Patent ID: 9557204
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: G01F

Claim:
1. A metering apparatus for determining a characteristic of a fluid flowing through a non-linear section of a pipe, the metering apparatus comprising: a first strain gauge mountable to the non-linear section of the pipe offset from the bending neutral axis of the non-linear section of the pipe, configured to detect a strain indicative of a bending force on the non-linear section of the pipe induced by the inertia of the fluid flowing through the pipe, a second strain gauge mountable to the pipe on the bending neutral axis of non-linear section of the pipe, configured to detect at least one of the hoop strains, longitudinal strains and radial strains imparted on the pipe by the pressure of the fluid flowing through the pipe, a controller configured to determine the mass flow rate of fluid flowing through the pipe based on the bending force determined by the first strain gauge and the at least one of the hoop strains, longitudinal strains and radial strains determined by the second strain gauge.