FLOWMETER

Abstract

A flowmeter for measuring the flow rate of a fluid has a measuring tube which forms a measurement space through which the fluid can flow. At least one disruptive body is arranged in the measurement space. The measurement space additionally has, downstream of the disruptive body, a pickup arranged in it that can be deflected based on a vortex formation at the disruptive body. In order to minimize the flow resistance for the fluid when flowing through the flowmeter, the measuring tube has an elliptical cross-section at least in the region of the arrangement of the disruptive body.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A flowmeter for measuring the flow rate of a fluid, comprising: a measuring tube that forms a measuring space through which the fluid can flow; at least one baffle arranged in the measuring space; and a measured value sensor arranged downstream of the baffle in the measuring space, the measured value sensor being deflectable when flowed around by the fluid due to a vortex formation at the baffle; wherein the measuring tube has an elliptical cross-section at least in a region of the arrangement of the baffle.

17. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 16, wherein the measuring space of the measuring tube extends between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet along a flow axis, with the fluid inlet having a circular cross-section that merges into the elliptical cross-section along the flow axis extending up to a position of the baffle.

18. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 17, wherein the elliptical cross-section merges into the circular cross-section from the position of the baffle along the flow axis up to the fluid outlet.

19. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 16, wherein the baffle has a baffle axis along which the baffle extends, with the baffle axis being aligned perpendicular to the flow axis extending through the measuring space and/or with the baffle having a round, elliptical, streamlined, trapezoidal, or triangular cross-section.

20. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 19, wherein the elliptical cross-section is spanned by a longer main axis and a shorter secondary axis extending transversely to the main axis, with the elliptical cross-section being aligned such that the secondary axis coincides with the baffle axis.

21. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 20, wherein a length ratio from the main axis to the secondary axis has a value from 1.1 to 2.0, or from 1.25 to 1.8, or from 1.3 to 1.6.

22. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 20, wherein a ratio of a length of the main axis to a surface of attack of the baffle has a value from 0.15 to 0.6, or from 0.2 to 0.5, or from 0.25 to 0.45.

23. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 20, wherein the circular cross-section of the fluid inlet and/or of the fluid outlet has a diameter dimension that corresponds to a length of the main axis of the elliptical cross-section and/or so that a width of the measuring space remains constant transversely from the baffle axis from the fluid inlet up to the fluid outlet.

24. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 16, wherein the measured value sensor is arranged in a section along the flow axis in the measuring space in which a cross-section of the measuring space has an elliptical cross-section and merges into a circular cross-section in a direction toward the fluid outlet.

25. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 16, further comprising at least one projection projecting into the measuring space formed downstream of the baffle at an inner wall bounding the measuring space.

26. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 16, wherein the measuring tube is formed with a sheath and with an inner tube, with the inner tube being pushed into the sheath.

27. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 26, wherein the inner tube and the sheath have a same length in the flow axis; and/or the inner tube has 70% to 100% of the length of the sheath.

28. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 26, wherein the inner tube and/or the sheath has/have a fully circumferentially closed cross-section.

29. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 26, wherein the inner tube comprises a plastic; and/or the sheath comprises a metal.

30. The flowmeter in accordance with claim 26, wherein the inner tube is manufactured in an injection molding process and/or the sheath is manufactured in a cutting production process.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Further measures improving the invention will be shown in more detail below together with the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the Figures. There are shown:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the flowmeter with a measuring space that has the geometrical design in accordance with the invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the flowmeter with a cross-sectional plane that is rotated by 90? with respect to the cross-sectional plane of the cross-section in accordance with FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 3a is a first advantageous cross-sectional geometry of the baffle;

[0029] FIG. 3b is a second advantageous cross-sectional geometry of the baffle;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a view of the flowmeter with a view into the measuring space seen from the flow axis;

[0031] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the baffle with different cross-sectional geometries of the measuring space;

[0032] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a vortex formation at the baffle; and

[0033] FIG. 7 is a modified embodiment of the measuring tube of the flowmeter with a sheath and with a tube insert;

[0034] FIG. 8 is a diagram of the difference in percent of the measured voltages with an elliptical flow cross-section from a circular flow cross-section, respectively normed to the produced pressure difference; and

