Patents Examined by Harshad R Patel
  • Patent number: 11215491
    Abstract: A meter connector connecting a flow meter to a fluid line, including a meter bar with a spherical central void and fluid passages between the void and meter inlet and outlet ports and service inlet and outlet ports. A spherical valve is rotatable within the void to selectively block openings into the void and open openings into the void to selectively connect fluid passages via passages in the valve whereby rotation of the valve moves between a metering position, a bypass position, and a shutoff position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: A. Y. McDonald Mfg. Co.
    Inventor: Sebastian Yaklin
  • Patent number: 11209299
    Abstract: A meter electronics (20) having a notch filter (26) configured to filter a sensor signal from a sensor assembly (10) in a vibratory meter (5) is provided. The meter electronics (20) includes the notch filter (26) communicatively coupled to the sensor assembly (10). The meter electronics (20) is configured to receive the sensor signal from the sensor assembly (10), the sensor signal being comprised of a first component at a resonant frequency of the sensor assembly (10) and a second component at a non-resonant frequency and pass the first component and substantially attenuate the second component with the notch filter, wherein the first component is passed with substantially zero phase shift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Joseph Rensing, Timothy J. Cunningham
  • Patent number: 11204268
    Abstract: A magnetic flowmeter includes a flow tube assembly and a programmable bi-directional current generator. The flow tube assembly receives the fluid flow and includes a coil and an electromotive force (EMF) sensor. The coil is configured to produce a magnetic field across the fluid flow in response to a coil current. The EMF sensor is arranged to sense an EMF across the fluid flow that is proportional to the flow rate, and generate an output indicating the induced EMF. The current generator includes a profile generator that issues profile commands, a power amplifier and a controller. The controller is configured to control the power amplifier to generate coil current pulses forming the coil current that travel through the coil in alternating directions. Each coil current pulse has a current profile that is based on a corresponding profile command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: MICRO MOTION, INC.
    Inventor: Masoud Ameri
  • Patent number: 11204267
    Abstract: A magnetic flowmeter for measuring a fluid flow includes flow tube assembly receiving the flow having a coil with first and second coil wires for receiving a coil current to produce a magnetic field in the fluid. This generates an EMF in the fluid representative of the flow. An EMF sensor is arranged to sense the EMF and generate an output related to the flow rate. Current supply circuitry provides the coil current to the first and second wires of the coil in response to a command signal. A digital control circuit provides the command signal to the current supply circuitry as a function of a control algorithm. In one aspect, the control algorithm is adapted to changes in electrical parameters of the coil. A method of implementing the magnetic flowmeter is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: MICRO MOTION, INC.
    Inventor: Masoud Ameri
  • Patent number: 11193804
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a magnetoinductive flowmeter as well as to such a flowmeter, wherein a disturbance superimposed on a measurement signal is at least partially compensated for by negative feedback of the disturbance to the measurement signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventor: Frank Schmalzried
  • Patent number: 11187562
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a housing for a flow measuring device and a flow measuring device. The housing includes a housing body having a housing wall and a housing chamber, where the housing wall has a first wall element and a second wall element. The first wall element and the second wall element enclose the housing chamber, and the housing chamber is configured to receive a measuring tube. The housing wall has first and second openings configured to support the measuring tube at first and second measuring tube ends. The first wall element has a first leaf and a second leaf, and the second wall element has a third leaf and a fourth leaf, where the first leaf and the second leaf and also the third leaf and the fourth leaf engage flush in one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Frank Voigt, Steffen Ziegler, Roland Huber
  • Patent number: 11181404
    Abstract: A magnetic flowmeter includes a flow tube assembly, an electromotive force (EMF) sensor, a power amplifier, a current sampling circuit, and a controller. The flow tube assembly receives the fluid flow, and includes a coil configured to receive a coil current and induce an EMF in the fluid flow that is proportional to the flow rate. The EMF sensor generates an output indicating the induced EMF. The power amplifier is configured to generate unfiltered current pulses at a first frequency. The power amplifier includes a low pass filter that attenuates the unfiltered current pulses to form coil current pulses at a second frequency that form the coil current. The current sampling circuit samples the coil current pulses at a sampling frequency. The controller is configured to change a relationship between the sampling frequency and the first frequency, and adjust the coil current based on the samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: MICRO MOTION, INC.
