Flow measurement device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9599548-B2
Application number	US-201214123827-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2012
Priority date	Jun 22, 2011
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fluid measuring device comprising a capillary device and a non-linear response device. The capillary device typically having a flow channel comprising a contraction with a sidelet upstream and sidelet downstream of the contraction, the sidelets each comprises a pressure sensor arranged to determine the pressure drop over the contraction, the geometry of the flow channel of the capillary device being adapted to provide a flow response by the linear effects in the fluid, with the least response from the non-linear effects in the fluid. The non-linear response device typically having a flow channel connected to the flow channel of the capillary device, the flow channel of the non-linear response device comprising sidelets arranged to determine a pressure drop over at least a part of the flow channel, wherein the geometry of the flow channel of the non-linear response device being adapted to provide a flow response primarily driven by the non-linear effects in the fluid.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid measuring device comprising a capillary device and a non-linear response device, wherein:
the capillary device comprises a flow channel of the capillary device for determining the volume flow through the flow channel of the capillary device and two sidelets each comprising a pressure sensor arranged at a distal end of the sidelet, the sidelets being arranged in the capillary device to determine the pressure drop over at least a part of the flow channel of the capillary device, wherein at least a portion of the flow channel of the capillary device comprises a uniform cross-sectional area, and
the non-linear response device comprises a flow channel of the non-linear response device directly connected to the flow channel of the capillary device, the flow channel of the non-linear response device being a curved channel and comprising sidelets each comprising a pressure sensor arranged at a distal end of the sidelet, the sidelets being arranged to determine a pressure drop over at least a part of the flow channel of the non-linear response device, wherein the curved channel comprises:
two opposite curved wall sections extending asymmetrically to each other at least through out a part of the flow channel of the non-linear response device, wherein one of the opposing curved wall sections defines a bump in the flow channel of the non-linear response device, so as to provide a fluid deflection into a flow pattern with curved stream lines from an inlet and to an outlet of the flow channel of the non-linear response device with increased shear in flow regions at the bump and
an opening of one of the sidelets is arranged immediately downstream of a maximum height of the bump.

2. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the curved wall section opposing the curved wall section defining a bump extends in a manner increasing or decreasing the cross sectional area of the flow channel of the non-linear response device downstream of the bump.

3. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow channel of the capillary device is a straight channel.

4. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein
the curved wall section defining a bump extends from the inlet of the non-linear response device and to the top of the bump in a convex manner and in a convex manner from the top of the bump and to the outlet of the non-linear response device, and
the opposing wall section extends from the inlet to the outlet of the non-linear response device in a concave manner.

5. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the sidelets of the non-linear response device are arranged on opposite sides of the flow channel of the non-linear response device.

6. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the flow channel of the capillary device extends symmetrically along a straight line.

7. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the volume of the flow channel of the non-linear response device is at least two times larger than the volume of the flow channel of the capillary device.

8. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow channel of the capillary device, the flow channel of the non-linear response device, and the sidelets of the fluid measuring device are square-shaped.

9. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow channel of the capillary device, the flow channel of the non-linear response device, and sidelets of the fluid measuring device are provided in a single block of material.

10. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow channel of the capillary device, the flow channel of the non-linear response device, and sidelets of the fluid measuring device are defined by wall elements made of plastic or metal.

11. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow channel of the capillary device comprises a narrowing section upstream and an expanding section downstream of a contraction with the sidelets being arranged upstream and downstream of the contraction.

12. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow channel of the non-linear response device comprises a constriction at an inlet of the flow channel of the non-linear response device, and wherein flow channel of the non-linear response device downstream of the constriction has diverging sides, the diverging sides terminating at a wall having an outlet, a sidelet is arranged at the constriction and a sidelet is arranged at the wall.

13. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow channel of the non-linear response device comprises a single connected transition channel reaching from an inlet to an outlet, and one of the sidelets is connected to the part of transition channel in vicinity of the inlet, and the other of the sidelets is connected to the transition channel in vicinity of outlet, but not in direct connection with the outlet.

14. The fluid measuring device according to claim 13 , wherein a geometrical feature of the transition channel consists of two curved walls on opposite sides of the transition channel, which acts to deflect the fluid flow into a curved path.

15. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pump for pumping fluid through the capillary device and the non-linear response device.

16. The fluid measuring device according to claim 15 , wherein the pump is a manually actuated pump.

17. The fluid measuring device according to claim 15 , wherein the measuring device and the pump is formed as a handheld device in the form of a pipette.

18. The fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the measuring device is integrated in lab equipment or a production facility.

19. A method of determining one or more properties of a fluid, the method comprising:
providing a fluid measuring device according to claim 1 , and
characterizing an interaction between a given fluid and the flow channel of the capillary device and the flow channel of the non-linear response device, wherein the characterization comprises a determination of:
the values of a property of the fluid,
the values of pressure differences between the sidelets of the non-linear response device, or
the values of either pressure differences between the sidelets of the capillary device, flow rates through the capillary device or both, wherein the method further comprises:

feeding a non-Newtonian fluid through the fluid measuring device at a flow rate producing shear-thinning at least locally in the non-linear response device,
determining the pressure difference between the sidelets of capillary device and of the non-linear response device, and
deriving from the characterization the property of the fluid being fed through the fluid measuring device based on the determined pressure difference between the sidelets of the non-linear device together with the pressure difference between the sidelets of the capillary device.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the non-Newtonian fluid is a visco-elastic fluid.

21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the fluid is sugar dissolved in water and the property being determined is the sugar concentration.

22. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the fluid is a paint and the property being determined is the rate of shear-thinning.

23. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the fluid is an enam

Assignees

• Okkels Fridolin
• Univ Danmarks Tekniske

Inventors

• Okkels Fridolin

Classifications

• G01F1/40

  Details of construction of the flow constriction devices · CPC title

• G01N11/08 Primary

  by measuring pressure required to produce a known flow · CPC title