An apparatus for measuring the flow rate of a fluid flowing through a minimal flow pipeline with a Coriolis effect mass flowmeter. The flowmeter has a single flow tube with two loops. The loops are connected by a cross-over section. A driver oscillates the loops and the phase difference between the ends of the loops is measured. The measured phase difference is then used to find the flow rate of the fluid. The flow tube is fixedly attached to an anchor which is, in turn, attached to a housing. The anchor separate the vibrating, dynamic portion of the flowmeter from the non-vibrating portion of the flowmeter.

Claims

20 · 1 independent · depth 4

20 granted claims

›1.independentA Coriolis flowmeter having a continuous serial path flow tube with dual loops, an inlet for receiving a flow of material from a connected pipeline an…+19

A Coriolis flowmeter having a continuous serial path flow tube with dual loops, an inlet for receiving a flow of material from a connected pipeline and an outlet for returning said flow of material to said pipeline, a driver means for oscillating said dual loops of said flow tubes, sensor means for sensing oscillations in said loops of said flow tubes responsive to Coriolis forces applied on said loops by material flowing through said dual loops, and a housing enclosing said dual loops, said flowmeter comprising: a continuous length of flow tube; a first loop in said continuous length flow tube, oriented in a first plane, having a first end and a second end with said first end receiving said inflow from said inlet, wherein said first end and said second end have non-parallel longitudinal axes; a second loop in said continuous length of flow tube oriented in a second plane having a first end and a second end with said second end of said second loop directing said flow to said outlet, wherein said first end and said second end of said second loop have nonparallel longitudinal axes; a cross-over section in said continuous length of flow tube formed by a bend in said length of flow tube between said second end of said first loop and said first end of said second loop, wherein said cross-over section (115) directs flow from said first loop to said second loop; brace bars connected to said first loop and said second loop to define an axis of vibration for said first and second loops; and an anchor fixedly attached to said housing and to said first and second loops of said continuous length of flow tube between said brace bars and said cross-over section wherein said first loop and said second loop project outward from a first surface of said anchor, said continues length of flow tube extends through said anchor between said first and second loops and said cross-over section, and said cross-over section of said continuous length of flow tube projects outward from a second surface of said anchor.

›2.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 wherein said first plane and said second plane are substantially parallel.d2

›3.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 wherein said first loop and said second loop are substantially triangular shaped.d2

›4.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 wherein said cross-over section redirects said flow substantially 90-degrees from said first loop to said second loo…d2+4

›5.↳ 4The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 4 wherein said inlet of said continuous length of flow tube is oriented in an inlet plane and said flowmeter further c…d3

›6.↳ 4The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 4 wherein said outlet of said continuous length of flow tube is oriented in an outlet plane and said flowmeter further…d3

›7.↳ 4The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 4 further comprising: a first angled section of said first loop between a first substantially straight section and a s…d3+1

›9.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 wherein said first loop and said second loop are substantially B-shaped.d2+2

›12.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 wherein said first loop and said second loop are substantially circular.d2+2

›15.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 further comprising: a first adaptor fixedly attached to said inlet of said continuous length of flow tube for connec…d2

›16.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 wherein said anchor comprises: an anchor base having a first end fixedly attached to and formed to complement the ou…d2

›17.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 wherein said housing comprises: a housing base fixedly attached to a first welded face of said anchor; and a housing…d2+1

›19.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 wherein said anchor is formed from a material different than the material of said continuous length of flow tube.d2

›20.↳ 1The Coriolis flowmeter of claim 1 wherein said brace bars include: a first brace bar half fixedly attached to said first loop and extending toward sai…d2

Classifications

2 codes

USPC · US Patent Classification

738/613.57738/613.55

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3.1 y

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Ronald L. Biegel

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