Coriolis effect mass flowmeter using a single rotor having a flexible sensing element

A Coriolis flowmeter comprising:

• a rotor housing having an inlet and an outlet
• a rotor assembly positioned within said housing and having a central axis of rotation, said rotor assembly including
• a plate having an outer perimeter and a face substantially normal to said axis of rotation, and
• a plurality of flexible vanes each rising from said face along a line extending from said central axis or rotation to said outer perimeter;
• means for flowing material across said rotor between said inlet and said outlet to induce flexion in said vanes responsive to Coriolis forces in said material concomitant with rotation of said rotor assembly;
• means for detecting a magnitude of said flexion due to said Coriolis forces;
• and
• means for deriving a mass flow rate from said detection of said magnitude.

A method of operating a Coriolis flowmeter comprising the steps of:

• providing a flowmeter including a rotor assembly having a plurality of flow channels and further having an axis of rotation, means proximate said flow channels for flexing to assume an angular offset in response to Coriolis forces generated as material flows through said flow channels and means for generating signals representative of flexion in said means for flexing, said method comprising the steps of:
• flowing material through said flow channels;
• using energy derived from said material while said material flows through said flow channels to rotate said rotor assembly around said axis of rotation;
• producing flexion in said flexing means by the action of Corolis forces concominant with rotation of said rotor assembly around said axis of rotation;
• generating signals representative of said flexion;
• and
• processing said signals to derive flow information pertaining to said material.

A Corolis flowmeter comprising:

• a housing including an inlet and an outlet;
• a rotor having a radially outboard margin and a radially inboard margin;
• means defining a flow channel extending from said inlet to said outlet, and across said rotor between radially outboard margin and said radially inboard margin,
• said flow channel defining means including means for rotating said rotor using energy derived from material while said material is flowing through said flow channel from said inlet to said outlet;
• and
• a torsional member connected to said rotor and including means, responsive to forces in said flowing material, for flexing to provide an angular offset in rotation of said torsional member with respect to rotation of said rotor,
• said angular offset of said torsional member representing a rate of material flow through said flow meter from said inlet to said outlet;
• and
• means for detecting said angular offset of said torsional member to derive flow information for said material.