Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
2 0 0 1 6 3 5 23347-14
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This invention relates to a system for automatically
measuring a volume of fluid flow and for monitoring such flow
- from a remote location.
This present invention is directed to providing an
improved and simplified fluid measuring device which allows
precise measurement of the volume of fluid flowing through a
conduit or a volume used in an individual application or the ~ -
volume used for general consumption. Such readings are relayed
to a remote receiving device where it may be billed or processed
in any other manner desired.
This present system avoids use of mechanical transmitting
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elements such as crown wheels or toothed pinions, etc., which may
be subject to wear or breakage which may cause measuring errors
with the passage of time.
The present system provides the same precision whichever
way the fluid is flowing since it measures in a positive sense
when the fluid is travelling in one direction and measures in a
negative sense when the fluid flows in the opposite direction. ~ `~
A further feature of the present invention is the ease
. ~ ,
2~ with which the rotor or turbine assembly may be replaced or ~ ~ `
substituted. This is possible since the mechanical element is
wholly independent of the data relaying assembly, thus avoiding ~ `
~ leaks. The rotor has been fitted with magnetic poles which
Zl produce a fluctuating magnetic field by the region of an
~ independent electronic circuit, thus producing electrical
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signals which are analyzed by the circuit and transmitted using
a special coding through a line linking the transmitter to a
receiver.
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The system according to the present invention comprises
the following elements~
a) Transmitter assembly, flow meter, which includes
means to determine the direction of the fluid flow.
b) Receiver and rack assembly, adapted to receive the
coded signal from the transmitter to calculate the volume of
fluid, by adding to or subtracting from previous information in
accordance with the coded information received from the trans~
mitter. The receivers including a viewing panel where remote
readings from the transmitters are checked and are positioned
together on a rack.
c) Dipole electric supplying cable, which requires no
shielding nor provision for polarity.
d) Remote billing equipment.
In accordance with the present invention, there is
provided a fluid flow measurement system comprising an emitter
having a turbine for installation in a fluid conduit and
provided with magnetic poles on the rotor thereof; electronic ; ,~
equipment capable of analyzing electromagnetic magnitude changes
induced by rotation of said rotor without frequency limitation;
and apparatus adapted to transmit coded signals from said emitter
through a linking line to a receiver fully independent of the ,;~
emitter and adapted to calculate the net volume of fluid passing
through the conduit in a given period, by adding to or subtract-
ing from a previous value according to information transmitted ~ -
by the emitter, the said information being displayed on an
indicating device; said receiver also having BCD serial outputs
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for transmission of information to a remote processing centre
via telephone line, fibre optic cable or radio waves, the remote
processing centre providing automatic billing.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention,
there is provided a fluid flow receiving device comprising a ;~
generally tubular cartridge adapted to be positioned in a path
of fluid flow, said cartridge comprising a tubular wall, a
turbine rotatably mounted on bearings having magnetic poles, ;~
radially extending vanes supporting said turbine bearings, a
fluid conduit means having a sealed electronic housing unit and
adapted to receive and hold said cartridge in a path of fluid ;
flow, means in said housing for detecting magnetic pulses having -
a wide frequency range produced by at least one of said magnetic ` ;poles during rotation of said turbine, circuit means for
-~ producing coded electrical signals containing information from
t ~ said magnetic pulses including information based on direction of
rotation of said turbine.
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
invention
Figure 1 illustrates the components of the turbine
meter and transmitting unit;
Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the
turbine meter and transmitting unit in an assembled form; ;~
Figure 3 shows several views of the receiver;
Figure 4 shows a view of the rack components; and
Figure 5 schematically illustrates the telemetering
`~ and processing system.
The system of the present invention comprises a trans~
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635 23347-l4
mitter and a receiver. The system also includes racks for ~;
-mounting the assembled equipment, a dipolar electrical cable and
a microprocessor remote billing system.