[0035] FIG. 9 is a diagram of the measured voltages over the pressure difference on the throughflow of the measuring space from the inlet up to the outlet with an elliptical flow cross-section to a circular cross-section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] A cross-sectional view of the flowmeter 1 is shown in FIG. 1 and the flowmeter 1 is shown sectioned from the left to the right along the flow axis 16 in accordance with the arrow shown and can be flowed through. The flowmeter 1 serves the determination of a flow per time that flows through the measuring tube 10 of the flowmeter 1. The through flowable region of the measuring tube 10 is called a measuring space 11 and there are a baffle 12 and a measured value sensor 13 arranged downstream in the measuring space 11 and thus in the flowing region of the fluid. The baffle 12 is located upstream in front of the measured value sensor 13 with respect to the flow axis 16 and periodically shedding vortices are formed at the baffle 12 by the onflow thereof that result in a deflection of the measured value sensor 13 in a deflection direction transversely to the flow axis 16. The deflection of the measured value sensor 13 likewise takes place periodically here, whereby a measured signal can be derived in that a measuring element 21 that can be formed with the measuring electronics 22 is arranged in conjunction with the measured value sensor 13. The measuring element 21 is preferably designed as a piezo element.

[0037] The baffle 12 extends along a baffle axis 12a that extends transversely to the flow axis 16. The measured value sensor 13, that projects into the measuring space 11 in the manner of a sword and that is arranged below the measuring electronics 22 that are mounted in a measuring electronics mount 27 at the outer side at the measuring tube 10, extends in parallel with; but downstream of, the baffle axis 12a.

[0038] The measuring tube 10 extends from a fluid inlet 14 up to a fluid outlet 15, with a connection stub 26 being shown in the fluid inlet 14.

[0039] In accordance with the invention, the cross-section of the measuring tube 10 has an elliptical cross-section Q1 in the region of the arrangement of the baffle 12. In contrast, the measuring tube 10 has a cross-section in the region of the fluid inlet 14 and in the region of the fluid outlet 15 that is designed in accordance with a circular cross-section Q0. The cross-section of the measuring space 11 along the flow axis 16 consequently changes starting with a circular cross-section Q0 in the fluid inlet 14 up to an elliptical cross-section Q1 in the region of the arrangement of the baffle 12 and merges into a circular cross-section Q0 again at the fluid outlet 15 in the further extent downstream along the flow axis 16. The circular cross-section Q0 is only reformed after the arrangement of the measured value sensor 13, with, only by way of example, a longer region along the flow axis 16 having the circular cross-section Q0 downstream than before the arrangement of the baffle 12, which can also be provided conversely. The cross-sections Q0 and Q1 are rotated by a vertical axis 90? in the sectional plane for the visualization.

[0040] The ellipsoid shape of the elliptical cross-section Q1 is designed as horizontal with respect to the direction of extent of the baffle axis 12a, with the longer main axis of the elliptical cross-section Q1 corresponding to the diameter of the circular cross-section Q0.

[0041] Two projections 20 that project into the measuring space 11 are formed upstream of the baffle 12 at an inner wall 19 bounding the measuring space 11 to optimize the vortex formation. The vortices that form at the baffle 12 can thereby be amplified so that a comparatively high voltage level can be output over the measured value sensor with an overall low pressure loss.

[0042] Consequently, the width of the measuring tube 10 does not change at half the plane between the fluid inlet 14 and the fluid outlet 15, as the cross-sectional shape rotated by 90? in FIG. 2 shows. It results from this that the main axis 17 of the elliptical cross-section corresponds to the diameter of the circular cross-section Q0 so that the representation in FIG. 2 shows a measuring space 11 in the measuring tube 10 whose width does not change from the fluid inlet 14 up to the fluid outlet 15. The representation also in particular shows that two diametrically opposed projections 20 are arranged at the inner wall 19 of the measuring space 11 that are disposed opposite one another such that they are positioned along the main axis 17 of the elliptical cross-section Q1 at its outer sides, with the projections 20 still being provided before the elliptical cross-section Q1 in the region of the circular cross-section Q0 at the level of the fluid inlet 14.

