US 2020/0116540 A1Published application

Oscillating fluid meter

AssigneeQuanta IQ, Inc.

InventorWilliam Clark Cronin

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Abstract

Apparatus, systems and methods in which an oscillating piston fluid meter assembly comprises a cylinder housing separated by a piston into two chambers and measures the flow volume of a fluid by tracking the distance traveled by the piston along a pushrod running through the cylinder. Preferably, the oscillating fluid meter assembly has two inlets, two outlets, two end-caps, and four passages each coupling one inlet or outlet to a chamber. A valve is positioned at a junction between two passages and can simultaneously control the two passages by shutting them both or allowing only one of them to be open. Magnets, springs, and various damping mechanisms are used to control the movement of the pushrod. Since fluid cannot pass through the system without triggering the traveling of the piston tracked by a tracking device, the oscillating fluid meter is highly sensitive and can detect a very small flow volume.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An oscillating fluid meter assembly for measuring a flow rate or a volume of a fluid, comprising:

a housing having first and second chambers;
a first inlet and a first outlet;
a second inlet and a second outlet;
first and second passages that couple the first and second inlets to the first and second chambers, respectively;
third and fourth passages that couple the first and second outlets to the first and second chambers, respectively;
a pushrod comprising an elongated member slidably disposed inside the housing and transitionable between a first position and a second position;
a piston slidably coupled with the pushrod and sized and dimensioned to fluidly decouple the first chamber from the second chamber;
a tracking device that is capable of tracking a position of the piston;
a first valve positioned at a first junction between the first and third passages;
a second valve positioned at a second junction between the second and fourth passages;
wherein the first and second valves are rigidly coupled with the pushrod and disposed on opposing sides of the piston;
a first engaging element and a second engaging element rigidly coupled to the pushrod and disposed on opposing sides of the piston, wherein the first and second engaging elements comprise a magnetically attractable material;
a first magnet located outside the first engaging element;
and
a second magnet located outside the second engaging element.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.