Heat transfer meters

Claim 2

In an apparatuS for measuring the amount of heat transfer relative to fluid flowing through a heat exchanger, a rotatable drive element adapted to be driven in accordance with the fluid flow rate through said heat exchanger, a variable drive ratio transmission driven by said drive element and means for varying the drive ratio of said transmission in accordance with the difference in the temperature of the fluid entering and leaving said heat exchanger to provide said transmission with an output representative of the heat transferred relative to the fluid, said drive-ratio-varying means comprising a motion-transmitting member operatively connected to said transmission and being rotatable about a predetermined axis for varying said drive ratio, a pair of axially expansible and contractable bellows elements interconnected by said member and being thermally responsive respectively to the temperature of the fluid entering said heat exchanger and the temperature of the fluid leaving the exchanger for angularly positioning said member about said axis in accordance with the difference between said temperatures, and means for selectively adjusting the lever arm distance between said axis and the connection of each bellows to said member to vary the magnitude of rotational motion imparted to said member by expansion and contraction of each bellows, said adjusting means being selectively manipulatable to compensate for nonlinear variations in expansion and contraction of said bellows elements by adjustment of the lever arm distance between said axis and the connection of each bellows element to said member.

Claim 3

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said member is supported for rectilinear movement along a path extending parallel to the longitudinal expansion and contraction axes of said bellows elements and wherein resilient means biases said member in a direction for contracting both of said bellows elements.

Claim 4

The apparatus defined in claim 1 comprising means supporting both of said bellows elements in parallel side-by-side relation, both of said bellows elements being positioned to expand and contract in the same directions.

Claim 5

In an apparatus for measuring the amount of heat transfer relative to fluid flowing through a heat exchanger, a rotatable drive element adapted to be driven in accordance with the fluid flow rate through said heat exchanger, means comprising a variable ratio transmission driven by said element, means operatively connected to the output of said transmission to provide an indication of heat transferred relative to said heat exchanger, a pair of axially expansible and contractable bellows elements, and motion-transmitting means interconnecting said bellows elements and including a member angularly displaceable about a predetermined pivot axis, said bellows elements being thermally responsive respectively to the temperature of the fluid entering said heat exchanger and to the temperature of the fluid leaving said heat exchanger for angularly positioning said member about said axis in accordance with the difference between the temperatures of the fluid entering and leaving said heat exchanger, the improvement comprising means providing for the bodial displacement of said member together with its pivot axis relative to each of said bellows elements upon either expansion or contraction of said bellows elements to enable either of said bellows elements to expand or contract without causing expansion or contraction of the other bellow element, and means operatively connecting said member to said transmission for varying the drive ratio of said transmission in accordance with the angular displacement of said member and independently of the bodial displacement of said member.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for measuring the amount of heat transfer relative to fluid flowing through a heat exchanger, a rotatable drive element adapted to be driven in accordance with the fluid flow rate through said heat exchanger, means comprising a variable ratio transmission driven by said element, means operatively connected to the output of said transmission to provide an indication of heat transferred relative to said heat exchanger, a pair of axially expansible and contractable bellows elements, and motion-transmitting means interconnecting said bellows elements and including a member angularly displaceable about a predetermined pivot axis, said bellows elements being thermally responsive respectively to the temperature of the fluid entering said heat exchanger and to the temperature of the fluid leaving said heat exchanger for angularly positioning said member about said axis in accordance with the difference between the temperatures of the fluid entering and leaving said heat exchanger, the improvement comprising means providing for the bodial displacement of said member together with its pivot axis relative to each of said bellows elements upon either expansion or contraction of said bellows elements to enable either of said bellows elements to expand or contract without causing expansion or contraction of the other bellow element, and means operatively connecting said member to said transmission for varying the drive ratio of said transmission in accordance with the angular displacement of said member and independently of the bodial displacement of said member.

Claim 7

The apparatus defined in claim 4 comprising calibrating means for adjusting the drive ratio to a value representative of a zero temperature difference, said calibrating means being operable to position said member by axially displacing said bellows elements relative to each other.

Claim 8

The appAratus defined in claim 4 comprising means supporting both of said bellows elements vertically above said transmission and in parallel, side-by-side relation for expansion and contraction in the same directions.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined in claim 4 wherein the displacement of said member provided by said bodial displacement means is rectilinear.

Claim 10

The apparatus defined in claim 4 comprising means supporting said bellows elements for expansion and contraction along parallel axes, the displacement for expansion and contraction along parallel axes, the displacement of said member provided by said bodial displacement means being rectilinear along a path that is parallel to the expansion and contraction axes of said bellows elements. 9, The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein said means providing bodial displacement of said member comprises guide means, and a slide slidably supported on said guide means for rectilinear motion along a path extending parallel to the expansion and contraction axes of said bellows elements, said member being carried by said slide for rectilinear motion therewith and being pivotably supported on said slide for angular displacement about its predetermined axis by the forces applied by said bellows elements.

Claim 11

The apparatus defined in claim 9 wherein said motion-transmitting means includes first and second adjustment means respectively and separately connecting said bellows elements to said member on opposite sides of said predetermined axis, each of said adjustment means being selectively adjustable to vary the lever arm distance between its connection to said member and the predetermined axis of said member.

