Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electromagnetic flowmeter.
Conventionally, electromagnetic flowmeters are known, in which flanges are attached to a pipe by full-circled welding.
Patent Literature 1: Japan Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-288026
It is desirable that such electromagnetic flowmeters having different specifications including mount hole positions on the flanges can commonly use a part of their elements.
An electromagnetic flowmeter of an embodiment, for an example, comprises a pipe, a detector and a flange. A fluid to be measured flows through the pipe. The detector detects the fluid to be measured. The flange includes a plurality of members. The members are integrated with the pipe with a fastener while surrounding an outer periphery of the pipe.
Exemplary embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments include same or like constituent elements. Hence, in the following, the same or like constituent elements are given the common reference numerals, and a redundant explanation is omitted. Moreover, the following embodiments will merely illustrate examples of configurations (technical features) as well as action and effects resulting from the configurations. The present invention can also be implemented by different configurations other than the configurations disclosed in the following embodiments, and can achieve various effects (including consequential effects) obtained by the fundamental configuration (technical features).
In a first embodiment, as illustrated in
In the electromagnetic flowmeter 1, a magnetic field is generated inside the pipe 7 by the exciting coils 8. A flow of the fluid to be measured orthogonal to the magnetic field causes generation of an electromotive force in the direction orthogonal to the magnetic field and the fluid to be measured. The electromotive force from the fluid to be measured is detected by the pair of electrodes 9, 9. Then, the pair of electrodes 9, 9 transmits a detection signal according to the electromotive force to the controller of the converter 3. The controller calculates (detects) a magnitude (value) of the electromotive force from the detection signal. Moreover, the controller calculates a flow rate from the calculated magnitude of the electromotive force and displays the flow rate on the display 12 (a display screen 12a).
The display 12 includes the display screen 12a and is supported in the housing 10 in such a manner that the display screen 12a is visible. In the first embodiment, as an example, the display device 12 is contained in the housing 10 and is covered with a panel 11. Moreover, the panel 11 has a transparent (for example, colorless and transparent) cover 11a (a transmissive member, a translucent member, or a window) disposed thereon. The display screen 12a of the display device 12 is viewed through the cover 11a. The display 12 is a liquid crystal display (LCD), for example.
As an example, as illustrated in
As an example, the measurement pipe 4 includes a base 41 (a tubular portion) and projections 42 (flanges). The base 41 has a tubular shape (in the first embodiment, as an example, a cylindrical shape) along the axis (axial center) of the pipe 7. The projections 42 are provided at both axial ends 41c, 41c of the base 41 (see
The base 41 has an outer face 41a (outer periphery, outside face, face opposite the flow channel 7a, or a first face) and an inner face 41b (inner periphery, inside face, face closer to the flow channel 7a, or a second face). The case 20 (the exciting coils 8) and the flanges 5 are provided on the outer face 41a of the measurement pipe 4 (the base 41) while the pair of electrodes 9, 9 and the lining 6 are provided on the inner face 41b of the measurement pipe 4 (the base 41). Each projection 42 includes an end face 42a (face opposite the flange or a first face) and an end face 42b (face closer to the flange 5 or a second face). As an example, the measurement pipe 4 can be made from a nonmagnetic material such as SUS (stainless steel).
As an example, the case 20 includes a pair of end plates 15, 15 and covers 16. The pair of end plates 15, 15 are provided with a spacing along the axis of the measurement pipe 4 (the base 41) and are oriented in a direction intersecting with (in the first embodiment, as an example, orthogonal to) the axial direction. For example, the end plates 15 can be secured (joined) onto the outer face 41a of the base 41 by welding. The covers 16 are disposed lateral to the exciting coils 8, opposing the base 41, and cover the exciting coils 8. The covers 16 can be secured (joined) on the outer peripheries of the end plates 15 by welding.
The lining 6 includes, as an example, a tubular portion 6a (a first portion) and flare portions 6b (second portions). The tubular portion 6a is a tubular (in the first embodiment, as an example, cylindrical) along the inner face 41b of the base 41, and covers the inner face 41b. The inner face of the tubular portion 6a forms the flow channel 7a. The flare portions 6b are circular (in the first embodiment, as an example, plate-like and annular) along the end faces 42a of the projections 42, and cover the end faces 42a. The flare portions 6b are provided at both axial ends of the tubular portion 6a and project in a direction intersecting with (in the first embodiment, as an example, orthogonal to) the axial direction. Thus, the flare portions 6b cover the respective projections 42 from outside axially.
Moreover, the flare portions 6b each include an end face 6c which opposes the end face 42a of the corresponding projection 42 and forms the outer face of the pipe 7. As an example, the lining 6 extends across the base 41 and the projections 42. The tubular portion 6a and the flare portions 6b of the lining 6 protect the inner face 41b of the base 41 and the ends face 42a of the projections 42. The lining 6 can be made from a synthetic resin material such as fluorine contained resin.
As an example, the flanges 5 have a circular shape (in the first embodiment, as an example, an annular shape) along the outer face 41a of the base 41. The flanges 5 are provided at both axial ends 41c of the measurement pipe 4 (the base 41). The pair of flanges 5, 5 may be simply referred to as the flange 5 when they do not need to be discriminated.
