Open channel flow measuring device

Claim 2

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. first support means; b. flow sensing means mounted on said first support means, positionable at a selected level in a flowing liquid for exposure to said flowing liquid and responsive to the velocity of said flowing liquid; c. isolation means secured to said first support means for isolating said flow sensing means from the flow of the liquid at levels other than said selected level while exposing it to said flowing liquid at said selected level; d. velocity sensing means for sensing displacement of said flow sensing means, said first support means, flow sensing means, isolation means, and velocity sensing means forming a probe for immersion in said flowing liquid; e. bubbler outlet means mounted on said probe for expelling air into said flowing liquid; f. conduit means for feeding air to said bubbler outlet means; and g. means for sensing the developed back pressure in said conduit as an indication of depth.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said flow sensing means is a target presenting a surface for exposure to said flowing liquid, and said first support means is a beam, said target secured to the bottom end of said beam.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising: a. slidable support means for supporting said probe; b. means for indicating said sensed velocity; c. means for detecting the position of said probe; d. means for indicating said position; and e. a hoist for raising and lowering said slidable support means to a number of positions allowing successive readings of position and velocity to be taken to form a profile of liquid velocities.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said beam is deflectable and further comprising at least one strain measuring device secured to said beam.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising: a. second support means; b. slidable support means for supporting said probe and varying the position of said probe, said slidable support means being slidably supported for vertical movement on said second support means; c. means for displaying the output of said velocity sensing means as an indication of velocity; d. means for detecting the position of said probe; e. means for indicating said position; and f. a hoist for raising and lowering said slidable support means to a nUmber of positions allowing successive readings of position and velocity to be taken to form a profile of liquid velocities.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising a control circuit responsive to bubbler back pressure for actuating the hoist to maintain said target at a desired depth.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said beam is deflectable, and said isolation means is a hollow housing which contains said beam, the upper end of the housing being secured to the upper end of the beam.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said sensing means comprises at least one strain measuring device secured to said deflectable beam.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein the top of the target is concave to maintain a substantially uniform clearance between the lower end of said housing and the upper surface of said target during the displacement of said target.

Claim 11

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. a beam; b. a target mounted on said beam, positionable at a selected level for exposure to said flowing liquid and responsive to the velocity of said flowing liquid; c. isolation means secured to said beam for isolating said target from the flow of the liquid at levels other than said selected level while exposing it to said flowing liquid at said selected level; d. velocity sensing means for sensing displacement of said flow sensing means, said beam, target, isolation means, and velocity sensing means forming a probe for immersion in said flowing liquid; e. bubbler outlet means mounted on said probe for expelling air into said flowing liquid; f. conduit means for feeding air to said bubbler outlet means; g. means for sensing the developed back pressure in said conduit as an indication of depth; and h. purge means for expelling air at relatively high pressure through said bubbler outlet means and between said isolation means and said target to remove accumulated debris from said bubbler outlet means and from between said isolation means and said target.

Claim 12

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. a beam; b. a target mounted on said beam, positionable at a selected level for exposure to said flowing liquid and responsive to the velocity of said flowing liquid; c. isolation means secured to said beam for isolating said target from the flow of the liquid at levels other than said selected level while exposing it to said flowing liquid at said selected level; d. velocity sensing means for sensing displacement of said flow sensing means, said beam, target, isolation means, and velocity sensing means forming a probe for immersion in said flowing liquid; e. bubbler outlet means mounted on said probe for expelling air into said flowing liquid; f. conduit means for feeding air to said bubbler outlet means; g. means for sensing the developed back pressure in said conduit as an indication of depth; and h. purge means for expelling air at relatively high pressure through said bubbler outlet means and between said isolation means and said target to remove accumulated debris from said bubbler outlet means and from between said isolation means and said target.

Claim 13

Apparatus as in claim 10, further comprising: a. second support means; b. sleeve means mounted on said second support means and disposed around said probe for wiping said probe; and c. means secured to said probe and said second support means for moving said probe through said sleeve means.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising means for actuating said purge means and said means for moving said probe through said sleeve means at regular intervals and also in response to a back pressure in excess of a fixed threshold value of back pressure.

Claim 15

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. hoist means; b. probe means for sensing flow velocity at a selected depth in said flowing liquid; c. support means, coupled to said hoist means, for supporting said probe means; d. bubbler means attached to said probe means for measuring the depth of said probe means; e. control means responsive to said bubbler means for controlling said hoist to maintain said probe at a selected depth; f. means for generating periodic signals; g. means for generating a non-periodic signal in response to an uncharacteristically great depth measurement; and h. means for removing accumulated debris from the probe in response to said periodic signals and said non-periodic signals.

Claim 16

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. hoist means; b. probe means for sensing flow velocity at a selected depth in said flowing liquid; c. support means, coupled to said hoist means, for supporting said probe means; d. bubbler means attached to said probe means for measuring the depth of said probe means; e. control means responsive to said bubbler means for controlling said hoist to maintain said probe at a selected depth; f. means for generating periodic signals; g. means for generating a non-periodic signal in response to an uncharacteristically great depth measurement; and h. means for removing accumulated debris from the probe in response to said periodic signals and said non-periodic signals.

