Coriolis type fluid flowmeter

• US 5,090,253 A
• Filed: 05/14/1990
• Issued: 02/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: Atlantic Richfield Company Incorporated (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Kolpak, Miroslav M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldstein, Herbert
• Application Number:
  US07/523,152
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 73/861.37, 73/861.38
• US Class Current: 73/861.355
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8404 details of flowmeter manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8477 with multiple measuring conduits

Abstract

A coriolis type flowmeter has separate sets or bundles of tubes which are interconnected with each other to vibrate laterally with respect to the direction of flow through the tubes by a vibrator mechanism and which vibrations are sensed by spaced apart sensor devices for determining the vibrational characteristics and the related mass flow rate and mass density of fluid flowing through the tube bundles. In one embodiment the flowmeter inlet and outlet manifolds are formed with split conduit portions for directing the flow of fluid to and from the respective tube bundles. In another embodiment, the inlet and outlet manifolds are arranged for parallel lateral flow of fluid to and from the manifolds and the respective sets of flow tubes are spaced apart along the manifolds and arranged in alternating sets interconnected by tie rods at the respective vibrator mechanisms and sensors.

Claims

1. A Coriolis type flowmeter for measuring the flow rate of a fluid comprising a gassy liquid, said flowmeter comprising:

an inlet manifold and a discharge manifold, each of said manifolds being configured to be connected to a plurality of fluid flow conducting tubes of a first set and a second set, respectively;

a first set of fluid flow conducting tubes interconnecting said manifolds, said first set of tubes being configured to change the direction of flow of fluid through said first set between said manifolds;

a second set of fluid flow conducting tubes interconnecting said manifolds and being of a configuration similar to said first set of tubes and being spaced from said first set of tubes for conducting fluid through a change in direction of flow between said manifolds;

said first and second sets of tubes are arranged spaced apart from each other such that alternate ones of said tubes are of said first set and said second set, respectively, said tubes of said first set are connected to tie means interconnecting said tubes of said first set with each other and said tubes of said second set are connected to tie means interconnecting said tubes of said second set with each other;

vibrator means operably engaged with said first set of tubes and said second set of tubes for vibrating said tubes generally laterally with respect to the direction of flow of fluid through said tubes; and

first and second sensor means operably connected to said first and second sets of tubes for sensing the vibration of said sets of tubes at a point upstream with respect to the direction of flow of fluid through said tubes from said vibrator means and at a point downstream with respect to the direction of flow of fluid through said tubes from said vibrator means, respectively.

2. The flowmeter set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said vibrator means is interconnected with said tie means for vibrating said first set and said second sets of tubes with respect to each other and laterally with respect to the direction of flow of fluid through said sets of tubes.

3. A Coriolis type flowmeter for measuring the flow rate of a liquid comprising:

an inlet manifold member and a discharge manifold member;

a first set of flow conducting tubes interconnecting said manifold members, said first set of tubes being configured such as to change the direction of flow of fluid through said first set between said manifold members;

a second set of fluid conducting tubes interconnecting said manifold members and being configured to change the direction of flow of fluid through said second set between said manifold members;

said tubes of said first set and said second set being arranged spaced apart from each other and such that alternate ones of said tubes are of said first set and said second set, respectively;

vibrator tie means interconnecting said first set of tubes at a point substantially midway between said manifold members and vibrator tie means interconnecting said second set of tubes with each other at a point substantially midway between said manifold members;

vibrator means interconnected between said vibrator tie means for vibrating said first set of tubes and said second set of tubes with respect to each other and generally laterally with respect to the direction of flow of fluid through said sets of tubes;

first sensor tie means interconnecting said first and second sets of tubes, respectively, at a point spaced from said vibrator tie means and upstream of said vibrator tie means with respect to the direction of flow of fluid through said sets of tubes, and second sensor tie means interconnecting said tubes of said first and second sets of tubes, respectively, at a point downstream of said vibrator tie means with respect to the direction of flow of fluid through said tubes; and

first and second sensor means operably connected to the sensor tie means of said first set and said second set of tubes, respectively, for sensing the lateral vibration of said first set of tubes and said second set of tubes at said points upstream and downstream, respectively.

4. The flowmeter set forth in claim 3 wherein:

the configuration of said sets of tubes is such as to substantially reverse the direction of flow of fluid through said tubes between said manifold members.

5. The flowmeter set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said sets of tubes have a first run, a second run generally normal to said first run, and a third run generally normal to said second run formed between said manifold members.