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US 4,782,711 AGranted
Method and apparatus for measuring mass flow
AssigneeK-Flow Division of Kane Steel Co., Inc.
InventorWayne Pratt
Life of this patent
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AssigneeK-Flow Division of Kane Steel Co., Inc.
InventorWayne Pratt
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus for determining mass flow of fluid flowing within a conduit. The conduit is oscillated periodically transverse to the flow therein, and sensors sense the movement of the conduit at discrete, spaced locations on the conduit. The sensors generate periodic signals representative of the movement of the conduit at said locations. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of determining the instantaneous amplitude difference between the signals at a plurality of discrete adjacent intervals (which may or may not be of equal width), determining the product of the absolute value of the instantaneous amplitude difference and the amplitude of the interval for each said interval, determining the sum of said products for each interval over a cycle of oscillation, and generating from the sum a signal representative of mass flow. An apparatus according to the invention comprises circuitry for determining the instantaneous amplitude difference between the signals from the sensors of the flow meter at a plurality of discrete, adjacent intervals, circuitry for determining the product of the absolute value of the instantaneous amplitude difference and the width of the interval for each said interval, circuitry for determining the sum of the products for each interval over a cycle of oscillation, and circuitry for generating from the sum a signal representative of the mass flow. The circuitry may comprise discrete circuitry or may be subsumed within a microprocessor.
Method for determining the mass flow of a fluid flowing within a conduit, periodically oscillated transverse to the flow therein, comprising the steps of:
Method for determining the mass flow of a fluid flowing within a conduit, oscillated periodically transverse to the flow therein, comprising the steps of:
Method for determining the mass flow of a fluid flowing within a conduit, oscillated periodically transverse to the flow therein, and having sensors for sensing the movement of the conduit at discrete spaced locations on the conduit, comprising the steps of:
Apparatus for determining the mass flow of a fluid flowing within a conduit having means for imparting a periodic transverse oscillation to the conduit and sensor means for sensing the movement of the conduit at discrete, spaced locations on the conduit and generating periodic signals representative of the movement of the conduit at said locations, comprising:
Apparatus for determining the mass flow of a fluid flowing within a conduit having means for oscillating the conduit transverse to the flow therein, and means for sensing the movement of the conduit at discrete, spaced locations on the conduit, and generating signals representative of the movement of the conduit at said locations, comprising:
Apparatus for determining the mass flow of a fluid flowing within a conduit, having means for periodically oscillating the conduit transverse to the flow therein and sensor means for sensing the movement of the conduit at discrete space locations on the conduit, and generating periodic signals representative of the movement of the conduit at said location, comprising (a) means for determining the integral of the absolute valve of the difference between the amplitudes of the signals for a differential time interval (dt) over a cycle of oscillating, and (b) means for generating from the integral a signal representative of the mass flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.