Claim 12

The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein said bellows elements are supported by said bellows-element-supporting means in side-by-side relation for expansion and contraction in the same directions, and wherein said guide means forms a part of said bellows-element-supporting means.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for measuring the amount of heat transfer relative to fluid flowing through a heat exchanger, a rotatable drive element adapted to be driven in accordance with the fluid flow rate through said heat exchanger, a variable drive ratio transmission driven by said drive element, and means for varying the drive ratio of said transmission in accordance with the difference in the temperature of the fluid entering and leaving said heat exchanger to provide said transmission with an output representative of the heat transferred relative to said fluid, said drive-ratio-varying means comprising a pair of axially expansible and contractable bellows elements thermally responsive respectively to the temperature of the fluid entering said heat exchanger and to the temperature of the fluid leaving the exchanger, means transmitting the relative expansion and contraction of said bellows to said transmission for controlling said drive ratio, and means supporting said bellows elements in parallel, side-by-side relation for expansion and contraction in the same directions, said support means being formed with parallel sections having arcuate surfaces peripherally cradling said bellows elements vertically above said transmission, said support means further being formed with an upstanding wall portion joining corresponding ends of said sections and axially confining the ends of said bellows elements adjacent thereto, and said means transmitting the relative expansion and contraction of said bellows elements comprising a pair of members abutting the ends of said bellows elements remote from said wall portion and being slidably mounted on said sections, and resilient means biasing said members in a direction to contract said bellows elements, thereby axially confining each of said bellows elements between said wall portion and its abutting member.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for measuring the amount of heat transfer relative to fluid flowing through a heat exchanger, a rotatable drive element adapted to be driven in accordance with the fluid flow rate through said heat exchanger, a variable drive ratio transmission driven by said drive element, and means for varying the drive ratio of said transmission in accordance with the difference in the temperature of the fluid entering and leaving said heat exchanger to provide said transmission with an output representative of the heat transferred relative to said fluid, said drive-ratio-varying means comprising a pair of axially expansible and contractable bellows elements thermally responsive respectively to the temperature of the fluid entering said heat exchanger and to the temperature of the fluid leaving the exchanger, means transmitting the relative expansion and contraction of said bellows to said transmission for controlling said drive ratio, and means supporting said bellows elements in parallel, side-by-side relation for expansion and contraction in the same directions, said support means being formed with parallel sections having arcuate surfaces peripherally cradling said bellows elements vertically above said transmission, said support means further being formed with an upstanding wall portion joining corresponding ends of said sections and axially confining the ends of said bellows elements adjacent thereto, and said means transmitting the relative expansion and contraction of said bellows elements comprising a pair of members abutting the ends of said bellows elements remote from said wall portion and being slidably mounted on said sections, and resilient means biasing said members in a direction to contract said bellows elements, thereby axially confining each of said bellows elements between said wall portion and its abutting member.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for measuring the amount of heat transfer relative to fluid flowing through a heat exchanger, a rotatable drive element adapted to be driven in accordance with the fluid flow rate throuGh said heat exchanger a variable drive ratio transmission driven by said drive element, and means for varying the drive ratio of said transmission in accordance with the difference in the temperature of the fluid entering and leaving said heat exchanger to provide said transmission with an output representative of the heat transferred relative to said fluid, said drive-ratio-varying means comprising a pair of axially expansible and contractable bellows elements thermally responsive respectively to the temperature of the fluid entering said heat exchanger and to the temperature of the fluid leaving the heat exchanger, motion-transmitting means operatively connected between the assembly of said bellows elements and said transmission to control the drive ratio in accordance with the difference between the temperature to which said bellows elements respond, and means forming a part of said motion-transmitting means for selectively adjusting the magnitude of motion transmitted by each of said bellows elements by expansion and contraction thereof to compensate for heat transfer measurement inaccuracies attributable to said bellows elements.

Claim 16

In an apparatus for measuring the amount of heat transfer relative to fluid flowing through a heat exchanger, a rotatable drive element adapted to be driven in accordance with the fluid flow rate throuGh said heat exchanger a variable drive ratio transmission driven by said drive element, and means for varying the drive ratio of said transmission in accordance with the difference in the temperature of the fluid entering and leaving said heat exchanger to provide said transmission with an output representative of the heat transferred relative to said fluid, said drive-ratio-varying means comprising a pair of axially expansible and contractable bellows elements thermally responsive respectively to the temperature of the fluid entering said heat exchanger and to the temperature of the fluid leaving the heat exchanger, motion-transmitting means operatively connected between the assembly of said bellows elements and said transmission to control the drive ratio in accordance with the difference between the temperature to which said bellows elements respond, and means forming a part of said motion-transmitting means for selectively adjusting the magnitude of motion transmitted by each of said bellows elements by expansion and contraction thereof to compensate for heat transfer measurement inaccuracies attributable to said bellows elements.

Claim 17

The apparatus defined in claim 13 comprising resilient means for applying a biasing force through said adjusting means to contract said bellows elements.