    Inventors: Masoud Ameri, Scot Ronald Foss, Jared James Dreier
  • Patent number: 11181405
    Abstract: Transmission/reception units 1 are fixed to both sides of a pipe body P in a clamp type. The transmission/reception unit 1 has a mounter 3 provided with a through-hole 3c and a transmitter/receiver 4 inserted into the through-hole 3c. The transmitter/receiver 4 has a surface contact portion 4a, an element fixing portion 4b provided with an installation hole 4c, and a ultrasound transmitting body 4e installed in the installation hole 4c. A transmitting/receiving element 4h is attached on a top surface 4g of the ultrasound transmitting body 4e. When the mounter 3 is fastened, a force applied to the mounter 3 is transmitted to the surface contact portion 4a such that the surface contact portion 4a comes into close contact with the pipe body P, therefore an ultrasonic beam is transmitted smoothly between the pipe body P and the transmitting/receiving element 4h.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: RYUSOK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Eiichi Murakami, Kohei Sakiyama
  • Patent number: 11181412
    Abstract: A decontamination device removes particles from a gas flow and is usable in a gas metering device. The decontamination device may include an upper portion defining a plurality of openings and a lower portion attached to the upper portion. In an example, the lower portion includes a first curved ramp to redirect the gas flow and a plurality of fingers in a path of the redirected gas flow. First and second flow pipes receive incoming gas and bifurcate the gas flow, which is redirected at the first curved ramp. The fingers contact and remove particles in the redirected gas flow. A second curved ramp may include at least one hole to bifurcate the gas flow into a first gas flow passing through the at least one hole and a second gas flow redirected by the second curved ramp to pass through the plurality of openings defined in the upper portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Itron Global SARL
    Inventors: Christian Oskar Haag, Pierre Roesch, Tobias Kirsten
  • Patent number: 11156489
    Abstract: A volume meter auxiliary module is configured to be assembled on a fluid volume meter. The volume meter auxiliary module includes a first assembly member and a second assembly member. The first assembly member includes a clamping structure configured to fix the first assembly member on the fluid volume meter. The second assembly member is configured to connect with the first assembly member. The second assembly member includes a casing body, a light emitter, an image-capturing piece and a cover. The casing body has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening is located at a bottom of the casing body. The light emitter is disposed inside the casing body. The image-capturing piece is disposed inside the casing body. The cover connects with the casing body and covers the second opening. The cover is rotatable relative to the casing body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ching-Chung Chen
  • Patent number: 11156486
    Abstract: The magnetic flowmeter includes at least one coil and a pair of electrodes is configured to detect an electromotive force within the process fluid flow in response to the magnetic field. Measurement circuitry is coupled to the electrodes and is configured to provide an indication of the detected electromotive force. A processor is coupled to the measurement circuitry and is configured to receive the indication of the detected electromotive force. The processor is configured to obtain a sequence of indications of detected electromotive force over a time interval and to generate a plurality of sets of emf samples by selecting non-continuous indications of the detected electromotive force. Each of the sets of emf samples is processed by a signal processing engine to provide an emf sample output. The processor is configured to combine emf sample outputs from each set of emf samples to generate a process fluid flow output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
    Inventor: Scot R. Foss
  • Patent number: 11137276
    Abstract: A microcontroller and a method are provided for determining a flow velocity with an electronic processing unit of an ultrasonic travel time flow meter with arbitrary waveform signals. The electronic processing unit has receiver and transmitter terminals, a signal processing unit and a signal generating unit that is configured to generate an oscillating electric output signal with a time dependent amplitude, wherein the time-dependent amplitude varies according to stored signal parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: GWF MessSysteme AG
    Inventors: Markus Helfenstein, Florian Strasser
  • Patent number: 11137275
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flow meter includes a housing for attaching to a fluid pipe. A first piezoelectric element coupled to a transmitter and receiver is configured to emit ultrasonic waves in an axial direction perpendicular to a horizontal plane defined by the piezoelectric element. A lens combination is in a lower housing portion positioned radially outside the first piezoelectric element including a refocusing lens that is ring-shaped configured for redirecting received radial ultrasonic waves to travel in an axial direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane and has a thickness profile configured to act as a matching layer for reducing multiple reflections within the lower housing portion. A second lens that is disc-shaped below the refocusing lens is configured for redirecting the radial ultrasonic waves to travel in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Bin Sai, Dong Luo
  • Patent number: 11131571