[0043] FIG. 3a shows a possible cross-sectional shape of a baffle 12 that substantially corresponds to a triangular shape, with the basic shape of the triangle of the cross-sectional shape having a rectangular start that faces in the opposite direction to the flow and is to this extent flowed on directly on use of the flowmeter 1. Measured transversely from this rectangular start, the baffle 12 has a width B that extends with respect to the installation location of the baffle 12 in the measuring space 11 in the same direction as the main axis 17 of the elliptical cross-section Q1.

[0044] FIG. 3b shows a further possible shape of a baffle 12 having a trapezoidal cross-section, with the latter likewise having a rectangular base section.

[0045] The baffles 12 in FIGS. 3a and 3b are flowed onto in accordance with the shown arrow so that the wide, planar front side of the triangular shape and of the trapezoidal shape faces opposite to the flow.

[0046] In particular the cross-sectional shapes of the baffle 12 shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b can be used particularly advantageously in the measuring tube 10 in conjunction with the measuring space 11 shaped in accordance with the invention.

[0047] FIG. 4 shows a view of the flowmeter 1 from the direction of the flow axis 16 so that it is possible to look into the measuring space 11 of the measuring tube 10. The view at the front side shows the circular cross-section Q0 into which the two diametrically opposed projections 20 at the inner wall 19 of the measuring space 11 also project, with the circular cross-section Q0 in the region of the baffle 12 merging into the elliptical cross-section Q1. The measured value sensor 13 is shown at the upper side that is connected to the measuring electronics 22 that is mounted in the measuring electronic mount 27 at the outer side at the measuring tube 10. The illustration again illustrates the horizontal arrangement of the ellipse of the elliptical cross-section Q1 as explained in more detail in conjunction with the following FIG. 5.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows the changing cross-section in a schematic view, with the cross-section changing starting from the circular cross-section Q0 and merging into the elliptical cross-section Q1 in the region of the baffle 12. The ellipse of the elliptical cross-section Q1 has a main axis 17 that is horizontal so that the main axis 17 and the baffle axis 12a are perpendicular to one another. In contrast, the secondary axis 18 of the ellipse of the elliptical cross-section Q1 extends together with the baffle axis 12a in the vertical direction in accordance with the representation.

[0049] The ellipse is formed by the longer main axis 17 and the shorter secondary axis 18, with the length of the main axis 17 corresponding to the diameter of the circular cross-section Q0.

[0050] If the measuring tube 10 were to maintain a circular cross-section that has a tapering cross-section up to and into the position of the baffle 12, the comparison circular cross-section Q0 would result. It becomes clear in this respect that the region is shortened laterally to the baffle 12 where the vortices should form since the diameter of the tapered circular cross-section is smaller than the main axis 17 that corresponds in an unchanged manner to the dimension of the diameter of the circular cross-section Q0. In contrast, the shortened secondary axis 18 provides a shortening 26 of the baffle 12 along the baffle axis 12a, with this shortening 26 not having any real effect on the achievable voltage level that can be output by the measured value sensor 13, but reducing the pressure loss.

[0051] FIG. 6 schematically shows a section of the measuring tube 10 with the inner side measuring space 11 in the region of the arrangement of the baffle 12. The flow axis 16 is shown as a flow arrow and the measured value sensor 13 is downstream of the baffle 12.

[0052] Vortices form at the baffle 12 that are shed periodically and that provide pressure fluctuations laterally of the measured value sensor 13 that deflect the measured value sensor 13, which can ultimately be detected by the measuring element 21. The main axis 17 here also provides a very large width in the region of the baffle 12 due to its greater length even though the secondary axis 18 of the elliptical cross-section Q1 perpendicular to the plane of the image is shortened. The flow is accelerated by the reducing flow cross-section, whereby the vortex formation is amplified and whereby a higher measurement voltage at the measurement element 21 can also already be generated at low flow rates. However, due to the widened region of the measuring space 11 in the region of the baffle 12 in the lateral direction that corresponds to the main axis 17 of the elliptical cross-section Q1, a spatially wide region is maintained in comparison with the circular cross-section Q0 in accordance with FIG. 5 so that the vortices 24 can be advantageously formed.

