Fluid Flow Monitoring System

Abstract

A fluid flow conditioning conduit for a fluid flow control gate which generates a conditioned fluid flow coupled to a flow meter which measures the velocity of the conditioned fluid flow allowing calculation of the volume of the conditioned fluid flow.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method of providing a fluid flow measurement system, comprising:
 configuring a fluid flow conditioning conduit to couple to a fluid flow control gate, said fluid flow conditioning conduit having a length disposed between a conduit first end and a conduit second end, said fluid flow conditioning conduit having a conduit internal surface defining a conduit fluid flow path between said conduit first end and said conduit second end; and   disposing a fluid flow meter in relation to said fluid flow conditioning conduit, said fluid flow meter capable of sensing a velocity of said fluid flow in said fluid flow path of said fluid flow conditioning conduit.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising configuring said fluid flow conditioning conduit as a substantially cylindrical conduit internal surface. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising configuring said fluid flow conditioning conduit with a length of between about four and about six times a diameter of said cylindrical conduit internal surface. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising coupling a ramp element to said conduit internal surface, said ramp element having an angled ramp surface commencing proximate a bottom of said fluid flow conditioning conduit proximate said conduit first end and which angles toward a central longitudinal axis of said fluid flow conditioning conduit. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising configuring said ramp element to provide said angled ramp surface having a length of between about 10 percent and about 30 percent of said length of said fluid flow conditioning conduit. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising configuring said ramp angle to redirect said fluid flow toward said central longitudinal axis of said fluid flow conditioning conduit. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said angle of said angled ramp is between about fifteen degrees and about 25 degrees in relation to said bottom of said fluid flow conditioning conduit. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising generating a flow aperture in said angled ramp, said flow aperture open to said bottom of said fluid flow conditioning conduit. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising coupling one or more vanes to said conduit internal surface of said fluid flow conditioning conduit each said one or more vanes extend radially inward a distance toward said central longitudinal axis of said fluid flow conditioning conduit. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising aligning each of said one or more vanes with the conduit first end and the conduit second end without offset between opposed vane ends. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising tapering each of said one or more vanes radially inward of said central longitudinal axis of said fluid flow conditioning conduit approaching said second conduit second end. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising configuring said one or more vanes to extend radially inward between about 20 percent and about 70 percent of the distance toward the central longitudinal axis of said fluid flow conditioning conduit. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , disposing a pair of vanes in radial opposed relation a distance apart, and wherein a first one of said pair of vanes extends a greater distance toward said central longitudinal axis of said fluid flow conditioning conduit than said second one of said pair of vanes which extends a lesser distance toward said central longitudinal axis of said fluid flow conditioning conduit. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising disposing said fluid flow meter in relation to said fluid flow conditioning conduit to measure said velocity of said fluid flow in said conduit fluid flow path proximate said conduit second end. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising coupling a conduit fill-flush element to said conduit second end, said conduit fill-flush element operably configured to maintain a level of said fluid flow in said fluid flow path of said fluid flow conduit. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 configuring said conduit fill-flush element as a channel element having a length disposed between a channel first end and a channel second end, said channel element having a channel internal surface which defines a channel flow path between said channel first end and said channel second end; and   disposing a channel gate in said channel element, said channel gate having leading edge adapted to engage said channel internal surface to generate an inclined surface terminating in a trailing edge, said trailing edge disposed at a height in said channel element which maintains said level of said fluid flow in said fluid path.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising rotatably coupling said channel gate in relation to said channel internal surface to allow operation between a fill condition which engages said leading edge with said channel internal surface to generate said inclined surface terminating in said trailing edge at said height in said channel element and a flush condition which disengages the leading edge from the channel internal surface allows said fluid flow to pass substantially unimpeded through said channel flow path. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising configuring said channel element as a pair of channel side walls of substantially flat rectangular configuration each joined in upright relation to the opposed edges of a channel bottom having a substantially flat rectangular configuration, and wherein said channel gate has a substantially square configuration which in the fill condition engages said leading edge with said channel bottom to generate said inclined surface terminating in said trailing edge at said height in said channel element which maintains said level of said fluid flow in said fluid path. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising configuring said channel gate to maintain said fluid flow at said level which substantially fills a volume of said conduit flow path. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising coupling a fluid flow control gate to said conduit first end, said fluid control gate having a gate positionable between an open position and a closed position. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said fluid flow meter generates a signal which varies in relation to said velocity of the fluid flow inside of said fluid flow conditioning conduit, and further comprising providing a fluid volume measurement program capable of execution by a computer to convert said signal into a fluid flow velocity value, said fluid volume measurement program further executable by said computer to convert said flow velocity value into a measure of volume of said fluid flow based on dimensional relations of said fluid flow conditioning conduit.