Method and apparatus for measuring volume flow rate of liquid flowing into a container and/or volume of liquid which has flowed into the container

US8959997B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Endress+Hauser Conducta Gesellschaft fuer Mess- und Regeltechnik mbH + Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Michael Hanko · Dresden, DE
• Stefanie Honncher · Hartha, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 20, 2011
• Grant date: Feb 24, 2015
• Expiry date: Dec 5, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01F22/02
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring volume flow rate of a liquid flowing into a container and/or volume of the liquid flowed into the container, with which method, respectively with which apparatus a high measure of automation is achievable in microfluidic systems, especially in the field of analysis. Before liquid flows in, gas is enclosed under a starting pressure in a predetermined starting volume in the container, then liquid is allowed to flow into the container to compress the enclosed gas to a gas volume dependent on the volume of the flowed-in liquid, and to effect a rise of gas pressure of the gas in the container relative to the starting pressure dependent on the volume of liquid which has flowed in and on the volume flow rate of the inflowing liquid, the gas pressure in the container is measured as a function of time, and the volume flowed in up to a given time and/or the volume flow rate of inflowing liquid at the given time are/is determined based on the measured gas pressure.