Flow meter
A paddle wheel flow meter designed for measuring the flow rate of a viscous or debris-laden fluid with fewer parts, higher durability and simplicity of servicing. The flow meter includes a housing including a flow bore and an insert body with an integral rotor shaft. The insert body is removably insertable into the housing. A rotor includes rotor blades and is attached to the rotor shaft so as to be at least partially located in the flow bore such that flow of the fluid causes the rotor to rotate. A sensor unit generates a signal indicative of the rotational rate of the rotor, which can be used to determine the flow rate of the fluid.
1. A flow meter for determining a flow rate of a fluid, comprising:
a housing comprising a flow bore;
an insert body comprising an integral rotor shaft, the insert body being removably insertable into the housing;
a rotor attached to the rotor shaft and comprising rotor blades, the rotor being at least partially located in the flow bore such that flow of the fluid causes the rotor to rotate; and
a sensor unit configured to generate a signal indicative of a rotational rate of the rotor, which can be used to determine the flow rate of the fluid.
2. The flow meter of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a paddlewheel located at least partially in the flow bore and rotatable around the rotor shaft.
3. The flow meter of claim 1 , wherein the insert body comprises a thermally diffused metallic material.
4. The flow meter of claim 1 , wherein the insert body comprises a metallic material comprising a hardened surface, hardened by changing a molecular structure of the hardened surface through thermal chemical diffusion of at least one diffusion substance.
5. The flow meter of claim 4 , wherein the metallic material comprises a steel alloy and has a hardness of 10 to 40 by the Rockwell C scale.
6. The flow meter of claim 1 , wherein the insert body and the integral rotor shaft are formed by additive manufacturing.
7. The flow meter of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one fastener configured to attach the insert body to the housing.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotor shaft is configured to receive at least one rotor fastener that couples the rotor to the rotor shaft.
9. A method for determining a flow rate of a fluid, comprising:
inserting an insert body comprising an integral rotor shaft into a housing;
flowing the fluid through a flow bore of the housing;
rotating a rotor comprising rotor blades with the fluid flowing through the flow bore, wherein the rotor is attached to the integral rotor shaft;
detecting a rotational rate of the rotating rotor;
generating a signal indicative of the rotational rate of the rotor; and
determining the flow rate of the fluid using the signal.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising replacing the insert body without removing a sensor unit located in the housing.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the rotor comprises a paddlewheel at least partially located in the flow bore.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the insert body comprises a thermally diffused metallic material configured to provide resistance to at least one of erosion, corrosion, and cracking.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the insert body comprises a metallic material comprising a hardened surface, hardened by changing a molecular structure of the hardened surface through thermal chemical diffusion of at least one diffusion substance.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the metallic material comprises a steel alloy and has a hardness of 10 to 40 by the Rockwell C scale.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the insert body and the integral rotor shaft are formed by additive manufacturing reducing cycle times in manufacturing the insert body and the integral rotor shaft.
16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
positioning a portion of the rotor in the flow bore to minimize disturbance of the flow of the fluid through the flow bore.
17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fluid comprises a hydrocarbon fluid.
18. A rotor shaft assembly for positioning a rotor in a flow meter housing, comprising:
an insert body comprising an integral rotor shaft, the insert body being removably insertable into the flow meter housing.
19. The rotor shaft assembly of claim 18 , wherein the insert body comprises a metallic material comprising a hardened surface, hardened by changing a molecular structure of the hardened surface through thermal chemical diffusion of at least one diffusion substance.
20. The rotor shaft assembly of claim 18 , wherein the insert body comprises a metallic material having a hardness of 10 to 40 by the Rockwell C scale.