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US 2013/0145817 A1Published application
Torsional flow sensor
OwnerLeroy C. Delatorreinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flow sensor with h no moving parts and which is suitable for miniaturization into a probe for fluid measurements in remote, hostile environments. It comprises an isolation torque tube to isolate a high pressure media from an instrument environment. and a highly sensitive disc torque sensor to measure the values of torque generated by flow across a static impeller. A proportionalized electric property signal is transmitted to a value reading station.
Claims17
A fluid parameter measuring device comprising:
- first and second coaxial torque transfer elements, each having first and second ends, said first end of said first element secured to sensor means, said second end of said first element secured to torque generation means responsive to fluid flow, said first end of said second element secured to housing means, said second end of said second element secured to said first element between said first and second ends;
- said sensor means comprising first and second concentric discs separated predominately by space, said first disc having a smaller outside diameter than said second disc, said first element first end secured coaxially to said first disc at a circular interface having a diameter less than said first disc, said second disc secured about the perimeter thereof to said housing, said first and second discs linked by a pair of parallel spokes bridging said space tangentially from said interface circle perimeter on diametrically opposite sides of said interface circle;
- strain gage means secured to said spokes for detecting strain on said spokes induced by fluid flow over said torque generation means;
- and,
- instrument means for correlating said detected strain to a property of fluid flow over said torque generation means.
2 more elements
A method of measuring a fluid parameter comprising the steps of:
- providing first and second concentric torque transfer elements;
- securing a first end of said first torque element to a housing;
- securing a second end of said first torque element to said second element between first and second ends of said second torque element;
- securing said first end of said second torque element to a torque generation element responsive to fluid flow across said torque generation element;
- securing said second end of said second torque element to a disc torque sensor means;
- connecting said disc torque sensor means to instrumentation;
- and
- calibrating said instrumentation to a property of fluid flow over said torque generation element.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.