Vortex flowmeter including cantilevered vortex and vibration sensing beams
OwnerWilliam James A. Storerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vortex flowmeter has a bluff body extending across a conduit to generate vortices in a fluid flow, and a housing mounted to the conduit. A vortex sensing beam is mounted to housing and extends in cantilever fashion from the housing into the flow path separate from the bluff body. The vortex sensing beam is for sensing external vibration and for sensing vortices shed from the bluff body. A vibration sensing beam is mounted to the housing and extends in cantilever fashion away from the vortex sensing beam. The vibration sensing beam is for sensing external vibration only. In use, the outputs from the vortex and vibration sensing beams are combined to yield a final output signal in which the effect of external vibration is reduced.
Claims6
A vortex flowmeter for use in a conduit defining a fluid flow path, comprising:
- a bluff body for extending across the conduit to generate vortices in a fluid flow;
- a housing being coupleable to the conduit;
- a vortex sensing beam coupled to the housing and extending in cantilever fashion from the housing into the flow path in use and being separate from the bluff body, the vortex sensing beam including strain detecting means located therein for sensing external vibration and for sensing vortices shed from the bluff body;
- and
- a vibration sensing beam coupled to the housing and extending in cantilever fashion away from the vortex sensing beam outside the flow path, the vibration sensing beam including strain detecting means located therein for sensing external vibration, wherein the vortex sensing beam is recessed into the housing such that a deflectable part of the vortex sensing beam including the strain detecting means is shielded from the fluid flow.
A vortex flowmeter for use in a conduit defining a fluid flow path, comprising:
- a bluff body for extending across the conduit to generate vortices in a fluid flow;
- a housing being coupleable to the conduit;
- an elongated sensor tube separate from the bluff body and being mounted to the housing at a midpoint of said sensor tube, the sensor tube defining a vibration sensing beam extending in cantilever fashion from the midpoint into the flow path in use, the vortex sensing beam for sensing external vibration and for sensing vortices shed from the bluff body, the sensor tube further defining a vibration sensing beam extending in cantilever fashion from the midpoint away from the vortex sensing beam, the vibration sensing beam for sensing external vibration;
- first sensing means for sensing deflection of the vortex sensing beam and for providing a first output signal corresponding to said vortex sensing beam deflection;
- second sensing means for sensing deflection of the vibration sensing beam and for providing a second output signal corresponding to said vibration sensing beam deflection;
- and,
- means for combining the first and second signals to provide a vortex flowmeter output signal with improved vibration isolation, wherein the midpoint of the sensor tube is mounted in a recess defined in the housing such that in use a deflectable part of the vortex sensing beam in which the first sensing means is located is positioned in the recess and is shielded from the fluid flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.