Dual chamber orifice fitting plate support
AssigneeDaniel Measurement and Control, Inc.
InventorsThomas Henry Loga, Gary Allen Tatum, Ronald Gwen Doom, Mark O'Daniel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for positioning an orifice plate within a body having a straight flowbore. One embodiment includes a carrier supporting the orifice plate and a drive member operable to engage the carrier and move the carrier along a first axis perpendicular to the flowbore. The drive member is also operable to limit the movement of the carrier along a second axis perpendicular to the flowbore and perpendicular to the first axis. A pin is operable to engage the carrier so as to limit movement along the first axis.
Claims29
An apparatus for positioning an orifice plate within a body having a straight flowbore, the apparatus comprising:
- a carrier supporting the orifice plate, wherein the carrier has a face normal to the axial centerline of the flowbore and two side surfaces extending normally from the face, wherein each side surface comprises a machined portion;
- and
- a drive assembly comprising a face engagement member coaxial with side engagement members, wherein the face engagement member engages the face whereby the carrier is moveable along a first axis normal to the centerline, and the side engagement members engage the pair of machined portions whereby the position of the carrier along a second axis normal to the first axis and to the centerline is controllable.
A dual chamber orifice fitting comprising:
- a body having an outer surface, a flowbore, an upper chamber, and a lower chamber, wherein the outer surface has two machined portions, each machined portion equidistant from the axial centerline of the flowbore as measured along a first axis normal to the centerline;
- a carrier disposed within the body and supporting an orifice plate, wherein the carrier has two faces, each face normal to the centerline, and two side surfaces, each side surface extending normally between the faces and comprising a machined portion, wherein the machined portions are equidistant from the center of the orifice plate as measured along the first axis;
- and
- a drive assembly disposed along the first axis and engaging at least one face of the carrier, whereby the carrier is moveable along a second axis normal to the first axis and to the centerline, and having two engagement surfaces, extending radially from the first axis, abutting the carrier machined portions, whereby the carrier machined portions remain equidistant from the body machined portions as measured along the first axis.
A method for centering an orifice plate in a flowbore having an axial centerline, the method comprising:
- disposing a drive assembly on a shaft through a body comprising the flowbore, the drive assembly having two engagement surfaces;
- inserting an orifice plate carrier supporting the orifice plate into the body, wherein the orifice plate carrier has a face normal to the centerline and two side surfaces extending normally from the face;
- positioning the orifice plate carrier between the engagement surfaces;
- engaging the face of the orifice plate carrier with the drive assembly;
- rotating the drive assembly, whereby the orifice plate carrier is moved into the flowbore;
- and
- abutting the side surfaces of the orifice plate carrier with the engagement surfaces of the drive assembly, thereby aligning the center of the orifice plate carrier with the centerline of the flowbore.
An apparatus for positioning an orifice plate within a dual chamber orifice fitting body having a flowbore, the apparatus comprising:
- a carrier supporting the orifice plate, wherein the carrier has a face normal to the axial centerline of the flowbore and two side surfaces, wherein each side surface includes a machined surface;
- a shaft having a longitudinal axis, the shaft coupled to and rotatably supported by the body;
- and
- two constraint members moveably disposed on the shaft, each constraint member including an inner end;
- wherein each inner end is engaged with one of the machined surfaces to constrain the carrier along the shaft axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.