Water meter

• US 8,602,384 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capstone Metering LLC
• Original Assignee: Capstone Metering LLC
• Inventors: Williamson, Walter Scott, Williamson, James Scott, Williamson, Jack Ryan, Kowalchuk, Kevin Peter, Dunn, David James Carlos, Smith, Stephen Williams
• Primary Examiner(s): KEASEL, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US13/507,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20120305113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 251/129.01, 251/129.04, 251/129.11, 290/43, 290/54, 7386177-86184, 738/618.7, 738/619.4, 137/486, 137/487, 137/487.5, 137/554, 137/557, 702/46, 702/47
• US Class Current: 251/129.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/06 using rotating vanes with tangential admission
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/50 Correcting or compensating means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/00 Testing or calibration of apparatus for measuring volume, volume flow or liquid level or for metering by volume
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 Systems

Abstract

A meter includes an inlet for receiving a fluid and a housing defining a cylindrical chamber receiving the fluid from the inlet, wherein a chamber axis passes through a center of the cylindrical chamber. The meter also includes an outlet coupled to the housing, wherein the outlet is axially aligned with the inlet along a flow axis, and the flow axis does not intersect the chamber axis.

Claims

1. A meter comprising:

an inlet for receiving a fluid;

a housing defining a first cylindrical chamber receiving the fluid from the inlet, wherein a chamber axis passes through a center of the first cylindrical chamber;

a first impeller housed within the first cylindrical chamber, wherein the first impeller provides one or more magnets;

a magnetic switch provided adjacent to said first impeller, wherein the magnetic switch detects a number of rotations of said first impeller;

a second cylindrical chamber defined by said housing for generating electric power, wherein said chamber axis passes through a center of the second cylindrical chamber;

a second impeller housed within said second cylindrical chamber, wherein fluid flow through said second cylindrical chamber causes the second impeller to rotate;

an outlet coupled to the housing, wherein the outlet is axially aligned with the inlet along a flow axis, and the flow axis does not intersect the chamber axis;

a flow restrictor provided by the meter;

a pressure differential sensor positioned to measure a pressure drop through the flow restrictor; and

a processor coupled to said magnetic switch and said pressure differential sensor, wherein the processor calculates a pulse flowrate based on said number of rotations of said first impeller, and the processor calculates a pressure differential flowrate based on said pressure drop.

2. The meter of claim 1 further comprising:

a control valve coupled to the housing, wherein the control valve is aligned along the flow axis; and

a motor coupled to the control valve, wherein the motor actuates the control valve.

3. The meter of claim 2 further comprising a gearbox coupled to the control valve and the motor.

4. The meter of claim 2, wherein the control valve comprises a ball valve.

5. The meter of claim 2, wherein settings for the control valve are open, closed, and partially open.

6. The meter of claim 1, wherein said flow restrictor is a venturi tube.

7. The meter of claim 1, wherein said processor compares said pulse flowrate to said pressure differential flowrate, and said processor determines a correction factor if the pulse flowrate and the pressure differential flowrate do not match.

8. A meter comprising:

an inlet;

a housing defining a first chamber, wherein the first chamber receives a fluid from the inlet;

a first impeller housed within the first chamber, wherein the first impeller provides one or more magnets, and the first impeller rotates around a chamber axis passing through a center of the first chamber;

a magnetic switch provided adjacent to said first impeller, wherein the magnetic switch detects a number of rotations of said first impeller;

a second chamber defined by said housing for generating electric power, wherein said chamber axis passes through a center of the second chamber;

a second impeller housed within said second chamber, wherein fluid flow through said second chamber causes the second impeller to rotate;

an outlet receiving fluid from said first chamber, wherein a flow axis passes through the inlet and the outlet, and the chamber axis is offset by a selected distance from the flow axis;

a flow restrictor provided by the meter;

a pressure differential sensor positioned to measure a pressure drop through the flow restrictor; and

a processor coupled to said magnetic switch and said pressure differential sensor, wherein the processor compares a pulse flowrate based on said number of rotations of said first impeller to a pressure differential flowrate based on said pressure drop.

9. The meter of claim 8 further comprising:

a control valve coupled to the housing, wherein the control valve controls entry of the fluid provided to the meter; and

a motor coupled to the control valve, wherein the motor actuates the control valve.

10. The meter of claim 9 further comprising a gearbox coupled to the control valve and the motor.

11. The meter of claim 9, wherein the control valve comprises a ball valve.

12. The meter of claim 9, wherein settings for the control valve are open, closed, and partially open.

13. The meter of claim 8, wherein said processor determines a correction factor if the pulse flowrate and the pressure differential flowrate do not match.

14. A fluid metering system comprising:

an inlet;

a first housing defining a first chamber, wherein the first housing is coupled to the inlet to receive a fluid;

an first turbine housed within the first chamber, wherein the first turbine rotates around a chamber axis;

a second housing defining a second chamber, wherein the second housing is coupled to the first housing;

a second turbine housed within the second chamber, wherein the second turbine rotates around said chamber axis, and the fluid flows through said second chamber causes the second turbine to rotate;

a magnetic switch provided by said second housing, wherein the magnetic switch detects a number of rotations of said second turbine;

an outlet axially aligned with the inlet along a flow axis, wherein the first chamber axis is offset by a first selected distance from the flow axis and the second chamber axis is offset by a second selected distance from the flow axis;

a flow restrictor provided by the meter;

a pressure differential sensor positioned to measure a pressure drop through the flow restrictor; and

a processor coupled to said magnetic switch and said pressure differential sensor, wherein the processor calculates a pulse flowrate based on said number of rotations of said first turbine, and the processor calculates a pressure differential flowrate based on said pressure drop.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the flow restrictor is a venturi tube.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

a control valve coupled to the inlet, wherein the control valve controls entry of the fluid provided to the meter; and

a motor coupled to the control valve, wherein the motor actuates the control valve.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising a gearbox coupled to the control valve and the motor.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the control valve comprises a ball valve.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein settings for the control valve are open, closed, and partially open.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein said processor determines a correction factor if the pulse flowrate and the pressure differential flowrate do not match.