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US 10,473,503 B2Granted
Flow meter
AssigneeHartridge Limited
InventorAaron Walsh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A positive linear displacement flow rate meter includes a first chamber for receiving a substance such as diesel from a fuel injector and applying a substance force to one end of a piston, wherein an opposing force is applied, such as by air pressure, in a second chamber, to the other piston end, and a comparator, for indicating to a control unit to discard invalid piston displacement measurements, until the substance force is substantially equal to the opposing force, allowing accurate flow rate measurement independent of variation in conditions between uses of the meter.
Claims8
A signalling means for signalling to a control unit of a flow rate meter;
- the flow rate meter comprising a piston located within a main bore, a first chamber towards a first end of the piston for receiving a substance, and a second chamber at a second end of the piston remote from the first end, the signalling means comprising:
- a comparator means;
- and
- a first pressure sensor provided in the first chamber;
- wherein in use of the flow rate meter, a substance pressure, comprising pressure of the substance within the first chamber, applies a substance force to a first end of the piston;
- and wherein an opposing force is applied to the second end of the piston;
- and wherein a difference between the substance force and the opposing force causes linear displacement of the piston, from an initial position, within and along an axial axis of the main bore;
- wherein measurements received by the control unit comprise measurements of linear displacement of the piston from an initial position received from a displacement measuring means, and measurements of time taken for a predetermined displacement of the piston from the initial position received from a timing means;
- wherein, in use of the flow rate meter, the comparator means receives measurements of substance pressure from the first pressure sensor, and calculates substance force using a predetermined area of the first end of the piston;
- and wherein the comparator means compares the substance force to the opposing force, wherein the opposing force is either a predetermined constant force, or is calculated by the comparator means from measurements of opposing pressure received from a second pressure sensor, and a predetermined area of the second end of the piston;
- and wherein based on the comparison of the substance force and the opposing force, the comparator means provides a signal to the control means as to whether the control means should record or disregard measurements received from measuring means and the timing means.
8 more elements
A flow metering apparatus comprising:
- a piston located within a main bore;
- a first chamber towards a first end of the piston for receiving a substance;
- a second chamber at a second end of the piston remote from the first end;
- a substance source which supplies the substance to the first chamber via a substance inlet;
- and
- a signalling means for signalling to a control unit, the signaling means comprising:
- a comparator means;
- and
- a first pressure sensor provided in the first chamber;
- wherein in use of the flow metering apparatus, a substance pressure, comprising pressure of the substance within the first chamber, applies a substance force to the first end of the piston;
- and wherein an opposing force is applied to the second end of the piston remote from the first end;
- and wherein a difference between the substance force and the opposing force causes linear displacement of the piston, from an initial position, within and along an axial axis of the main bore;
- wherein measurements received by the control unit comprise measurements of linear displacement of the piston from an initial position received from a displacement measuring means, and measurements of time taken for a predetermined displacement of the piston from the initial position received from a timing means;
- wherein, in use of the flow metering apparatus, the comparator means receives measurements of substance pressure from the first pressure sensor, and calculates substance force using a predetermined area of the first end of the piston;
- and wherein the comparator means compares the substance force to the opposing force, wherein the opposing force is either a predetermined constant force, or is calculated by the comparator means from measurements of opposing pressure received from a second pressure sensor, and a predetermined area of the second end of the piston;
- and wherein based on the comparison of the substance force and the opposing force, the comparator means provides a provides a signal to the control means as to whether the control means should record or disregard measurements received from measuring means and the timing means.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.