In-line flow meter

• US 7,886,616 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hoffer Flow Controls, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hoffer Flow Controls, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayman, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson; Jewel
• Application Number:
  US12/590,994
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 738/617.9, 738/617.8, 164/122.2, 210/87
• US Class Current: 73/861.78
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/10 using rotating vanes with axial admission
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/115 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/18 Supports or connecting means for meters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/185 Connecting means, e.g. bypass conduits

Abstract

An in-line flow meter assembly for insertion into a pipe section, including a body comprising an elongate tubular section having a cavity; a turbine assembly support extending a determined distance from the body; a turbine shaft attached or coupled to the turbine shaft connection portion; a turbine element having a plurality of rotor blades extending radially from a central hub of the turbine element; a bearing positioned on the shaft and press fit into a hub of the turbine element; a pickup coil that is able to sense rotational motion of the turbine element and convert the rotational motion into a pulsing electrical signal; a riser having a height such that when the riser is attached or coupled to the pipe section, a rotational axis of the turbine element is located in a cross sectional center of the pipe section, regardless of a diameter of the pipe section.

Claims

1. An in-line flow meter assembly for insertion into a pipe section, comprising:

a body comprising an elongate tubular section having a cavity formed therethrough, and further comprising a flange portion extending from the tubular section, wherein the tubular section includes a plurality of attachment apertures for allowing a corresponding plurality of attachment means to attach or couple the body to a riser;

a turbine assembly support maintained in a fixed position relative to the body, and extending a determined distance from the body to a turbine shaft connection portion;

a turbine shaft attached or coupled to the turbine shaft connection portion and extending from the turbine shaft connection portion;

a bearing positioned on the shaft;

a flow responsive turbine element having the bearing positioned within a hub of the turbine element, wherein the turbine element includes a plurality of rotor blades extending radially from a central hub of the turbine element, and wherein surfaces of the rotor blades are angled relative to the rotational axis of the turbine element such that as a fluid flows past the turbine element, the force of the flowing fluid applies pressure to the angular surfaces of the rotor blades and causes the turbine element to rotate about the bearing;

a pickup coil, wherein the pickup coil is maintained in fixed position by the body, wherein the pickup coil is positioned such that the pickup coil is able to sense rotational motion of the turbine element and convert the rotational motion into a pulsing electrical signal, and wherein the pickup coil includes leads extending therefrom that allow the pickup coil to interface with certain electronic components;

a riser having an aperture formed therethrough such that, when aligned with the pipe section, the riser aperture is aligned with an aperture formed through the pipe section such that the turbine element is positioned within an interior of the pipe section, wherein the riser has a height such that when the riser is attached or coupled to the pipe section, a rotational axis of the turbine element is located in a cross sectional center of the pipe section, regardless of a diameter of the pipe section.

2. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein each attachment means comprises a bolt/lock washer combination.

3. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the bearing is a hard carbon composite sleeve bearing, a ball bearing, a ceramic bearing, a tungsten carbide bearing, or an equivalent.

4. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the turbine shaft is attached directly to the turbine shaft connection portion.

5. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the turbine shaft is coupled to the turbine shaft connection portion via a jam nut.

6. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein a cone is positioned on the turbine shaft, between the turbine element and the turbine assembly support.

7. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, further comprising a stabilizing insert fitted and secured within the cavity, wherein the stabilizing insert supports the turbine assembly support and the pickup coil and maintains the turbine assembly support and the pickup coil in a fixed position relative to the body.

8. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the pickup coil is a magnetic pickup coil.

9. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the pickup coil provides an electrical pulse for each pass of a rotor blade of the turbine element past the pickup coil.

10. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the certain electronic components comprise a flow computer for at least calculating the flow of fluid through the pipe section based on the pulsing electrical signal received from the pickup coil.

11. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the riser is welded to the pipe section.

12. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the riser is affixed, attached, or coupled to the pipe section.

13. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the riser is substantially cylindrical in shape with a concave bottom end formed so as to mate to an outside surface of the pipe section such that the riser can be mounted perpendicular to the pipe section.

14. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, wherein the body includes an alignment pin aperture and the riser includes a corresponding alignment pin aperture, such that the alignment pin aperture of the body can be aligned with the alignment pin aperture of the riser and an alignment pin can be positioned in the alignment pin apertures, the rotational axis of the turbine element is positioned in line with the direction of flow of fluid within the pipe section.

15. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 1, further comprises a flow conditioning device positioned within the pipe section up-stream of the flow meter assembly.

16. The in-line flow meter assembly of claim 15, wherein the flow conditioning device comprises a cluster of tubes mounted within the pipe section.

17. An in-line flow meter assembly, comprising:

a pipe section;

a body comprising an elongate tubular section having a cavity formed therethrough, and further comprising a flange portion extending from the tubular section, wherein the tubular section includes a plurality of attachment apertures for allowing a corresponding plurality of attachment means to attach or couple the body to a riser;

a turbine assembly support maintained in a fixed position relative to the body, and extending a determined distance from the body to a turbine shaft connection portion;

a turbine shaft attached or coupled to the turbine shaft connection portion and extending from the turbine shaft connection portion;

a bearing positioned on the shaft;

a flow responsive turbine element having the bearing positioned within a hub of the turbine element, wherein the turbine element includes a plurality of rotor blades extending radially from a central hub of the turbine element, and wherein surfaces of the rotor blades are angled relative to the rotational axis of the turbine element such that as a fluid flows past the turbine element, the force of the flowing fluid applies pressure to the angular surfaces of the rotor blades and causes the turbine element to rotate about the bearing;

a pickup coil, wherein the pickup coil is maintained in fixed position by the body, wherein the pickup coil is positioned such that the pickup coil is able to sense rotational motion of the turbine element and convert the rotational motion into a pulsing electrical signal, and wherein the pickup coil includes leads extending therefrom that allow the pickup coil to interface with certain electronic components;

a riser having an aperture formed therethrough such that, when aligned with the pipe section, the riser aperture is aligned with an aperture formed through the pipe section such that the turbine element is positioned within an interior of the pipe section, wherein the riser has a height such that when the riser is attached or coupled to the pipe section, a rotational axis of the turbine element is located in a cross sectional center of the pipe section, regardless of a diameter of the pipe section.

18. An in-line flow meter assembly for insertion into a pipe section, including a body comprising an elongate tubular section having a cavity;

a turbine assembly support extending a determined distance from the body;

a turbine shaft attached or coupled to the turbine shaft connection portion;

a turbine element having a plurality of rotor blades extending radially from a central hub of the turbine element;

a bearing positioned on the shaft and press fit into a hub of the turbine element;

a pickup coil that is able to sense rotational motion of the turbine element and convert the rotational motion into a pulsing electrical signal; and

a riser having a height such that when the riser is attached or coupled to the pipe section, a rotational axis of the turbine element is located in a cross sectional center of the pipe section, regardless of a diameter of the pipe section.