Fuel flowmeter

• US 6,796,173 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FTI Flow Technology, Inc. (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: FTI Flow Technology, Inc. (Roper Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fernandez, Pedro, Lajoie, Marshall L., Foran, Charles D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US09/414,867
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 732/61, 738/617.4, 738/617.5, 738/617.7, 738/617.8, 738/617.9, 702/45-47
• US Class Current: 73/261
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/024 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 3/10 Geared or lobed impeller meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 9/001 with electric, electro-mechanic or electronic means G01F9/008 and G01F9/02 take precedence

Abstract

A fuel flowmeter has a flowmeter with rotating impellers with meshed lobes rotatable in partially cylindrical housings joined in a case having an inlet at one side and an outlet at an opposite side. Fuel moves in the inlet filling voids between lobes in both impellers and moves cylindrically around opposite partially cylindrical walls and turning the impellers until reaching the outlet. Flow conditioners in the inlet and outlet allows smooth flow, reducing turbulence and promoting lamellar flow into and out of the case. One of the rotors may have a magnetic marker. A transmitter with a Hall effect sensor is mounted on the case. A signal conditioning software is connected to the Hall effect sensor for adjusted transmitted information according to measured pulse rate and a standard flow. The transmitter has a temperature sensor, and a second signal conditioning software connected to the temperature sensor for adjusting transmitted flow rate signals according to a difference between sensed temperature and standard temperature. A signal cable is provided, and a junction box is connected to the signal cable. A flow computer is connected to the junction box for indicating fuel consumption. A remote control device is connected between the case and the transmitter. A fuel tank has a fuel supply line connected to the tank and a fuel pump is connected to the supply line. The flow computer calculates differences in flow between flows in the first and second flowmeters.

Claims

1. Fuel flowmeter apparatus comprising a first flowmeter, partially cylindrical housings, rotating impellers having meshed lobes rotatable in the partially cylindrical housings joined in a case having an inlet at one side and an outlet at an opposite side, fuel moving in the inlet and filling voids between the lobes in the impellers and moving cylindrically around opposite partially cylindrical walls and turning the impellers until reaching the outlet, the inlet and the outlet having flow conditioners for smoothing flow, reducing turbulence and promoting lamellar flow into and out of the case, a magnetic marker on at least one of the impellers, a transmitter mounted on the case, the transmitter having a Hall effect sensor for sensing passage of the marker as a pulse, a first signal conditioning software connected to the Hall effect sensor for adjusting transmitted information according to measured pulse rate and a standard flow, the transmitter having a temperature sensor, and a second signal conditioning software connected to the temperature sensor for adjusting transmitted flow rate signals according to a difference between sensed temperature and standard temperature.

2. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a signal cable connected to the transmitter, a junction box connected to the signal cable, and a flow computer connected to the junction box for indicating fuel consumption.

3. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 1, wherein the case comprises a base in which the partially cylindrical housings are formed and wherein the inlet and the outlet flow conditioners are built in flow conditioners connected to opposite sides of the base, a cover connected to the base and enclosing the housings, and impellers freely positioned in the housing with the lobes of the impellers intermeshing, wherein the transmitter comprises a cylindrical enclosure extending from the cover, wherein the Hall effect sensor and temperature sensor are mounted in the cover, and wherein the first and the second signal conditioning softwares are mounted in the cylindrical enclosure.

4. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a remote connector cable connected between the case and the transmitter, and wherein the Hall effect sensor and the temperature sensor are mounted in the cable and are connected to the housing.

5. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a diesel fuel tank, a diesel fuel supply line connected to the tank, a fuel pump connected to the supply line, a fuel filter connected to the supply line, the fuel supply line connected to inlet flow conditioners and connected to a fuel injector for supplying diesel fuel to the fuel injector, a fuel return line connected to the fuel injector and to the tank, a second flowmeter connected to the fuel return line and a second transmitter connected to the second flowmeter.

6. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second flowmeter has a second temperature sensor and a second Hall effect sensor, and first and second unique signal conditioning software connected to the second Hall effect sensor and to the second temperature sensor respectively.

7. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a signal cable connected to the transmitter, a junction box connected to the signal cable, a flow computer connected to the junction box for indicating fuel consumption, a second signal cable connected to the second transmitter and connected to the junction box, wherein the flow computer calculates differences in flow between flows in the first and second flowmeters.

8. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 7, wherein the conditioning software for each meter varies outputs from the Hall effect sensors and temperature sensors to the signal cables according to precomparison with specific standards for each individual flowmeter and transmitter combination.

9. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 8, further comprising third and fourth signal cables connected to the junction box and to third and fourth transmitters on third and fourth flowmeters on a second fuel supply, and return lines for indicating on the computer full consumption of a second diesel engine.

10. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 9, further comprising fifth and sixth signal cables connected to the junction box and to RPM senders on the first and second diesel engines.

11. The fuel flowmeter apparatus of claim 9, further comprising fifth and sixth signal cables connected to fifth and sixth transmitters on fifth and sixth flowmeters on third fuel supply and return lines for indicating fuel consumption to the flow computer.

