Flow sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017248458-A1
Application number	US-201615056377-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 31, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A flow sensor for a pipe includes a housing defining an interior chamber; a mounting adapter that is circumferentially coupled to an open proximal end of the housing; and a piezoelectric cable that at least partially extends within the interior chamber of the housing. The piezoelectric cable includes a piezoelectric material.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . A flow sensor for a pipe, comprising:
a housing defining an interior chamber; a mounting adapter circumferentially coupled to an open proximal end of the housing; and a piezoelectric cable comprising:
an inner conductive layer,
a piezoelectric material layer at least partially circumferentially surrounding and contacting the inner conductive layer, and
an outer conductive layer at least partially circumferentially surrounding and contacting the piezoelectric material layer, a distal portion of the piezoelectric cable extending within the interior chamber of the housing.

2 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the distal portion of the piezoelectric cable is embedded within the interior chamber of the housing.

3 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , further comprising an elongated external member having an inner surface that defines an elongated interior void, wherein the interior void of the member is configured to operatively receive the housing such that at least a portion of an outer surface of the housing is positioned in contact with at least a portion of the inner surface of the member.

4 . The flow sensor of claim 3 , wherein an outer surface of the member defines a rectangular cross-section.

5 . The flow sensor of claim 3 , wherein an outer surface of the member defines a uniform geometric cross-section.

6 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the housing is textured. The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the housing defines a rectangular cross-section.

8 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the housing is closed; and wherein a distal end of the piezoelectric cable is positioned proximate the distal end of the housing.

9 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises acetal homopolymer in the shape of a cylindrical tube.

10 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material layer comprises a PVDF piezo film tape spiral-wrapped around the inner conductive layer.

11 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material layer comprises a piezo PVDF copolymer extruded around the inner conductive layer.

12 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the outer conductive layer comprises a copper braid surrounding the piezoelectric material layer.

13 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric cable further comprises a polyethylene jacket at least partially circumferentially surrounding and contacting the outer conductive layer.

14 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the inner conductive layer comprises stranded silver-plated copper wire.

15 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric cable comprises a coaxial cable, and wherein the inner conductive layer comprises a center core.

16 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , further comprising an RCA connector attached to a proximal end of the piezoelectric cable.

17 . The flow sensor of claim 16 , further comprising a stiffening sleeve extending from the RCA connector to the mounting adapter, a portion of the piezoelectric cable extending through the stiffening sleeve from the mounting adapter to the RCA connector.

18 . The flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the mounting adapter is configured to mount on a pipe wall saddle.

19 . A method for detecting fluid flow in a pipe system, the method comprising:
tapping a sensor hole from an exterior surface of a pipe element of the pipe system to an interior surface of the pipe element; inserting a flow sensor into the sensor hole, the flow sensor comprising: i) a housing defining an interior chamber and ii) a piezoelectric cable comprising an inner conductive layer, a piezoelectric material layer at least partially circumferentially surrounding and contacting the inner conductive layer, and an outer conductive layer at least partially circumferentially surrounding and contacting the piezoelectric material layer, a distal portion of the piezoelectric cable extending within the interior chamber of the housing; positioning a portion of the housing of the flow sensor across a flow path of a fluid within the pipe system; vibrating the flow sensor with fluid flow within the pipe system; and measuring an output from the piezoelectric cable of the flow sensor, the output comprising a charge or a voltage.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
mounting a pipe wall saddle to an exterior surface of the pipe element; and coupling a portion of the flow sensor to the pipe wall saddle so the housing extends substantially transverse to the fluid flow in the pipe element.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the flow sensor further comprises an elongated external member having an inner surface that defines an elongated interior void, wherein the interior void of the member is configured to operatively receive the housing such that at least a portion of an outer surface of the housing is positioned in contact with at least a portion of the inner surface of the member.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein an outer surface of the member defines a rectangular cross-section.

23 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising determining if a flow rate of the fluid in the pipe system has changed by measuring a change in the output from the flow sensor.

24 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising communicating an alert if the flow rate of the fluid has changed.

Assignees

• Mueller Int Llc

Inventors

• Yusuf Shabbir
• Richarz Werner Guenther
• Gibson Daryl Lee

Classifications

• G01F1/20

  by detection of dynamic effects of the flow · CPC title

• G01F1/662 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G01F15/14 Primary

  Casings, e.g. of special material · CPC title