Flow Metering With Diagnostic Pressure Head Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Differential pressure flow meters lack reliable and cost-effective diagnostic capabilities, leading to potential errors due to damage, wear, or blockages, which can result in inaccurate flow rate measurements and operational inefficiencies or safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for metering turbulent flow that involves measuring total pressure head loss across a conduit by taking pressure readings at multiple positions and calculating fluid flow rates using these measurements, with additional DP transmitters to determine the validity of each reading and identify potential errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional DP flow meters are used, then flow rate measurement is achieved, but diagnostic capabilities are insufficient leading to potential errors from damage, wear, or blockages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pressure measurement system into multiple independent pressure taps positioned at different locations (upstream, downstream, and intermediate points). Each pressure tap can be independently measured and diagnosed, allowing the system to detect which specific location is experiencing damage, wear, or blockage. This segmentation enables targeted diagnostic capability while maintaining overall flow measurement reliability.
2Measurement precision
If multiple pressure taps are installed for better measurement, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the pressure tap system to serve multiple functions simultaneously: (1) measuring differential pressure for flow rate calculation, (2) detecting pressure anomalies at different locations, (3) diagnosing blockages and wear conditions, and (4) providing data for flow validation. By making the pressure measurement system multi-functional, the patent achieves improved measurement precision without proportionally increasing system complexity, as the same hardware serves multiple diagnostic and measurement purposes.
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
This approach allows for accurate and reliable flow rate calculations, detects errors in flow meter readings, and provides diagnostic capabilities to identify and address issues, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of flow metering systems.
Implementation Method 1
a differential pressure (DP) flow meter combines Bernoulli's theorem (i.e. the conservation of energy of a fluid flow) and the conservation of mass of a fluid flow between two points in a flow, and the difference in pressure between these two points is measured so that a mass or volume flow rate can be expressed as a function of this differential pressure and the fluid density
Implementation Method 2
The primary element causes a drop in pressure, and the pressure is measured at the point of the conduit that corresponds to the lowest pressure
Implementation Method 3
a DP flow meter combines Bernoulli's theorem (i.e. the conservation of energy of a fluid flow) and the conservation of mass of a fluid flow between two points in a flow
Data Source
AI summary
An improved flow meter, which has diagnostic capabilities due to the reading of total pressure head loss, calculation of corresponding flow rate and comparison with flow rates calculated from other differential pressures.