Fluid flow monitor and control system
View Patent ↗A fluid flow monitoring system including one or more fluid flow dispensing valves each including a piston. Fluid flow sensors are associated with the fluid flow dispensing valves for measuring fluid flow. The fluid flow sensors include a housing with a magnet positioned therein and a piston follower is coupled to the magnet. The piston follower includes a shoulder portion positioned within the housing. A spring is operative to bias the magnet and piston follower towards the piston during operation so that piston movement is transmitted to the magnet. The housing includes a retainer portion disposed on the housing that confronts the shoulder portion of the piston follower whereby the magnet, piston follower, and spring are retained within the housing. The system also includes a fluid flow monitor that includes a microprocessor programmed to convert cycle signals from the sensors to fluid flow information.
1. A fluid flow sensor for use with a dispensing valve having a piston, the sensor comprising:
a housing including an externally threaded portion mateable with the dispensing valve;
a magnet assembly slidably positioned within the housing, wherein the magnet assembly comprises:
a first magnet have a first north pole and a first south pole opposite the first north pole
a second magnet having a second north pole and a second south pole opposite the second north pole; and
a spacer between the first and second magnets wherein the first and second magnets are oriented such that:
when the first north pole is located proximal to the spacer and the first south pole is located distal to the spacer, the second south pole is located proximal to the spacer and the second north pole is located distal to the spacer, or
when or the first south pole is located proximal to the spacer and the second north pole is located distal to the spacer, the second north pole is located proximal to the spacer and the second south pole is located distal to the spacer;
a piston follower coupled to the magnet assembly and comprising a shoulder portion slidably positioned within the housing;
a spring positioned within the housing and operative to bias the magnet assembly and piston follower towards the piston during operation, whereby piston movement is transmitted to the magnet assembly; and
a retainer portion disposed on the housing and confronting the shoulder portion whereby the magnet, piston follower, and spring are retained within the housing.
2. The fluid flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the piston follower includes first and second diameters.
3. The fluid flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the piston follower extends from the housing.
4. The fluid flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the piston follower is a separate part from the magnet assembly.
5. The fluid flow sensor of claim 1 , wherein the retainer portion is a separate part from the housing.
6. The fluid flow sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a spacer disposed between the magnet assembly and the spring.
7. The fluid flow sensor of claim 6 , wherein the spring has an inside diameter and wherein a portion of the spacer extends into the inside diameter of the spring.
8. A fluid flow sensor for use with a dispensing valve having a piston, the sensor comprising:
a housing including an externally threaded portion mateable with the dispensing valve;
a pair of magnets slidably positioned within the housing;
a spacer positioned between the pair of magnets, wherein each of the pair of magnets have opposing poles such that a first of the pair of magnets has a first pole adjacent to the spacer and a second of the pair of magnets has a second pole adjacent to the spacer wherein the first pole and the second pole are opposing poles;
a piston follower coupled to the pair of magnets and comprising a shoulder portion slidably positioned within the housing;
a spring positioned within the housing and operative to bias the pair of magnets and the piston follower towards the piston during operation, whereby piston movement is transmitted to the pair of magnets; and
a retainer portion disposed on the housing and confronting the shoulder portion whereby the pair of magnets, spacer, piston follower, and spring are retained within the housing.
9. The fluid flow sensor of claim 8 , wherein the piston follower includes first and second diameters.
10. The fluid flow sensor of claim 8 , wherein a portion of the piston follower extends from the housing.
11. The fluid flow sensor of claim 8 , wherein the retainer portion is a separate part from the housing.
12. The fluid flow sensor of claim 8 , wherein the spacer comprises a non-magnetic material.
13. A fluid flow monitoring and evaluation system suitable for measuring low volume, high pressure fluid flow, comprising:
A. one or more fluid flow dispensing valves each including a piston and operated by the pressure of fluid being dispensed;
B. one or more fluid flow sensors, each associated with one of the one or more fluid flow dispensing valves for measuring the fluid flow through the corresponding dispensing valve, the one or more fluid flow sensors comprising:
i. a housing including an externally threaded portion mateable with the dispensing valve;
ii. a magnet assembly slidably positioned within the housing, wherein the magnet assembly comprises:
a first magnet have a first north pole and a first south pole opposite the first north pole
a second magnet having a second north pole and a second south pole opposite the second north pole; and
a non-magnetic spacer between the first and second magnets wherein the first and second magnets are oriented such that:
when the first north pole is located proximal to the non-magnetic spacer and the first south pole is located distal to the non-magnetic spacer, the second south pole is located proximal to the non-magnetic spacer and the second north pole is located distal to the spacer, or
when or the first south pole is located proximal to the non-magnetic spacer and the second north pole is located distal to the non-magnetic spacer, the second north pole is located proximal to the non-magnetic spacer and the second south pole is located distal to the non-magnetic spacer;
iii. a piston follower coupled to the magnet assembly and comprising a shoulder portion slidably positioned within the housing;
iv. a spring positioned within the housing and operative to bias the magnet assembly and piston follower towards the piston during operation, whereby piston movement is transmitted to the magnet assembly; and
v. a retainer portion disposed on the housing and confronting the shoulder portion whereby the magnet assembly, piston follower, and spring are retained within the housing; and
C. one or more fluid flow monitors, each including a microprocessor programmed to accept cycle signals from one or more of the fluid flow sensors and convert the cycle signals to fluid flow information, one or more of the fluid flow monitors including a communication link capable of sending fluid flow information to a computer.
14. The fluid flow monitoring and evaluation system of claim 13 , wherein the piston follower includes first and second diameters.
15. The fluid flow monitoring and evaluation system of claim 13 , wherein a portion of the piston follower extends from the housing.
16. The fluid flow monitoring and evaluation system of claim 13 , wherein the piston follower is a separate part from the magnet assembly.
17. The fluid flow monitoring and evaluation system of claim 13 , wherein the retainer portion is separate part from the housing.
18. The fluid flow monitoring and evaluation system of claim 13 , further comprising a spacer disposed between the magnet assembly and the spring.
19. The fluid flow monitoring and evaluation system of claim 18 , wherein the spring has an inside diameter and wherein a portion of the spacer extends into the inside diameter of the spring.