The measuring system is composed of the following
elements~
a) Transmitter.
b) Receiver.
c) Rack. -~ ;
d) Electrical cable.
e) Remote billing system.
a) Transmitter ,,
As shown in Figure 1 the transmitter 9 comprises a `~
conduit body 1 which has an outer hexagonal configuration and 1
is cylindrical inside. Within the conduit body there is a
cartridge 2 having directioning vanes 3, shafts supporting
turbine bearings 4 and turbine 5. The said cartridge 2 is
seated in a closely fitting housing within the conduit body 1. ";;`
The cartridge also incorporates at its front end a filter 6 ~-
which also serves as gasket. ` ~`
The outer surface of the conduit body 1 contains grooves ; -
7 perpendicular to its axis for receiving brackets 8 therein which -
`~ are in turn attached to the outer shell 9 and the electronic
housing box 10. The assembly is then closed with the cover 11,
which has slots 12 within which tongues 13 on the shell 9 are
positioned to hold the assembly together and to allow the assembly
to be sealed. ~- ~
The fluid, the flow of which is to be measured, passes ;~ ;
through the cartridge 2 and causes the turbine 5 to rotate. The
turbine includes magnetic poles therein which induce
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~ 2001635 23347-14
electromagnetic pulses of varying frequency in the circuit housed `
in the box 10.
- These pulses are analyzed by said circuit and are `~
transmitted using a special coding, through the line linking
the transmitter with the receiver. The circuit also analyzes -
the direction of rotation of the turbine to distinguish the
direction of flow of the fluid. This system enables easy inter-
changing or replacing of the mechanical components without the
necessity of complete disassembly.
Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the transmitter ~ ; v
in an assembled condition.
.
b) Receiver
As shown in Figure 3 the receiver includes a housing 14
having conical lateral guides to center it in the grooves on the
rack. On the display, LCD, there is a bevel 16 which abuts the
rack to provide easy placement and extraction (Figure 4).
The housing 14 includes a rear cover 17 which is ` ;
necessary for its mechanical attachment to the rack and includes
the requisite fittings for its connection to the rack and outside
lines.
The receiver is provided with the coding information -
in use by the emitter to enable it to convert the information as
~i to the number of turbine revolutions into volume information in
the appropriate units cubic meters, liters, gallons, etc., and
into information as to whether such volume information is to be -;
added or subtracted.
There is, as well, a supervision system for the trans-
mitting line aimed at detecting any abnormality therein or
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23347 14 ! ~2 0 0 1 6 3 5 ; ~ ~ ~
handling thereof. The system also analyzes the direction of
rotation of the turbine and relates such to whether the volume
is being added or subtracted. It also checks out the point at ~;~
which the counter starts off at a given level.
All this information is displayed by the indicating -
device: the liquid quartz display, LCD. The device displays
two blocks of di~its of different size in order to differentiate - ~ ;
the measuring units. On its lower right side it will display an
"F" to show any failure or abnormality. A series of circular
sectors are also sequentially displayed to indicate that the
counter is working correctly.
The receivers have serial BCD outputs to transmit their `` ~
-~output information through the rack, telephone line, fiber optics - -
or radio, as it may be required, to a data processin~ center.
With this system, easy and economical reading of each turbine
meter is provided as well as automatic billing.
c) Rack
This is the component on which the receivers are ~ ;-
~ ~ .: :.. ~ :.
mounted (Figure 4). The rack consists of a display panel from
~ 20 which remote reading of transmitters is performed.
;~It comprises a rectangular box 18, having its sides 19 ~
longer to hold the inner box and allow its turning. The said ~ ~`
inner box, in turn, is formed of a V-shaped plate with inside
lips adapted to attach the plain part 21 supporting all connectors
and having a houslng on its lower part for the batteries. ~ ~-
A11 lines coming from each emitting unit are connected
onto these connectors.
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2 0 0 1 6 3 5 23347-14 ~
The box 18 includes openings for inputting the cables
and for mounting it. ~-
Also attached to part 21 is the printed circuit board
with circuitry to show its correct working, as well as a Modem ;~
unit to output the data of each counter, its status and the
status of the rack itself and its batteries.
The battery housing cover 22 includes a system through
which the batteries are disconnected from the rack circuit during
storage periods and are brought into operation by pressing the ~
screws. That it, the cover itself, is the switch. ~ -
In the front part of the plate 20 there are openings m
which are covered by grooved plates which are removable by
pressure to provide locations for the required number of
receivers in each installation.
