Patent · US Expired

Flow device and method

US7610801B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
10References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 16, 2005
Grant dateNov 3, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 9, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01F13/006
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and device allows determination of the flow rate of solids material, under gravity, in an elongate vertical pipe; the device comprises a flow head chamber having an inlet end and an outlet end, an elongate tubular neck extending from the outlet end, the neck having an exit port remote from the outlet end, and the head chamber having an interior wall means converging from the inlet end to the outlet end, and the chamber being in flow communication with the elongate tubular neck such that in a vertically oriented configuration with the inlet end uppermost, the exit port lowermost and the elongate tubular neck disposed downwardly, solids material housed in the device may flow under gravity from the chamber into the elongate tubular neck towards the exit port; in one embodiment the device has plug means adapted to releasably engage the exit port to temporarily close the exit port; in another embodiment the chamber has a volume capacity for the solids material which permits the device to deliver at least twice the volume capacity of the elongate tubular neck through the neck; in the method a sample of the solids material is allowed to flow downwardly under gravity, as a smooth …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.