Tandem rotor turbine meter and field calibration module
AssigneeM&FC Holding, LLC
InventorsJames J. Fitzpatrick, Daniel W. Peace
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and an apparatus for measuring gas flow with greater reliability than earlier single-rotor and double-rotor turbine meters and dual turbine meter systems are disclosed. The apparatus comprises two independent rotors, in close proximity of each other, housed in the same meter body, but isolated from the effects of each other. No pressure and temperature correction are needed for accuracy performance comparison between the two rotors. Because of the two rotor averaging technique, the reliability of the volume totalization is greatly improved over earlier double-rotor and single-rotor designs.
Claims14
A flow calibration module, that is removably installed in a single rotor turbine flow meter body, for use in periodic checking of a meter's flow measuring unit and for use in calibrating the flow measuring unit, the flow calibration module comprising:
- a module housing;
- a rotor mounted in said module housing so said rotor rotates about a rotational axis in response to gas passing therethrough from the meter's flow measuring unit;
- flow conditioning means, disposed within said module housing upstream of said rotor, for conditioning gas flow to said rotor, wherein said flow conditioning means directs the gas flow from the meter's flow measuring unit to said rotor in a direction substantially parallel to the rotor's rotational axis to isolate said rotor from the flow measuring unit and wherein the conditioning of the gas has a negligible effect on the temperature and pressure of the gas flowing through the said flow conditioning means;
- output signal means for providing a gas volume output signal representative of the gas volume flowing through said rotor;
- and
- wherein said module housing is configured so as to permit installation of said module housing in the meter's body downstream of and proximate to the meter's flow measuring unit for periodic checking and calibration of the flow measuring unit, where said module housing is disposed proximate to the meter's flow measuring unit so there is a negligible difference between the temperature and pressure of the gas flowing through the meter's flow measuring unit and of the gas flowing through said rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.