Fluid meter device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664549-B2
Application number	US-201314410397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2013
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A gas meter device of the present invention includes an inlet into which a fluid flows, and an outlet from which the fluid flows out, and is configured to derive a flow value of the fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet. The gas meter device comprises plural measurement fluid passages provided in parallel between the inlet and the outlet; flow value measuring units provided in the plural measurement fluid passages, respectively, and configured to independently measure flow values of fluids flowing through the measurement fluid passages, respectively; an average flow value calculation unit configured to derive an average flow value of the flow values measured by the flow value measuring units, respectively; and a flow value comparison unit configured to obtain index values indicating a relation between the average flow value derived by the average flow value calculation unit and the flow values measured by the flow value measuring units, and determine whether or not each of the index values is equal to or larger than a predetermined value. Thereby, the present invention can determine whether or not there is an erroneous measurement flow value from only the separate flow values independently measured in the measurement fluid passages, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid meter device including an inlet into which a fluid flows, and an outlet from which the fluid flows out, and being configured to derive a flow value of the fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet, the fluid meter device comprising:
plural measurement fluid passages provided in parallel between the inlet and the outlet, a cross sectional area of each measurement fluid passage having substantially equal diameter;
separate flow value measuring units provided in the plural measurement fluid passages, respectively, and configured to independently measure separate flow values of fluids flowing through the measurement fluid passages, respectively;
an average flow value calculation unit configured to derive an average flow value of the separate flow values, by summing up the separate flow values except for a largest value and a smallest value; and
a comparison/determination unit configured to obtain index values indicating a relation between the average flow value and the separate flow values, and determine whether or not each of the index values is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

2. The fluid meter device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a total flow value calculation unit configured to derive the flow value of the fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet, based on the separate flow values which are other than the separate flow value as to which the comparison/determination unit determines that the index value is equal to or larger than the predetermined value.

3. The fluid meter device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the comparison/determination unit derives as the index values difference values between the average flow value and the separate flow values, and determines whether or not each of the difference values is equal to or larger than the predetermined value.

4. The fluid meter device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the predetermined value is set based on the average flow value derived by the average flow value calculation unit.

5. The fluid meter device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the comparison/determination unit derives as the index values ratio values between the average flow value and the separate flow values, and determines whether or not each of the ratio values is equal to or larger than the predetermined value.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakaguchi Yukio
• Adachi Akihisa
• Fujii Yuji
• Nakabayashi Yuji
• Gotou Hirokazu
• Kawano Yasuharu
• Watanabe Aoi

Classifications

• G01F15/04

  of gases to be measured · CPC title

• G01F7/00 Primary

  Volume-flow measuring devices with two or more measuring ranges; Compound meters · CPC title

• G01F5/00

  Measuring a proportion of the volume flow · CPC title

• G01F1/662

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G01F15/07

  Integration to give total flow, e.g. using mechanically-operated integrating mechanism · CPC title