Eccentric Venturi Flow Meter for Clogging Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Venturi tube flow meters are prone to clogging due to the accumulation of sediment and solids on their interior surfaces, especially when measuring fluids with suspended solids, which degrades their performance and calibration.

Innovation Solution

The venturi flow meter features an eccentric design with a vertically offset throat axis, ensuring a smooth, unangled, and uninterrupted bottom surface, preventing the collection of solids and maintaining calibration accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a traditional venturi tube with symmetric profile is used, then flow measurement capability is achieved, but sediment and solids accumulate on the bottom interior surfaces causing clogging and calibration degradation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflow measurement accuracyVSAvoidsediment accumulation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The venturi tube employs an asymmetric profile where the throat axis is offset from the conduit centerline. This asymmetric geometry creates a smooth, unbroken bottom surface that prevents sediment accumulation while maintaining effective flow measurement capability through differential pressure detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the venturi throat axis is offset from the conduit axis, then a smooth unbroken bottom surface is created preventing solid collection, but the structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesolid deposit preventionVSAvoideccentric geometry

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The asymmetric positioning of the throat relative to the conduit centerline creates the smooth bottom surface needed to prevent solid deposits. This single asymmetric feature achieves the anti-clogging objective without requiring multiple complex components or mechanisms

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The eccentric venturi design effectively prevents solid deposits, ensuring accurate flow measurement and maintaining low pressure loss, even with fluids containing suspended solids, thus enhancing the reliability and longevity of the flow meter.

Implementation Method 1

Venturi tubes have the advantage of being able to handle large flow volumes while creating only low permanent pressure loss in the system. As fluid passes from the converging section through the throat, its velocity increases, causing a pressure differential between the venturi inlet and its throat.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVenturi effect: Venturi Effect

Implementation Method 2

Venturi tube flow meters are a species of differential pressure flow meters that infer a rate of a fluid flow in a closed piping system from a measurement of differential pressure that is caused by a change of kinetic energy in the fluid.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBernoulli's principle: Bernoulli Effect

Data Source

PatentUS7299707B1Eccentric venturi flow meter

Publication Date: 2007.11.27 DIETERICH STANDARD INC

AI summary

A venturi type of primary flow element comprising a tubular body defining a flow path having open ends and walls and including in series, a converging section, a cylindrical throat section, and a diverging section, where the bottom walls of each of said sections are in alignment and present a smooth unangled surface to flowing fluid therein.