# US 9,752,905 B2 · Fluid transport system including a flow measurement system and a purge system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,752,905 B2 - Document ID: US9752905B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/970,425 - Filed: 2015-12-15 - Published: 2017-06-15 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-15 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Carsten Michael Schneider; Erik Mele; Christian Aalburg; Andreas Herrig - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752905B2 ## CPC - G01F 1/34: by measuring pressure or differential pressure - G01F 1/363: {with electrical or electro-mechanical indication (G01F1/37 and G01F1/38 take precedence)} - G01F 15/005: {Valves (valves in general F16K)} - G01P 5/165: Arrangements or constructions of Pitot tubes - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) ## Abstract A fluid transport system includes a housing defining a passageway for fluid to flow through the fluid transport system and a probe extending in the passageway. The probe includes a first end defining a plurality of sensing ports for the fluid to flow into the probe and a second end opposite the first end. The fluid flows through a plurality of conduits and a plurality of tubes. A differential pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the plurality of tubes such that the differential pressure sensor determines a differential pressure of the fluid in the plurality of tubes. A purge system is in fluid communication with the plurality of tubes. The purge system includes a source of purge liquid and is configured to direct the purge liquid through the plurality of tubes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid transport system comprising: a housing defining a passageway for fluid to flow through said fluid transport system; a probe extending in the passageway, said probe comprising: a first end defining a plurality of sensing ports for the fluid to flow into said probe; a second end opposite said first end; and a plurality of conduits extending between said first end and said second end, said plurality of conduits coupled to said plurality of sensing ports such that the fluid flows through said plurality of conduits; a plurality of tubes coupled to said plurality of conduits such that the fluid flows through said plurality of tubes; a differential pressure sensor in fluid communication with said plurality of tubes such that said differential pressure sensor determines a differential pressure of the fluid in the plurality of tubes; and a purge system in fluid communication with said plurality of tubes, said purge system including a source of purge liquid, said purge system configured to direct the purge liquid through said plurality of tubes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fluid transport system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a data acquisition system in electrical communication with said differential pressure sensor, said data acquisition system configured to receive a signal from said differential pressure sensor and convert the signal into a differential pressure value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fluid transport system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said purge system is configured to inhibit purge liquid flowing into said probe when said purge liquid is directed through said plurality of tubes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fluid transport system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said purge system further comprises: a first valve coupled to the source of the purge liquid, said first valve in fluid communication with said first flexible tube; a second valve coupled to the source of the purge liquid, said second valve in fluid communication with said second flexible tube, said first valve and said second valve selectively positionable from a closed position to an open position and from the open position to the closed position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fluid transport system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said purge system further comprises at least one valve in fluid communication with said plurality of tubes and the source of the purge liquid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The fluid transport system in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a controller electrically coupled to said at least one valve, said controller configured to regulate said at least one valve from a closed position to an open position and from the open position to the closed position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The fluid transport system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said differential pressure sensor comprises at least one low-range pressure transducer configured to measure pressures in a range between about 0.1 bars and about 2 bars. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The fluid transport system in accordance with claim 7 further comprising a plurality of differential pressure transducers. ### Claim 9 A flow measurement system comprising: a probe configured to contact a flowing fluid, said probe comprising: a first end defining a plurality of sensing ports for the fluid to flow into said probe; a second end opposite said first end; and a plurality of conduits extending between said first end and said second end, said plurality of conduits coupled to said plurality of sensing ports such that the fluid flows through said plurality of conduits; a plurality of tubes coupled to said plurality of conduits such that the fluid flows through said plurality of tubes; a differential pressure sensor in fluid communication with said plurality of tubes such that said differential pressure sensor determines a differential pressure of the fluid in the plurality of tubes; and a purge system in fluid communication with said plurality of tubes, said purge system including a source of purge liquid, said purge system configured to direct the purge liquid through said plurality of tubes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The flow measurement system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said differential pressure sensor comprises a plurality of differential pressure transducers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The flow measurement system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said purge system is configured to inhibit purge liquid flowing through said probe when said purge liquid is directed through said plurality of tubes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The flow measurement system in accordance with claim 9, wherein said purge system further comprises: a first valve in fluid communication with a first tube of said plurality of tubes and in fluid communication with said source of the purge liquid; and a second valve in fluid communication with a second tube of said plurality of tubes and in fluid communication with said source of the purge liquid. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The flow measurement system in accordance with claim 12 further comprising a controller electrically coupled to said first valve and said second valve, said controller configured to regulate said first valve and said second valve from a closed position to an open position and from the open position to the closed position. ### Claim 14 A method of measuring a characteristic of a fluid flow, said method comprising: positioning a probe in the fluid flow such that fluid flow enters a plurality of conduits of the probe through a plurality of sensor ports; purging a plurality of tubes in fluid communication with the plurality of conduits with a purge liquid from a purge liquid source; and measuring a differential pressure between the fluid in the plurality of tubes using a differential pressure sensor in fluid communication with the plurality of tubes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein purging the plurality of tubes comprises: opening a first valve in fluid communication with a first tube of the plurality of tubes and the purge liquid source; opening a second valve in fluid communication with a second tube of the plurality of tubes and the purge liquid source; and closing the first valve and the second valve. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein measuring a differential pressure between the fluid in the plurality of tubes comprises measuring a differential pressure between the fluid in the plurality of tubes as the plurality of tubes are purged with the purge liquid. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein purging the plurality of tubes comprises directing the purge liquid at a greater pressure than the fluid through the conduits and the plurality of tubes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein purging the plurality of tubes and measuring a differential pressure are performed a plurality of times in a repeating cycle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising determining the flow angle of the fluid flow based on the measured differential pressure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method in accordance with claim 19, wherein determining the flow angle of the fluid comprises measuring the position of a rotator coupled to the probe and using an encoder to convert the measurement into the flow angle.