Viscosity dependent flow meter for use in fuel dispensing environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9377332-B2
Application number	US-201414211358-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A system and method of measuring volumetric flow through a meter. One step of the method involves providing a flow meter connected to a duct having fluid flowing therethrough. A memory having at least two Roshko/Strouhal curves stored therein is also provided. A viscosity of the fluid is measured. One of the Roshko/Strouhal is selected curves based on the method viscosity. A volumetric flow through the meter is determined utilizing the selected Roshko/Strouhal curve.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method of measuring volumetric flow through a meter, comprising the steps of:
providing a flow meter connected to a duct having fluid flowing therethrough;
providing a memory having at least two Roshko/Strouhal curves stored therein;
measuring a viscosity of said fluid;
selecting one of said Roshko/Strouhal curves based on said viscosity; and
calculating a volumetric flow through said meter utilizing said selected Roshko/Strouhal curve.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said flow meter is a dual turbine flow meter.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said at least two Roshko/Strouhal curves are derived from at least two fluids having differing viscosities.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said dual turbine flow meter comprises an upstream rotor and a downstream rotor.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said selecting a Roshko/Strouhal curve occurs when said upstream rotor is not rotating.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said volumetric flow is based on a rotation speed of said downstream rotor and said viscosity of said fluid.

7. A turbine flow meter apparatus for determining flow rate of a fluid, said flow meter comprising:
a housing defining a flow path between an inlet port and an outlet port;
first and second turbine rotors rotatably supported in said flow path;
at least one sensor configured to detect rotation of said first and second rotors;
a controller operative to receive signals from said at least one sensor indicative of the rotation;
said controller further operative to receive an indication of a measured viscosity of said fluid;
a memory associated with said controller storing multiple calibration curves corresponding to multiple viscosities; and
said flow meter being operative to select one of said calibration curves based on said viscosity.

8. A turbine flow meter apparatus as set forth in claim 7 , wherein said one of said calibration curves corresponds most closely to the measured viscosity.

9. A turbine flow meter apparatus as set forth in claim 7 , wherein said controller uses said one of said calibration curves to determine a flow rate of said fluid.

10. A turbine flow meter apparatus as set forth in claim 7 , wherein said calibration curves are Roshko/Strouhal curves.

Assignees

• Gilbarco Inc
• Gilbarco Inc

Inventors

• Carapelli Giovanni

Classifications

• G01F1/10 Primary

  using rotating vanes with axial admission · CPC title

• B67D2007/745

  for obtaining fuel of a given octane level · CPC title