a) at least one heater means for generating microwave radiation, including means for focusing said microwave radiation on a portion of said conduit in a manner sufficient to produce a thermal marker in said fluid flow, said heater means not physically in contact with said fluid; -
(b) at least one sensor means for detecting said thermal marker in said fluid, not physically in contact with said fluid, and adapted to generate an electrical signal responsive to the proximity of said thermal marker to said sensor means; and (c) signal processing means operatively connected to said heater means and said sensor means for determining a parameter of fluid flow rate within the conduit responsive to the signal from said sensor means. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. Apparatus for measuring the rate of flow of a fluid through a conduit, comprising
(a) at least one heater means for generating radiative heat energy in a manner sufficient to produce a thermal marker in said fluid flow, said heater means not physically in contact with said fluid; -
(b) at least one sensor means for generating an electric field of low-energy microwave radiation within a resonant cavity within which a portion of said fluid is placed, including means for focusing the electric field of said low-energy microwave radiation on a portion of said fluid flowing within the conduit, said sensor means being responsive to changes in the complex dielectric constant of said fluid for detecting said thermal marker in said fluid, said sensor means not physically contacting said fluid, and said sensor means being adapted to generate an electrical signal responsive to the proximity of said thermal market to said sensor means; and (c) signal processing means operatively connected to said heater means and said sensor means for determining a parameter of fluid flow rate within the conduit responsive to the signal from said sensor means. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification