Abstract: An apparatus for measuring fluid flow has a measuring device operating in accordance with the Coriolis principle. The measuring device has an oscillating conduit wherein the fluid to be measured flows through the conduit, and a sensor for sensing the movement of the conduit and generating output signals indicative of the movement. The measuring device generates a measurement signal based on the sensor signal indicative of the flow rate of fluid through the conduit. A counting device is coupled to the measuring device for receiving the measurement signal and calculating the flow rate of fluid through the conduit based on the measurement signal.

Abstract: Multiphase (gas and two liquid phases) fluid flowstreams are measured to determine the total flow rate, fluid density, the fraction of gas, and one liquid in the total liquid mixture by passing the flowstream through a Ceriolis flow meter (16, 40), a densimeter (12) and a meter (14) which measures the fraction of one liquid in the two liquid mixture. The total fluid flow rate may be measured by a single tube flow meter (40) having adjacent loops which provide tube legs (49, 51) positioned adjacent each other and vibrated laterally at a predetermined frequency and amplitude while measuring pressures in the contraflowing streams in the adjacent tube legs. The density and gas fraction of the flowstream may be determined by vibrating a tube containing the flowstream over a range of frequencies and measuring the phase angle and amplitude of the fluctuating fluid pressures compared with acceleration of the tube to determine the sloshing natural frequency of the fluid mixture.

Abstract: A thermal flowmeter for determining a parameter of a fluid flowing through a passage, including a detecting element, and a pair of electrically conductive supports fixed to a wall defining the passage for supporting the detecting element. The detecting element includes a substrate, an electrically resistive body disposed on the substrate and having an electrical resistance which varies with an ambient temperature, and a pair of electrical conductors provided at opposite ends of the support and electrically connected to the electrically resistive body. The detecting element is positioned in the passage such that the electrical conductors are secured to the electrically conductive supports. The electrically conductive supports have respective engaging portions which engage the electrical conductors, respectively, for positioning the detecting element with respect to the wall of the passage.

Abstract: An electronic camera includes an optical device having a diaphragm for focusing an optical image of subject, an image sensor for sensing the focused optical image and for converting the sensed image into electric signals, a luminous energy level detector for detecting a level of luminous energy based on the electric signals, an exposure condition determining device for determining exposure-time data and diaphragm control data based on the level of luminous energy, an exposure-time control device for a time that the optical image is exposed to the image sensor based on the exposure-time data, a diaphragm controller for controlling the diaphragm based on the diaphragm control data, and a processor for processing the electric signals produced by the image sensor at proper exposure conditions so as to produce a video signal.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for detecting the presence of gaseous nitrogen dioxide and determining the amount of gas which is present. Though polystyrene is normally an insulator, it becomes electrically conductive in the presence of nitrogen dioxide. Conductance or resistance of a polystyrene sensing element is related to the concentration of nitrogen dioxide at the sensing element.

Abstract: A compact dual microanemometer-based flow meter for a gaseous fluid includes a dynamic microanemometer flow sensor located in a measuring nozzle of reduced diameter directly exposed to the main fluid flow stream and a static microanemometer sensor located so as to be in communication with the main flow stream but not in direct contact with the main flow stream. Particulate matter is excluded by a particulate trapping system located upstream of the flow sensors and has a plurality of sequentially encountered particulate traps including dead-end trap and settling traps and a honeycomb laminarizing device is positioned in the stream between the particulate trapping system and the microanemometers.

Abstract: A vortex flowmeter comprises a vortex generating bluff body of an elongated cylindrical shape disposed across a cross section of the flow passage, which bluff body has a planar extension extending from one extremity thereof and into a planar cavity included in the flowmeter body, wherein the combination of the bluff body and the planar extension thereof is supported at a midsection of the combination in an arrangement allowing at least a minute amount of pivotal movement about a pivot axis disposed parallel to the direction of the fluid flow and passing through the midsection of the combination of the bluff body and the planar extension thereof, and a plurality of pressure communicating holes disposed through the bluff body and the planar extension thereof expose one side face of the planar extension to the fluid pressure existing at the other side face of the bluff body opposite to said one side face, and the other side face of the planar extension to the fluid pressure existing at one side face of the bluff

Abstract: An electromagnetic fluid flow transducer formed from an electromagnetic assembly having two electromagnet units and a tubular flow contact assembly to measure fluid flow velocity and fluid volume in ionic solutions. Each electromagnet unit includes a core and a winding on the core, and a housing maintains the electromagnet units and their cores and windings in a predetermined relationship with each other. A plurality of electrode receptacles are formed in the housing proximate the flux field created by the electromagnetic assembly. The tubular flow contact assembly includes a tubular member, and four conductive electrodes positioned in and extending from the internal surface of the tubular member where fluid flow occurs.

Abstract: A method for measuring the mass flow rate of liquid flow exiting a two phase (gas/liquid) feed nozzle. The method includes determining the Power Spectral Density from the output of a vibrational sensor (accelerometer or dynamic pressure sensor) in close proximity to the nozzle or in contact with the fluid within the nozzle in a frequency band that includes resonant peaks whose magnitude or area is strongly dependent on the mass flow rate of the liquid and which increases as the flow increases. Measurement of the area of the resonant peaks or of a band of frequencies that includes them can be correlated with the liquid flow and is insensitive to the gas flow.

Abstract: This mass flowmeter is designed to be installed in pipelines having nominal diameters greater than about 150 mm. It has a support tube (11), a vibrating system (12) disposed axially in the support tube and consisting of two straight measuring tubes (21, 22) mounted in a holder (23, 15) at each of their ends, and a vibration exciter (50) which sets each measuring tube into natural-resonance flexural vibration at the center. The soft-magnetic armature (51) of the vibration exciter (50) is secured to one of the measuring tubes, and its electromagnet (52) is mounted in the wall of the support tube (11) opposite the armature (51) via the metallic, nonferromagnetic coil can (53) and contains a soft-magnetic core (54). The central portion (55) of the latter, which is disposed in an energizing coil (57), carries a permanentmagnet inset (58) at the end opposite the armature, and the edge portions (56) of the core (54) extend along the outside of the energizing coil.

Abstract: A thermal anemometer transducer wind set for determining both wind speed and wind direction having an omnidirectional wind speed resultant sensing transducer element and a component directional anemometer transducer sensing element pair that are all operated as constant temperature anemometers. Omnidirectional element configuration design is disclosed that is used to control element spatial response to wind flow and also determine sign sense of direction. Additional wind set array configurations are disclosed that combine the resultant wind measurement transducer with dual component arrays, three-phase arrays, and a three-dimensional pyramidal array.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for determining the liquid/liquid interfacial tension between immiscible liquids wherein a first liquid is introduced into a second liquid at a constant rate of flow sufficient to produce successive, uniform size drops which ascend or descend depending upon whether the first liquid has a lower or higher density than that of the second liquid. The apparatus and methods are particularly useful in evaluating the effectiveness of a surfactant and the dynamics of interfacial reduction. In practice, the first liquid is discharged into the second liquid through a nozzle having an outlet of very low surface area. The time required to produce a selected number of drops is inversely proportional to the ability of the surfactant to reduce interfacial tension between the two liquids.

Abstract: A fluidic flowmeter is located downstream of a valve. A wire gauze or net having small meshes is located on the upstream side of a nozzle forming the inlet to the fluidic element to stabilize flow.