[0053] FIG. 7 shows a modified form of the measuring tube 10 having a sheath 10a and having an inner tube 10b as a base member of the flowmeter, with the inner tube 10b being pushed into the sheath 10a so that the measuring tube 10 in accordance with this variant is formed in two parts.

[0054] The advantage of the two-part design is in particular provided by the simplified manufacture of the measuring tube 10 for high pressures of the measuring fluid since the elliptical cross-sections Q1 of the inner wall of the measuring space 11 and equally the baffle 12 in the measuring space 11 can advantageously be manufactured in one part with the actual inner tube 10b in injection molding, that is, the inner tube 10b having the more complex geometries can therefore be manufactured from plastic in the injection molding process, with the complexity of the geometry being of secondary importance for the plastic injection molding process for the inner tube 10b in comparison with a cutting production.

[0055] However, the manufacture of the sheath 10 from a metallic material is furthermore still advantageous so that the flowmeter can be designed for higher up to very high pressures of the measuring fluid. It is also of advantage that, for example, the inner passage 29 in the sheath 10a can have a continuous cylindrical cross-section in a simple manner and can be manufactured in a cutting manner, for example by means of a drilling procedure or by means of line boring. The base member of the sheath 10a can, for example, be provided as a metal die cast component or as a turned part from a correspondingly dimensioned cylindrical member or a cylindrical sleeve as a blank.

[0056] The outer diameter of the inner tube 10b here corresponds to the inner diameter of the sheath 10a so that a bypass passage is preferably formed or a slight pressing is caused.

[0057] The advantage of qualifying the flowmeter for very high pressures and of simplifying the manufacturing capability is in particular achieved in that the inner tube 10b can be manufactured substantially with the same length as also the length of the sheath 10a and/or with the sheath 10a and the inner tube 10b having a closed, fully circumferential cross-section that is pressure-tight per se, apart from small openings or the passage for the measured value sensor.

[0058] FIG. 8 represents in a diagram the difference in percent of the measured voltages between an elliptical flow cross-section and a circular flow cross-section over the volume flow in liters per minute, in each case normed to the pressure difference produced. The diagram makes clear that the elliptical design of the measuring space enables a great increase in the measured signal in comparison with the measured signal with a circular cross-section, in each case with respect to the pressure difference, particularly at low flow rates.

[0059] FIG. 9 finally shows a diagram of the measured voltage U over the pressure difference ?p.sub.1 measured from the inlet up to the outlet of the measuring tube. The progression of the voltage U1 over the pressure loss having an elliptical cross-section in accordance with the invention is, as the graph shows, higher than the voltage U2 over the pressure loss without the design of the elliptical cross-section.

[0060] Within the framework of the present invention, the elliptical cross-section of the measuring space shown also comprises cross-sections that are ellipsoid, that is do not necessarily have to correspond to a mathematical ellipse to this extent. A rectangular cross-section having corners designed as radii or rounded or having planar wall sections in the region of the penetration points of the main and secondary axes by the inner wall of the measuring space can thus also be covered in the sense of the invention by the claimed elliptical cross-section.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0061] 1 flowmeter [0062] 10 measuring tube [0063] 10a sheath [0064] 10b inner tube [0065] 11 measuring space [0066] 12 baffle [0067] 12a baffle axis [0068] 13 measured value sensor [0069] 14 fluid inlet [0070] 15 fluid outlet [0071] 16 flow axis [0072] 17 main axis [0073] 18 secondary axis [0074] 19 inner wall [0075] 20 projection [0076] 21 measuring element [0077] 22 measuring electronics [0078] 23 cone [0079] 24 shadow region [0080] 25 vortex [0081] 26 shortening [0082] 27 measuring electronics mount [0083] 28 connection stub [0084] 29 inner passage [0085] U measured voltage [0086] U1 voltage over pressure loss with ellipse [0087] U2 voltage over pressure loss without ellipse [0088] ?p pressure difference inlet to outlet [0089] Q1 elliptical cross-section [0090] Q0 circular cross-section [0091] Q0 comparison circular cross-section [0092] B width of the baffle