The rack includes a signalling system which indicates -
whether it is in normal working status, whether there has been a
network voltage failure or whether it is discharged or the
batteries do not accept any loading. j~
~ This assembly is protected by cover 23 having a clear
j 2~ window therein allowing visual access to the whole complex. The
cover is attached by means of sealable screws.
~; d) Electric supply cable
The electric cable linking the transmitter with the
receiver is a dipolar cable and it does not require either
. ~ . . .
shielding or attention to its polarity. ;- ~-
~ e) Remote billing system
6~ Figure 5 schematically illustrates the transmitting ~ ; -
`~ and processing system for the receiver information. - ;
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The analogue digital optoelectromagnetic counting - -
system is a "remote reading" system for two reasons~
a) The transmitter and the receiver are independent ~ ;
devices linked through a cable. This allows the placing of the
receiver in the most suitable location and permits centralizing
; . .
the reading of all bills from the equipment mounted on the racks. - ~ - -
b) The receivers have serial scD outputs for ;~
connection to a Modem unit, which sends information to a data
processing center. The following operations are performed in
the said center~
Reading order of all counters connected to the center ;~
and storage of the readings on a magnetic disc.
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; Processing of all information collected.
Billing and printing of relevant bills.
Listing of counters showing any irregularity for further ;~
checking.
,:~
~ Checking of the rack operation and detecting unusual ~
i -
~; events.
:~ Terminals 24 of the transmitter E have no polarity in
regard with the transmission lines and special cable is not ~ ~
required for these lines. ~ -
~ There are four options for connecting the transmitter(s)
`~ and the receiver(s) based on various objectives as follows:
1) Information transmission from each emitt~r to its
~, ,
relevant receiver R placed on a rack 25. That is, the receiver
offers direct reading from its transmitter E. That is the
standard connecting system. `
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~ 200 ~ 635 23347-14 ~
2) Connect several transmitters in parallel (e.g. El-
E2-E3-E4) to provide a reading which is the sum of the fluid
circulating through all four, totalized at receiver "Rl". This
way it is possible to obtain the total volume of flow in several
fluid intakes using only one receiver.
3) Connect a receiver "R2" in series in a particular
line to provide a reading at the source of the transmitter as -
transmits in that line.
Figure 5 shows two emitters, E5 and E6, connected in ~ ;
such a manner. With such a system, a user may have his own ~;
receiver to know and control his total flow or consumption or
the part consumption from any location he so wishes. That is,
; the repeater may be connected to display information as to the
total or a part of the output of the counters. Figure 5
illustrates a repeater "R2" which displays the flow or consumption ;-
for counters E5 and 6, and on rack 25 a display of the total ;
consumption of E5, E6 and E7.
4) Totalling by a single receiver of the reading of a
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fluid distribution through a ring system. This is achieved by -~
having one of the transmitters count in a positive sense and the
2~ other count in a negative sense to provide the differential at
the receiver. ;
We have to this point described the information
transmission from the transmitter device to the receiver device : - ~
positioned on the rack or wherever the user requires it. We will ~ ;
~-; hereinafter analyze the receiver transmission to the information `
process center.
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Each receiver has an input and a series BCD output
through which it discharges all information therein contained, -~
The counter system provides three reading options:
1) Visual reading of the receiver centralized on the
relevant rack 25,
2) Sequential reading and printing in situ by means ; - "'
of special equipment. ', ~'
3) Remote sequential reading by a system through which
information is transmitted by means of a telephone line, or ,~
through fiber optics or through hertzian waves, to a process
centre. The said centre is basically formed of a specially
designed computer 26 which controls and stores all information -~
and the printer-billing systems 27 as required. '
Billing then proceeds automatically in respect of ,'' "~,
counters that do not,register any abnormality or anomaly, In
respect of counters which register an abnormality or anomaly, ;
these are flagged by the system for checking. The computer 26 ',
sequentially reads all rack counters and by means of an invoicing
program attributes each reading to the appropriate user. This ~'
2~ information is processed and may be printed in the required ' ,,~
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format. ~ ~
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