Abstract: Mass flow of a fluid flowing in a conduit is detected by mounting an active device in thermal contact with an external wall of the conduit, the active device being characterized by a positive temperature coefficient of resistance of at least 10%/.degree.C. for a range of temperatures, driving the active device to operate within the temperature range, and detecting mass flow based on the resistance of the active device. In another aspect, a passive temperature sensor is arranged to sense the temperature of the fluid at one position along the conduit, the passive temperature sensor being substantially non-self-heating, an active device is positioned to exchange heat at another position along the conduit, the conduit having a resistance dependent on temperature, and mass flow is detected based on signals from the active device and from the sensor.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring force applied to a blank resting on a tool supported by a tool holder includes a tubular piezoelectric body having a central aperture extending between a first end and a second end of the body, a plurality of legs attached to an outer surface of the body and each having a free end extending beyond the first end of the body, and an elongated tube extending through the central aperture of the body, a first end of the tube terminating between the first end of the body and the free ends of the legs. Indica are provided on an outer surface of the tube for indicating the position of the body in a cavity formed in a tool holder. An electrical cable has a pair of conductors electrically connected to the body for generating a sensor output signal. Potting compound is forced through an interior of the tube to encapsulate the legs, the body, the first end of the tube and the cable to retain the apparatus in the cavity.

Abstract: A vortex flowmeter comprises a vortex generating bluff body disposed across a flow passage, and a transducer including a sealed cavity divided into three compartments by a pair of diaphragms and a relative motion sensor detecting relative lateral deflections of the pair of diaphragms away from and towards one another, wherein the middle compartment intermediate the pair of diaphragms includes a pressure communicating hole open to one cylindrical side of the bluff body, while the two side compartments straddling the middle compartment includes a pressure communicating hole open to the other cylindrical side of the bluff body; wherein the fluctuating pressure associated with vortex shedding from the bluff body creates pulsating relative lateral deflections of the pair of diaphragms, that generates an alternating electrical signal representing vortex shedding from the bluff body from the relative motion sensor.

Abstract: A quantity flowmeter for measuring the volume of flow of a pulsating fluid stream has a conduit for a freely movable float which is biased against a stop and is moved away from the stop by successive pulses or droplets of the pulsating fluid stream. The float carries or includes a permanent magnet or an electromagnet, and the conduit is surrounded by a self-inductance coil with turns having a density which varies in or counter to the direction of movement of the float away from the stop. When a pulse causes the float to move away from the stop, voltage signals which are generated by the coil and indicate the speed of movements of the float are transmitted to an integrator which transmits integrated signals to a computer. The computer calculates the volume of flow of successive pulses.

Abstract: A sample hold circuit has a first sample hold circuit and a second sample hold circuit, which are of the same in circuit configuration, each having a clamping circuit at an input stage of the sample hold circuit and a sample-holding circuit at the next stage, and the first sample hold circuit and the second sample hold circuit receiving commonly at least a clamping reference voltage, a clamping control signal for the clamping circuit and a sampling control signal for the sample-holding circuit. An output of a CCD image sensor is inputted to only one of the first sample hold circuit and the second sample hold circuit, whereby the output signals from the first sample hold circuit and the second sample hold circuit are outputted in a differential mode. It is possible to reduce low frequency 1/f noise and reset pulse noise in the image signal produced by the CCD image sensor by inputting the output signals from the first and second sample hold circuits to a differential circuit.

Abstract: In a method for measuring the mass flow M of a fluid flowing through a pipe having a cross-sectional area A, the sound velocity c.sub.2 in the fluid is determined as well as the flow velocity v of the fluid by sing-around technique. Further, reflection technique is used which comprises measuring the amplitude both of an ultrasonic pulse which has been reflected in a boundary between a first and a second material having different acoustic impedances, and of an ultrasonic pulse which has been reflected in the boundary between the second material and the fluid, it being possible to determine the density of the fluid on the basis of the measured amplitudes, the sound velocity c.sub.2 in the fluid and the acoustic impedances of the first and the second material. The mass flow M is then obtainable as M=v.times.A.times..rho..sub.2.

Abstract: A pair of thermistors are mounted in a tube which diverts a minor portion of the air flowing through a duct of an HVAC system. One thermistor is heated by a feedback control system to maintain a substantially constant temperature differential between the thermistors. A signal representing the flow velocity is detected by detecting the power which is applied to the heating body to maintain the constant differential. That power represents the thermo power being carried away from the heated body. The temperature of the unheated thermistor is also detected. The signals are converted to digital form and applied to a computer for computing the flow rate in the ducts.