US 5,337,615 A · Flow meter

Abstract

A fluid volumetric flow sensor has relaxed dimensional tolerances when compared to prior art devices of the type in which a swirl, imparted to the fluid by channels in a housing, causes a rotor to spin. The rate at which the rotor spins may be measured by allowing the rotor lobes to interrupt an optical beam generated by a clip-on opto-electric module. The swirl-inducing channels that cause rotor motion lead from an inlet chamber into a small volute chamber that is upstream of and separate from the rotor chamber. Fluid impinging on a thrust reverser at the downstream end of the rotor chamber provides a fluid support so that the rotor is entirely supported by flowing fluid at normal flow rates. The thrust reverser may be a bluff body formed on a tension shaft that is attached to and extends downstream from a wall of the volute chamber through an axial lumen in the rotor body.

Claims16

Dependent claims

In a volume or rate of flow measurement apparatus having a housing wherein a swirl imparted to a fluid by a jet rotates a rotor about a shaft, said rotor having an axial lumen therethrough, said shaft disposed in said lumen, said shaft having an upstream end and a downstream end, an improvement comprising

a cylindrical volute chamber formed in said housing, a diameter of said volute chamber smaller than an outer diameter of said rotor, said jet having an outlet in a wall of said volute chamber,
a cylindrical rotor chamber formed in said housing, said rotor chamber coaxial with said volute chamber, said rotor chamber downstream of said volute chamber, and
a thrust reverser downstream of said rotor, said thrust reverser coaxial with said rotor chamber, said thrust reverser supported by said shaft,
wherein said first end of said shaft is attached to said housing and said second end of said shaft is not attached to said housing.

1 more element

A flow transducer comprising a wetted module and an opto-electronics module, said wetted module comprising

a generally cylindrical inlet housing having an upstream end and a downstream end, said inlet housing comprising an inlet port at said upstream end thereof and a first wall at said downstream end thereof, said first wall having an upstream face and a downstream face, said inlet housing further comprising a plurality of holes through said first wall, wherein a first, shaft-retaining hole, of said plurality of holes is located on the cylindrical axis of said inlet housing, and a second, inlet conduit hole, of said plurality of holes is displaced from said axis,
a generally cylindrical outlet housing having an upstream end and a downstream end, said outlet housing comprising an outlet port at said downstream end thereof, said outlet housing translucent to electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined frequency,
said upstream end of said outlet housing co-axially joined to said downstream end of said inlet housing adjacent said first wall, said outlet housing comprising a second wall having an upstream face whereon are disposed a plurality of raised channel-defining portions, whereby a manifold and a closed jet channel are formed when said outlet housing is joined to said inlet housing,
said outlet housing further comprising an axial volute chamber hole through said second wall, the diameter of said volute chamber hole larger than the diameter of said shaft-retaining hole,
said outlet housing further comprising a cylindrical rotor chamber intermediate said second wall and said outlet port, said rotor chamber coaxial with said volute chamber hole, said rotor chamber having a diameter larger than said volute chamber hole,
a rotor comprising a cylindrical tubular body having an axial lumen therethrough, said rotor having two or more rotor lobes extending from the outer surface of said tubular body, each said rotor lobe opaque to said radiation, said rotor having an outer diameter less than said diameter of said rotor chamber, and
a shaft having an upstream end and a downstream end, said shaft having a thrust reverser at said downstream end thereof, a diameter of said shaft less than the diameter of said rotor lumen, said upstream end of said shaft inserted through said volute chamber hole into said shaft-retaining hole, said shaft further comprising attachment means on said upstream end thereof attaching said shaft to said first wall;
said opto-electronic module removeably positioned external to said rotor chamber, said opto-electronic module comprising a source of said electromagnetic radiation and a detector of said electromagnetic radiation, said source defining a beam of radiation extending to said detector, said beam intercepted by a said rotor lobe.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flow meter

Life of this patent

Flow meter

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16