Patent ID: 6729191
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
An electrical inductive flow-meter circuit for evaluating flow velocity of a flowing fluid, the flow-meter circuit comprising:a coil for generating a magnetic field in a flow region of the fluid, said magnetic field having a direction transverse to a direction of the fluid flow, and a coil excitor for energizing said coil with a DC current pulse having a selected duration to generate said magnetic field, a current regulator connected to said coil excitor to stabilize said DC current pulse, and an evaluation module for measuring a pair of voltages induced in said fluid during said duration of the magnetic field and for measuring said current to obtain the flow velocity of the fluid, wherein the coil excitor and the current regulator include: first and second transistors connected to opposite sides of the coil, such that the coil is connected in series between the forward conduction paths of the transistors, first and second diodes connected to the respective first and second transistors and to opposite sides of the coil, such that the forward conduction paths of the first and second diodes are arranged in opposition to the forward conduction paths of the first and second transistors, and such that the coil is connected in series between the forward conduction paths of the diodes, and a storage capacitor connected in parallel with the series path of the first and second transistors and in parallel with the series path of the first and second diodes.