    Abstract: A system and related method is provided for correcting measurement glitches detected by a magnetic flowmeter assembly in determining a fluid flow velocity. The magnetic flowmeter assembly includes a pair of electrodes that receive an instantaneous first and second electrode potential (voltage potential), Ue1 and Ue2, so as to determine an instantaneous induced voltage Ue across the fluid. A signal processor sends a digital signal of the induced voltage (voltage signal Ue) to a micro-processor, which processes the signal data and computes the corresponding instantaneous fluid velocity, v. Moreover, an instantaneous glitch detection variable Um is computed based on the electrode potentials (Ue1 and Ue2), so as to detect the presence of measurement glitches in said electrode potentials, wherein the signal processor will provide a digital signal of Um to the micro-processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Georg Fischer Signett LLC
    Inventors: Calin Ciobanu, Jeffrey Lomibao
  • Patent number: 11131572
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring fluid flow includes a housing, a first ultrasonic transducer, and a fluid flow path. The housing defines a smooth bore and a first cavity. The first cavity is separated from a fluid that flows through the smooth bore. The first ultrasonic transducer is disposed within the first cavity and transmits an ultrasonic pulse through the fluid. The fluid flow path extends from an upstream intake through the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: SENSIA LLC
    Inventors: Donald R. Augenstein, Matthew Mihalcin, Herbert Estrada
  • Patent number: 11131685
    Abstract: An air data system for measuring an airspeed includes a pair of electrodes, and one or more magnets arranged relative to the pair of electrodes. The pair of electrodes includes a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode along a first dimension by an air gap. The one or more magnets produce a magnetic field within the air gap. The air data system further includes an electronic circuit interfacing with the pair of electrodes. The electronic circuit outputs a voltage difference measured between the pair of electrodes across the air gap. A magnitude of the voltage difference indicates a magnitude of an air stream velocity through the air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Brian Tillotson
  • Patent number: 11131570
    Abstract: A mini-spinner flowmeter measures a fluid linear velocity and/or a fluid direction of a fluid present in a hydrocarbon well. It comprises an impeller formed with a plurality of axially extending vanes longitudinally secured to a shaft, the shaft extending along a longitudinal axis, the impeller being caused to rotate at an impeller angular velocity depending on the fluid linear velocity and in a rotational direction depending on the fluid direction; and a support having a bearing positioned on each end of the shaft and a through-hole securing an optical section. The vanes are reflective such that, in use, a light energy emitted by an emitting optical fiber and reflected backward by anyone of the vanes is received by a first receiving optical fiber and/or a second receiving optical fiber, the reflected light energy containing information indicative of the fluid linear velocity and/or the fluid direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: OPENFIELD
    Inventors: Eric Donzier, Linda Abbassi, Emmanuel Tavernier
  • Patent number: 11112280
    Abstract: A system for sensing flow material in a fluid-holding structure is disclosed. The system has an assembly including a housing, a communication device disposed at least partially in the housing, a controller disposed at least partially in the housing, a sensor array disposed at least partially in the housing, and an external-surface-mounting attachment portion configured to non-intrusively attach the assembly to a surface. The system also has a user interface configured to display a graphical element. The sensor array includes a pressure sensor, a density sensor, a corrosion sensor, and a vibration sensor. The controller controls the communication device to transmit sensed data collected by the sensor array to the user interface. The sensed data includes at least one of a density data sensed by the density sensor and a corrosion data sensed by the corrosion sensor. Display of the graphical element varies based on the sensed data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: mIQrotech, Inc.
    Inventors: Meade Lewis, Danial Victor Sharts, II
  • Patent number: 11105667
    Abstract: The present invention accurately measures flow rates that have a high peak flow rate caused by pulsation, and is provided with a first flow rate converter having a first measurement range and a first response speed, a second flow rate converter having a second measurement range that is narrower on a low flow rate side than the first measurement range and has a second response speed that is slower than the first response speed, and a flow rate calculation unit that, when a flow rate contained in the second measurement range is measured, calculates the flow rate by correcting outputs from the first flow rate converter using outputs from the second flow rate converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: HORIBA, LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshinori Otsuki
  • Patent number: 11105665
    Abstract: An electromagnetic flowmeter measures a flow rate of a liquid of a measurement target that flows in a magnetic field formed within a measurement pipe. The electromagnetic flowmeter includes at least one pair of detection electrodes configured to detect an electromotive force generated due to a flow of the liquid, and configured to output a flow rate signal of a magnitude of the detected electromotive force, a measurement circuit configured to supply an alternating current between the detection electrodes and an earth electrode, and a control calculator configured to control a frequency of the alternating current to be 1 kHz or more, and configured to calculate a conductivity of the liquid whose conductivity is 1 mS/cm or more based on the flow rate signal output when the alternating current flows between the detection electrodes and the earth electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Arai, Yusaku Yoshida, Shuichi Sato, Ikuhiko Ishikawa