Gas Meter Sensor Bypass for High Flow Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas meters with higher gas flowrate capacities are expensive due to the need for custom-designed flow sensors, while lower-capacity sensors are mass-marketed and less expensive.
Innovation Solution
A gas meter design that includes a sensor module and bypass modules, where a portion of the gas flow passes through the sensor module and another portion bypasses it, allowing for the determination of total gas flow based on measurements and calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If custom-designed flow sensors are used for higher-capacity gas meters, then the gas flowrate measurement capability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas flow measurement system is segmented into two paths: a measurement path with a flow sensor for lower flowrates and a bypass path for higher flowrates. This allows the use of a single, less expensive sensor design across multiple meter capacities by combining it with bypass modules of different sizes.
Solution Approach 2:
A single flow sensor design is made universal by using it in conjunction with bypass modules. The sensor can be used across different gas meter capacities (G4, G6, G10, G25) by pairing it with appropriately sized bypass modules, eliminating the need for custom sensor designs for each capacity.
2Ease of manufacture
If mass-marketed sensors are used for cost reduction, then the manufacturing cost decreases, but the gas flowrate measurement range is limited
Solution Approach 1:
A bypass module acts as an intermediary element that allows the system to handle higher flowrates without requiring a more expensive high-capacity sensor. The bypass module diverts excess flow around the sensor, protecting it from overload while maintaining measurement accuracy for the portion of flow that passes through the sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts to different flowrate conditions by using a fixed sensor in combination with bypass modules of different capacities. The effective measurement range is extended by selecting appropriate bypass module configurations rather than changing the sensor itself.
Data Source
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AI summary
A gas meter having a sensor module and at least one bypass module is described herein. In an example of the gas meter, an enclosure defines an interior cavity within which a manifold may be configured to include a sensor module connector, at least one bypass module connector, and an exhaust port. A sensor module may be connected to the sensor module connector of the manifold and may measure a flowrate through the sensor module and into the manifold. A bypass module may be connected to the bypass module connector of the manifold to bypass gas around the sensor module. A processor may be used to compute a gas flowrate through the meter using inputs including the measured flowrate and data based on the measured flowrate to adjust for gas that bypassed the sensor module.