Dual sensor vortex flow meter

• US 5,583,300 A
• Filed: 03/23/1995
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: The Foxboro Company (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Kalinoski, Richard W., Green, Gilbert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US08/411,360
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 73/861.22, 73/861.24, 73/195, 73/197, 73/417, 73/861.47
• US Class Current: 73/861.24
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/3209 using Karman vortices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/325 Means for detecting quantities used as proxy variables for swirl
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/3259 for detecting fluid pressure oscillations

Abstract

A dual sensor vortex flow meter providing fluid connections for two sensors and containing isolation valves providing the further capability of separate valve control of the fluid communication to each of the dual sensors is herein disclosed. The vortex flow meter is mounted onto a flow meter body having an existing sensor cavity for housing a single sensor. The vortex flow meter is fitted into the existing sensor cavity by means of a dummy-cast sensor. On either side of the dummy sensor are apertures coupled to flow passages that transmit the alternating differential pressure fluctuations caused by the vortices from each side of the dummy sensor to the corresponding sides of each of the dual sensors. The dual sensor vortex flow meter may also include valves for controlling the process flow transmission to each of the sensors.

Claims

1. A flow-metering apparatus of the vortex-shedding type comprising:

a) a flow-pipe section fluidly connected to a process flow, said flow-pipe section having a single divided cavity for allowing communication with the process flow, said single divided cavity forming a single fluid connection to said process flow;

b) a vortex-generating body mounted in said flow-pipe section for generating alternating differential pressure fluctuations;

c) a plurality of sensor elements, each of said sensor elements having first and second sides, said first and second sides being on opposite sides of said sensor element, each of said first and second sides subjected independently to the alternating differential pressure fluctuations from said single fluid connection;

d) a mounting support, removably mounted to said flow-pipe section, housing said sensor elements and securing said sensor elements to said flow-pipe section, said sensor elements removably mounted within said mounting support, said sensor elements positioned spatially apart from each other in said mounting support, said mounting support having flow passages for transmitting the alternating differential pressure fluctuations to said sensor elements, said flow passages communicating with the process flow through said single divided cavity;

e) electrical transmission means connected to said sensor elements to conduct signals representative of said process flow; and

f) computation means connected to said electrical transmission means, and removably mounted to said mounting support, for processing said signals transmitted from said electrical transmission means and producing electronic signals indicative of physical measurement quantities of said process flow.

2. A flow-metering apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said mounting support further comprises a flow divider positioned in said single divided cavity of said flow-pipe to maintain differential flow through said flow passages by dividing the cavity.

3. A flow-metering apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said sensor elements comprise first and second sensor elements fluidly connected to a single divided cavity, and

wherein said flow passages of said mounting support comprise a first pair of flow passages for transmitting the alternating differential pressure fluctuations to said first sensor element, and a second pair of flow passages for transmitting the alternating differential pressure fluctuations to said second sensor element,

said first pair of flow passages having a first high flow passage and a first low flow passage, said first high flow passage transmitting high pressure fluctuations of said alternating differential pressure fluctuations to said first side of said first sensor element, and said first low flow passage transmitting low pressure fluctuations of said alternating differential pressure fluctuations to said second side of said first sensor element, and

said second pair of flow passages having a second high flow passage and a second low flow passage, said second high flow passage transmitting high pressure fluctuations of said alternating differential pressure fluctuations to said first side of said second sensor element, and said second low flow passage transmitting low pressure fluctuations of said alternating differential pressure fluctuations to said second side of said second sensor element.

4. A flow-metering apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said computation means comprises a first and second computation element, said first computation element electrically connected to said first sensor element, and said second computation element electrically connected to said second sensor element.

5. A flow-metering apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said mounting support further comprises a first and second valve control device for controlling transmission of the alternating pressure fluctuations to said first and second sensor elements,

said first valve control device coupled to said first set of flow passages, and

said second valve control device coupled to said second set of flow passages.

6. A flow-metering apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said mounting support further comprises a plurality of valve control devices, coupled to said sensor elements and said flow passages, for controlling the transmission of the alternating differential pressure fluctuations to said sensor elements.

7. A vortex flow meter comprising:

a) a flow-pipe section fluidly connected to a process flow, said flow-pipe section having a single divided cavity for allowing communication with the process flow;

b) a vortex-generating body mounted in said flow-pipe section for generating alternating differential pressure fluctuations;

c) a first and second sensor means fluidly connected to said fluid flow at said single divided cavity for detecting the alternating differential pressure fluctuations and for producing electronic signals representative thereof,

said first sensor means having a first side and a second side, said first side of said first sensor means opposite said second side of said first sensor means,

said second sensor means having a first side and a second side, said first side of said second means opposite said second side of said second sensor means, and

said first and said second sensor means positioned spatially apart from each other;

d) a first and second computation means for processing said electronic signals, said first computation means electrically connected to said first sensor means, and said second computation means electrically connected to said second sensor means; and

e) a manifold for removably housing said first and second sensor means, comprising;

i) body means;

ii) a first and second pair of flow passages extending longitudinally through said body means for fluidly connecting said process flow at said single divided cavity to said first and second sensor means, said flow passages communicating with the process flow through said cavity,

said first pair of flow passages, transmitting low pressure fluctuations of said alternating pressure fluctuations to said first side of said first sensor means, and transmitting high pressure fluctuations of said alternating pressure fluctuations to said second side of said first sensor means,

said second pair of flow passages transmitting low pressure fluctuations of said alternating pressure fluctuations to said first side of said second sensor means, and high pressure fluctuations of said alternating pressure fluctuations to said second side of said second sensor means;

iii) a first and second mounting means in said body means, said first mounting means removably attaching said manifold to said flow-pipe section, and said second mounting means removably attaching said manifold to said first and second computation means.

8. A manifold as in claim 7 further comprising first and second valves for controlling transmission of the alternating pressure fluctuations to said first and second sensing means,

said first valve fluidly connected to said first pair of flow passages, and

said second valve fluidly connected to said second pair of flow passages.

9. A manifold as in claim 7 wherein said first mounting means further comprises an attachment means and a dummy-cast sensor element positioned in said single divided cavity of said flow-pipe section, to act as a flow divider to divide said single divided cavity and to maintain differential flow through said flow passages.