Rate monitor for a displacement system utilizing the power demand of the prime mover of the system to provide the flow rate data of the material being displaced

A flow rate monitor for indicating the amount of material being displaced in a displacement system having an electric motor as a prime mover, comprising:

• a) power demand monitor for being operably connected to the electric motor;
• b) a programmable controller operably connected to said power demand monitor, said controller including a program adapted to convert the data from said power demand monitor to flow rate data;
• c) said program including at least one linear equation relating the flow rate of the material to the power demand of the electric motor, said linear equation providing zero flow rate at no-load power demand;
• d) said program including a step for parallel shifting said at least linear equation to compensate for changes to the no-load power demand;
• e) an indicator operably associated with said controller for indicating the flow rate of the material;
• and
• f) said step for parallel shifting including determining when the displacement system is running empty, monitoring the power demand monitor over a preselected period, averaging the data to obtain a new no-load power demand, and replacing the no-load demand in at least one linear equation with the new no-load power demand.

A flow rate monitor for indicating the amount of material being displaced in a displacement system having an electric motor as a prime mover, comprising:

• a) power demand monitor for being operably connected to the electric motor;
• b) a programmable controller operably connected to said power demand monitor, said controller including a program adapted to convert the data from said power demand monitor to flow rate data;
• c) said program including at least one linear equation relating the flow rate of the material to the power demand of the electric motor, said linear equation providing zero flow rate at no-load power demand;
• d) said program including a step for parallel shifting said at least linear equation to compensate for changes to the no-load power demand;
• e) an indicator operably associated with said controller for indicating the flow rate of the material;
• f) said step of parallel shifting includes determining the cold power demand when the system is started cold;
• g) determining the warm power demand when the system has been running for a preselected time;
• h) using cold power demand in the said at least one linear equation;
• and
• i) reducing the cold power demand by an amount for each fraction of time of the preselected time until the warm power demand is reached.

A flow rate monitor for indicating the amount of material being displaced in a displacement system having an electric motor as a prime mover, comprising:

• a) power demand monitor for being operably connected to the electric motor;
• b) a programmable controller operably connected to said power demand monitor, said controller including a program adapted to convert the data from said power demand monitor to flow rate data;
• c) said program including at least one linear equation relating the flow rate of the material to the power demand of the electric motor, said linear equation providing zero flow rate at no-load power demand;
• d) said program including a step for parallel shifting said at least linear equation to compensate for changes to the noload power demand;
• e) an indicator operably associated with said controller for indicating the flow rate of the material;
• and
• f) said at least one linear equation is shifted by an amount equal to the average of horsepower readings during a sampling period that predominates above or below the no-load power demand.