Patent ID: 6073494
Filing Date: 2000-06-13
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
An apparatus for measuring a mass flow of a fluent material using the Coriolis measuring principle, said apparatus comprising:an inlet tube through which the fluent material flows into said apparatus;an impeller wheel having a shaft, said wheel and said shaft being mounted for rotation about a rotational axis;a motor firmly coupled to the shaft of said impeller wheel, said motor being constructed and arranged to rotate said impeller wheel and shaft about said rotational axis;said impeller wheel being positioned with respect to said inlet tube such that the fluent material flowing into said apparatus through said inlet tube flows into a central area of said impeller, said impeller having vanes that are constructed and arranged to redirect the fluent material flowing from said inlet tube into the central area of said impeller in a generally radial direction away from the central area as said impeller is being rotated by said motor;a flow distributing device associated with said inlet tube, said flow distributing device being constructed and arranged to distribute the fluent material flowing through said inlet tube towards the central area of said impeller generally symmetrically about the rotational axis of said impeller;a waste eliminating ring positioned between said inlet tube and said impeller, said waste eliminating ring being constructed and arranged to prevent loss of the fluent material deflecting off said impeller back towards said inlet tube,a frusto-conical flange positioned about said impeller, the inside of said flange being provided with a yieldable momentum-absorbing surface, said frustro-conical flange being positioned with respect to said impeller such that the fluent material being redirected in the generally radial direction by the impeller vanes contacts the yieldable momentum-absorbing surface of said flange so as to be directed downward by said flange;a spherical compliant bearing connected to said impeller, said bearing being constructed and arranged to resist radial movement of said impeller,a force transducer operatively associated with said impeller, said force transducer being constructed and arranged to measure a torque being applied to said impeller;an axial bearing device, said motor having a rotor and stator with the stator being mounted on said axial bearing device; anda flexible connecting element extending between said stator and said force transducer such that said connecting element transmits rotational movement of said stator to said force transducer.