US 5,398,552 AGranted

Magnetic flowmeter having a separable magnetic assembly

AssigneeMarsh-McBirney, Inc.

InventorLawrence B. Marsh

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Abstract

A magnetic flowmeter includes a flow tube that is connected in fluid-conducting relation between a pair of axially spaced sections of a conduit, a first electrical connector being fixed to the outer surface of the flow tube and including first terminals electrically connected with spaced internal electrodes, respectively, that contact the fluid flowing through the tube. A second electrical connector is provided for separable connection with the first connector, which second connector includes an end-fire electromagnet for establishing a transverse magnetic field in the flow tube via the first connector, and second terminals for connecting the electrodes with a flow-indicating meter via the first terminals, respectively, and a cable. In order to calibrate the meter for use with a plurality of flow tubes having different internal cross-sectional dimensions, respectively, the first and second connectors are provided with cooperating size coding and decoding devices, respectively.

Claims10

Dependent claims

Flowmeter apparatus for measuring the flow of fluid in a conduit, comprising:

(a) a flow tube (110) adapted for fluid-transmitting connection with an opening defined between a pair of axially spaced sections of the conduit, said flow tube having a longitudinal axis;
(b) electromagnetic means (128) establishing a generally transversely directed magnetic field across a portion of said flow tube;
(c) a plurality of spaced sensing electrodes (118, 120) supported by said flow tube for engagement with the fluid flowing in the conduit through said magnetic field, said sensing electrodes being contained in a plane normal to the axis of said flow tube;
(d) an electrical flow-indicating meter (130);
(e) means including separable connector means for connecting said electrodes with said meter, including:
(1) a first electrical connector (114) fixed externally to said flow tube and including a plurality of first terminals (116a, 116b, 116c) connected with said electrodes, respectively;
and
(2) a second electrical connector (124) separably connected with said first connector, said second connector having a plurality of second terminals 126a, 126b, 126c) an electrical contact with said first terminals, respectively;
and
(f) calibrating means (154) including conduit size identifier means arranged on said separable connector means for automatically calibrating said meter as a function of the size of the internal cross-sectional dimensions of said flow tube, thereby to permit successive connection of said meter with a plurality of flow tubes having different internal cross-sectional dimensions, respectively.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.