The flange 5 has an end face 5a (a face or a joint face) with which an object to join (a flange of another pipe coupled with the pipe 7) is overlapped or which opposes the object. Moreover, the flange 5 includes a plurality of holes 5b (mount holes) that pass through the flange 5 in the axial direction. As illustrated in
Moreover, each flange 5 includes a plurality of members. More particularly, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
The first member 5A and the second member 5B are integrated with each other with fasteners 18 (in the first embodiment, as an example, bolts 18a and nuts 18b). More particularly, the first member 5A and the second member 5B are overlaid on the end faces 42b of the projections 42 and are positioned and partially fixed to the base 41 and the projections 42 by spot welding (Wp represents the spot welding positions, see
Moreover, in the first embodiment, as illustrated in
As described above, in the first embodiment, as an example, the flanges 5 each include the first member 5A and the second member 5B that are integrated with the measurement pipe 4 with the fasteners 18. Hence, according to the first embodiment, as an example, as compared to the conventional configuration in which the flanges 5 are attached to the measurement pipe 4 by full-circled welding, the flanges 5 can be more easily attached to the measurement pipe 4. Moreover, according to the first embodiment, as an example, a plurality of pipes 7 (electromagnetic flowmeters 1) having different specifications can be obtained by joining a single measurement pipe 4 with the flanges 5 having different specifications. That is, the measurement pipe 4 can be commonly used for the plurality of pipes 7 (electromagnetic flowmeters 1) having different specifications. This can accordingly reduce the manufacturing costs of the electromagnetic flowmeters 1, as an example. Furthermore, as compared to the flanges attached to the measurement pipe 4 by full-circled welding, thermal effects on the lining 6 can be easily reduced.
In the first embodiment, as an example, each flange 5 (the first member 5A and the second member 5B) is attached to the measurement pipe 4 with the fasteners 18. Because of this, the flanges 5 can be advantageously attached to the measurement pipe 4 (the base 41) after the molding of the lining 6. Conventionally, for attaching the flanges 5 by full-circled welding, with the thermal effects on the lining 6 taken into account, the flanges 5 need to be attached to the measurement pipe 4 (the base 41) before the molding of the lining 6. In this case, for example, if no pipes 7 matching the standard (size) of the object to join (the flanges of another pipe coupled with the pipe 7) are available, a new pipe 7 has to be prepared by integrating as the measurement pipe 4 with the flanges 5. This likely results in a relatively longer manufacturing lead time (standby period). In this regard, according to the first embodiment, the flanges 5 can be attached to the measurement pipe 4 (the base 41) after the lining 6 is formed on the measurement pipe 4. This can advantageously reduce the manufacturing lead time and decrease the number of products in progress in stock. Hence, according to the first embodiment, as an example, the manufacturing time and costs for the electromagnetic flowmeter 1 can be easily reduced.
Moreover, in the first embodiment, as an example, the measurement pipe 4 includes the base 41 and the projections 42 provided at the ends 41c of the base 41, and the flanges 5 and the projections 42 are overlaid in the axial direction. Hence, according to the first embodiment, as an example the first member 5A and the second member 5B can be inhibited from moving along the axis of the measurement pipe 4 by the projections 42. Thereby, as an example, the first member 5A and the second member 5B can be attached to the measurement pipe 4 by a simpler, smoother, or more accurate work. Moreover, as an example, the flanges 5 (the integrated first member 5A and second member 5B) can be prevented from coming off from the measurement pipe 4.
Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as an example, the lining 6 includes the tubular portion 6a (a first portion, which covers the inner face 41b of the base 41, and the flare portions 6b (second portions) which cover the projections 42 from axially outside. Hence, according to the first embodiment, as an example, the sealing between the flanges 5 and the object to join (the flanges of another pipe coupled with the pipe 7) can be easily enhanced by the flare portions 6b.
The first embodiment has exemplified the wetted electromagnetic flowmeter 1 in which the pair of electrodes 9 contacts with the fluid to be measured. However, the electromagnetic flowmeter should not be limited thereto, and can be of a non-wetted type in which the pair of electrodes 9 does not contact with the fluid to be measured.
Moreover, in the first embodiment, although the first member 5A and the second member 5B are positioned with respect to the measurement pipe 4 by spot welding, the spot welding is not always necessary. Unlike full-circled welding, spot welding is partial welding, therefore, it will thermally affect the lining 6 less even if the lining 6 is already provided on the measurement pipe 4.
An electromagnetic flowmeter illustrated in
However, in the second embodiment, as an example, as illustrated in
An electromagnetic flowmeter illustrated in
However, in the third embodiment, as an example, as illustrated in
While certain embodiments of the invention have been described, the embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The above embodiments are included in the scope and spirit of the invention and in the accompanying claims and their equivalents. Moreover, regarding the constituent elements, the specifications (structure, type, direction, shape, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be suitably modified. For example, an inclusion (a cushioning member or a sealing member) can be placed in the gap between the first member and the second member or between the first cover member and the second cover member.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2013-224262 | Oct 2013 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2014/050581 | 1/15/2014 | WO | 00 |