Flowmeter for use in a flow monitoring system
US4798092A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 28, 1987 |
| Grant date | Jan 17, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 28, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01F15/024
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An improved flowmeter for measuring the flow rate of a fluid in a fluid path is described. In the preferred embodiment, the flowmeter includes a housing having a longitudinal bore therein. A turbine assembly is supported for rotation in the longitudinal bore and includes one or more conductive blades. An inductor coil is supported adjacent the longitudinal bore, and an oscillator is coupled to the inductor coil for generating a signal of predetermined RF frequency in the inductor coil to induce a magnetic field in the bore. In operation, when the fluid is directed through the longitudinal bore, the blades of the turbine assembly are rotated at a speed proportional to flow rate to generate a sensed signal in the inductor coil. The sensed signal includes a low frequency amplitude-modulated signal component proportional to the flow rate of the fluid. The sensed signal is filtered and then processed, using a microprocessor-based look-up table encoding technique, to generate instantaneous estimates of the flow rate. These estimates are then averaged and normalized to a predetermined temperature to produce the desired flow rate output.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.