12. A method for determining fluid flow rate, comprising providing a first flowmeter with rotating impellers having meshed lobes rotatable in partially cylindrical housings joined in a case having an inlet at one side and an outlet at an opposite side, moving the fuel in the inlet and filling voids between the lobes in the impellers and moving the fuel cylindrically around opposite partially cylindrical walls and turning the impellers until reaching the outlet, providing flow conditioners in the inlet and the outlet for smoothing flow, reducing turbulence and promoting lamellar flow into and out of the case, providing a magnetic marker on at least one of the impellers, mounting a transmitter on the case, providing a Hall effect sensor in the transmitter for sensing passage of the marker as a pulse, providing a first signal conditioning software connected to the Hall effect sensor, adjusting transmitted information according to measured pulse rate and a standard flow, providing a temperature sensor in the transmitter, and connecting a second signal conditioning software to the temperature sensor for adjusting transmitted flow rate signals according to a difference between sensed temperature and standard temperature.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising connecting a signal cable to the transmitter, connecting a junction box to the signal cable, and connecting a flow computer to the junction box for indicating fuel consumption.

14. The method of claim 12, the providing comprising providing the case comprising a base in which the partially cylindrical housings are formed and wherein the inlet and outlet flow conditioners are built in, connecting flow conditioners to opposite sides of the base, connecting a cover to the base and enclosing the housings, and freely positioning impellers in the housing with lobes of the impellers intermeshing, providing the transmitter with a cylindrical enclosure extending from the cover, mounting the Hall effect sensor and temperature sensor in the cover, and mounting the first and second signal conditioning software in the cylindrical enclosure.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising connecting a remote connector cable between the case and the transmitter, and mounting the Hall effect sensor and the temperature sensor in the cable and connecting them to the housing.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a diesel fuel tank, connecting a diesel fuel supply line to the tank, connecting a fuel pump to the supply line, connecting a fuel filter to the supply line, connecting the fuel supply line to inlet flow conditioners and to a fuel injector for supplying diesel fuel to the fuel injector, connecting a fuel return line to the fuel injector and to the tank, connecting a second flowmeter to the fuel return line, and connecting a second transmitter to the second flowmeter.

17. The method of claim 16, providing the second flowmeter with a second temperature sensor and a second Hall effect sensor, and connecting first and second unique signal conditioning software to the second Hall effect sensor and to the second temperature sensor respectively.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising connecting a signal cable to the transmitter, connecting a junction box to the signal cable, connecting a flow computer to the junction box for indicating fuel consumption, connecting a second signal cable to the second transmitter and to the junction box, and providing the flow computer to calculate differences in flow between flows in the first and second flowmeters.

19. The method of claim 18, further providing the conditioning software for each meter varying outputs from the Hall effect sensors and temperature sensors to the signal cables according to precomparison with specific standards for each individual flowmeter and transmitter combination.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising connecting third and fourth signal cables to the junction box and to third and fourth transmitters on third and fourth flowmeters on a second fuel supply, and providing return lines for indicating on the computer full consumption of a second diesel engine.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising connecting fifth and sixth signal cables to the junction box and to RPM senders on the first and second diesel engines.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising connecting fifth and sixth signal cables to fifth and sixth transmitters on fifth and sixth flowmeters on third fuel supply and return lines for indicating fuel consumption to the flow computer.

23. A fuel flow measuring system comprising a computer having a display, a junction box having plural serial connectors, a computer cable connected to the computer and to a first serial connector of the junction box, a power supply connected to the junction box, plural transmitter cables connected to the junction box serial connectors, a flowmeter, a transmitter connected to the flowmeter, a microprocessor in the transmitter having a serial output, the serial output connected to a first transmitter cable, a temperature sensor connected to the transmitter, a pulse sensor connected to the transmitter, signal conditioners interconnecting the temperature and pulse sensors with the microprocessor, the power supply supplying power to the transmitter via the transmitter cable, the temperature sensor providing conditioned flowmeter temperature signals to the microprocessor, the pulse sensor providing conditioned rotor angular speed pulse signals to the microprocessor, the microprocessor supplying temperature and rotor speed pulse signals through the transmitter cables, junction box and computer cable to the computer, and the computer computing real time, average and total fuel usage and displaying fuel usage, as required.

24. The measuring system of claim 23, wherein the flowmeter comprises a flowmeter having a chamber, fuel lines connected radially to the chamber, rotors with meshing lobes mounted in the chamber, and magnets embedded in the rotors for creating pulses as the lobes pass the pulse sensor.

25. The measuring system of claim 23, further comprising a second transmitter connected to a second flowmeter, a second microprocessor in the second transmitter having a second serial output, the second serial output connected to a second transmitter cable, a second temperature sensor connected to the second transmitter, a second pulse sensor connected to the second transmitter, signal conditioners interconnecting the second temperature and pulse sensors with the second microprocessor, the power supply supplying power to the transmitter via the second transmitter cable, the temperature sensor providing conditioned second flowmeter temperature signals to the second microprocessor, the second pulse sensor providing conditioned rotor angular speed pulse signals to the second microprocessor, the second microprocessor supplying temperature and rotor speed pulse signals through the second transmitter cable, junction box and computer cable to the computer for computing and displaying real time, average and total fuel usage.

26. The measuring system of claim 25, further comprising an RPM meter connected to the junction box.

27. The measuring system of claim 25, further comprising an engine having a fuel inlet connected to the first transmitter and having a fuel outlet connected to the second transmitter.

28. The measuring system of claim 27, further comprising a second engine having a second fuel inlet and a second fuel outlet, and having third and fourth flowmeters respectively connected to the second fuel inlet and to the second fuel outlet, and third and fourth transmitters connected to the third and fourth flowmeters respectively, and third and fourth transmitter cables connected to the third and fourth transmitters and to the junction box.

29. The measuring system of claim 28, further comprising first and second RPM sensors connected respectively to the first and second engines and through signal conditioners to the junction box and the computer cable to the computer for supplying engine RPM signals to the computer.