Claim 17

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. hoist means; b. probe means for sensing flow velocity at a selected depth in said flowing liquid; c. support means, coupled to said hoist means, for supporting said probe means; d. measuring means attached to said probe means for measuring the depth of said probe means; e. control means responsive to said measuring means for controlling said hoist to maintain said probe at a selected depth; f. a high limit switch, acutated by said measuring means when the probe means is above a selected high Limit, for actuating said hoist means to lower said support; and g. a low limit switch, actuated by said measuring means when the probe means is below a selected low limit, for actuating the hoist to raise said support.

Claim 18

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. hoist means; b. probe means for sensing flow velocity at a selected depth in said flowing liquid; c. support means, coupled to said hoist means, for supporting said probe means; d. measuring means attached to said probe means for measuring the depth of said probe means; e. control means responsive to said measuring means for controlling said hoist to maintain said probe at a selected depth; f. a high limit switch, acutated by said measuring means when the probe means is above a selected high Limit, for actuating said hoist means to lower said support; and g. a low limit switch, actuated by said measuring means when the probe means is below a selected low limit, for actuating the hoist to raise said support.

Claim 19

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. a deflectable beam; b. a target mounted on said beam, positionable at a selected level in a flowing liquid for exposure to said flowing liquid and responsive to the velocity of said flowing liquid; c. isolation means comprising a hollow housing for containing said beam and isolating said target from the flow of the liquid at levels other than said selected level while exposing it to said flowing liquid at said selected level, the upper end of the housing being secured to the upper end of the beam, the top of the target having a concave shape to maintain a substantially uniform clearance between the lower end of the housing and the upper surface of the target during displacement of said target; d. velocity sensing means for sensing displacement of said flow sensing means said beam, target, isolation means, and velocity sensing means forming a probe for immersion in said flowing liquid; e. second support means; f. slidable support means for supporting said probe and varying the position of said probe, said slidable support means being slidably supported for vertical movement on said second support means; g. means for displaying the output of said velocity sensing means as an indication of velocity; h. means for detecting the position of said probe; i. means for indicating said position; and j. hoist means for raising and lowering said slidable support means to a desired position.

Claim 20

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. a deflectable beam; b. a target mounted on said beam, positionable at a selected level in a flowing liquid for exposure to said flowing liquid and responsive to the velocity of said flowing liquid; c. isolation means comprising a hollow housing for containing said beam and isolating said target from the flow of the liquid at levels other than said selected level while exposing it to said flowing liquid at said selected level, the upper end of the housing being secured to the upper end of the beam, the top of the target having a concave shape to maintain a substantially uniform clearance between the lower end of the housing and the upper surface of the target during displacement of said target; d. velocity sensing means for sensing displacement of said flow sensing means said beam, target, isolation means, and velocity sensing means forming a probe for immersion in said flowing liquid; e. second support means; f. slidable support means for supporting said probe and varying the position of said probe, said slidable support means being slidably supported for vertical movement on said second support means; g. means for displaying the output of said velocity sensing means as an indication of velocity; h. means for detecting the position of said probe; i. means for indicating said position; and j. hoist means for raising and lowering said slidable support means to a desired position.

Claim 21

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. first support means; b. a flow sensing target mounted on said first support means, positionable at a selected level in a flowing liquid for exposure to said flowing liquid and responsive to the velocity of said flowing liquid; c. isolation means secured to said first support means for isolating said target from the flow of the liquid at levels other than said selected level while exposing it to said flowing liquid at said selected level, the outer cross-sectional dimensions of said target and isolation means being substantially the same; d. velocity sensing means for sensing displacement of said target, said first support means, target, isolation means, and velocity sensing means forming a probe for immersion in said flowing liquid; e. second support means; f. sleeve means mounted on said second support means, disposed around said probe and closely conforming in dimension to the outer surface of said target and said isolation means for wiping said probe; and g. means secured to said probe and said second support means for sliding said probe through said sleeve means.

Claim 22

A liquid flow velocity measuring apparatus, comprising: a. first support means; b. a flow sensing target mounted on said first support means, positionable at a selected level in a flowing liquid for exposure to said flowing liquid and responsive to the velocity of said flowing liquid; c. isolation means secured to said first support means for isolating said target from the flow of the liquid at levels other than said selected level while exposing it to said flowing liquid at said selected level, the outer cross-sectional dimensions of said target and isolation means being substantially the same; d. velocity sensing means for sensing displacement of said target, said first support means, target, isolation means, and velocity sensing means forming a probe for immersion in said flowing liquid; e. second support means; f. sleeve means mounted on said second support means, disposed around said probe and closely conforming in dimension to the outer surface of said target and said isolation means for wiping said probe; and g. means secured to said probe and said second support means for sliding said probe through said sleeve means.

Claim 23

Apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the upper surface of the target is concave to maintain a substantially uniform clearance between the lower end of said isolation means and the upper surface of said target during the displacement of said target.