IP Library Granted Patent US 12,644,743
Granted Patent B2
US 12,644,743 · App. 18/270,211 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Mist flow rate measuring apparatus

Inventors: Takahiro Hiramatsu (Tokyo, JP); Hiroyuki Orita (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: TMEIC CORPORATION
G01F1/7086G01F1/74
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,644,743
App. No.
18/270,211
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a mist flow rate measuring apparatus of the present disclosure, an external discharge pipe is constituted of a combination of an upstream pipe, a large-diameter transparent pipe, and a downstream pipe. A part of a mist flowing region in the large-diameter transparent pipe is an imaging target region of a mist imaging camera. An inner diameter D 31 of the large-diameter transparent pipe is set to a value larger than an inner diameter D 7 of the upstream pipe and an inner diameter D 8 of the downstream pipe. That is, the large-diameter transparent pipe, the upstream pipe, and the downstream pipe have a magnitude relationship with respect to the inner diameter of {D 31 >D 7 =D 8}.

Claims (42)

1 . A mist flow rate measuring apparatus comprising:

a mist imaging camera that executes imaging processing with at least a part of a mist flowing region through which a mist-containing gas containing a raw material mist flows set as an imaging target region to acquire imaging information;

a mist flow rate calculation unit that executes mist flow rate calculation processing of obtaining a flow rate of the raw material mist in the mist-containing gas based on the imaging information;

first and second gas supply pipes each having the mist flowing region inside; and

an imaging pipe having the mist flowing region inside,

wherein the first and second gas supply pipes each have a cross-sectional shape of a circular shape having a constant inner diameter,

the imaging pipe has a cross-sectional shape of a circular shape, and at least a part of the imaging pipe has a constant inner diameter region with a constant inner diameter,

the imaging pipe is provided between the first gas supply pipe and the second gas supply pipe, and is constituted of a material having transparency,

a part of the mist flowing region in the imaging pipe is the imaging target region,

the mist-containing gas flows in an order of the first gas supply pipe, the imaging pipe, and the second gas supply pipe along a predetermined direction opposing a vertical direction, and

the constant inner diameter region in the imaging pipe has an inner diameter that is larger than an inner diameter of each of the first and second gas supply pipes,

the imaging pipe is disposed along the vertical direction, and

the predetermined direction is a counter-vertical direction that is diametrically opposite to the vertical direction,

the mist flow rate measuring apparatus, further comprising

a first imaging auxiliary pipe having the mist flowing region inside,

wherein the first imaging auxiliary pipe is provided between the imaging pipe and the second gas supply pipe,

the first imaging auxiliary pipe has a cross-sectional shape of a circular shape having a constant inner diameter,

the first imaging auxiliary pipe is disposed along the vertical direction,

the mist-containing gas flows in an order of the first gas supply pipe, the imaging pipe, the first imaging auxiliary pipe, and the second gas supply pipe along the counter-vertical direction, and

the first imaging auxiliary pipe has an inner diameter that is smaller than an inner diameter of the constant inner diameter region in the imaging pipe and larger than an inner diameter of the second gas supply pipe.

2 . The mist flow rate measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

a second imaging auxiliary pipe having the mist flowing region inside,

wherein the second imaging auxiliary pipe is provided between the first imaging auxiliary pipe and the second gas supply pipe,

the second imaging auxiliary pipe has a cross-sectional shape of a circular shape,

the mist-containing gas flows in an order of the first gas supply pipe, the imaging pipe, the first imaging auxiliary pipe, the second imaging auxiliary pipe, and the second gas supply pipe along the counter-vertical direction,

the second imaging auxiliary pipe includes a lower connection part with the first imaging auxiliary pipe and an upper connection part with the second gas supply pipe, the lower connection part having an inner diameter that is equal to an inner diameter of the first imaging auxiliary pipe, and the upper connection part having an inner diameter that is equal to an inner diameter of the second gas supply pipe, and

the second imaging auxiliary pipe has a tapered shape in which the inner diameter decreases towards the counter-vertical direction.

3 . The mist flow rate measuring apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the imaging pipe has a cross-sectional shape of a circular shape having a constant inner diameter, and

the imaging pipe has the constant inner diameter region in an entire of the imaging pipe.

4 . The mist flow rate measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging pipe has an inner surface that is constituted of a material having hydrophilicity.

5 . The mist flow rate measuring apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the imaging pipe includes

an imaging main part, and

a lower imaging auxiliary part,

the imaging main part is coupled to the first gas supply pipe with the lower imaging auxiliary part interposed between the imaging main part and the first gas supply pipe,

the imaging main part has a cross-sectional shape of a circular shape having a constant inner diameter, and the imaging main part is provided as the constant inner diameter region, and

the lower imaging auxiliary part has a vertically protruding structure that inclines toward a side of the vertical direction toward an inner side.

6 . The mist flow rate measuring apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein the imaging pipe further includes an upper imaging auxiliary part,

the imaging main part is coupled to the first imaging auxiliary pipe with the upper imaging auxiliary part interposed between the imaging main part and the first imaging auxiliary pipe, and

the upper imaging auxiliary part has a vertically protruding structure that inclines toward a side of the vertical direction toward an inner side.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 26, 2024
From: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
To: TMEIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067244/0359 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2023
From: HIRAMATSU, TAKAHIRO; ORITA, HIROYUKI
To: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064107/0108 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240085230A1 · Mar 14, 2024
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