Hi there.

Maybe some of you gurus have an inexpensive idear of how to make a flow
meter that can measure the usage af gas to the engines. I don't really care
if it is analog or digital, as long as i can built it myself :-)

With kind regards, Franz ( Denmark)

"Franz Eckert" wrote in
. dk:

Maybe some of you gurus have an inexpensive idear of how to make a
flow meter that can measure the usage af gas to the engines. I don't
really care if it is analog or digital, as long as i can built it
myself :-)



The medical profession has a clear plastic flowmeter that's about 3" in
diameter with a red ball that the fluid running through it rotates around
the tube. It's a positive flow meter in that the ball just fits the round
tube and the tiniest flow of liquid shows up as a rotation of the ball. I
have no idea where you'd get it, but I'm sure any nurse or hospital supply
person could point you to the right company.

It would be very simple to put a light on one side of this tube and a
photocell on the other (OK, IR LED and photo IC is more complex and up-to-
date). Every time the ball comes around the loop, it would cut the light
so you could TIME the ball's rotation around the loop, which on the tube is
calibrated in cc/hr or minute for the nurse to count. The time measured
would be easily converted to litres/hour or gallons/minute for your
display. The pulses could simply be fed to a serial port on a PC or
notebook already in use with a simple program monitoring the port's data-in
and using the PC's timer functions.

How's that?....(c;

Americans, a lazy, sloven lot to be sure, would use:
http://www.asenashop.com/ivn/pr-0/9286.html
or
http://store.wmjmarine.com/s3fw022u1.html
or
http://www.consumersmarine.com/produ...l.cfm?i=380020
or
http://www.marineparts.com/partspages/FLOSCAN/FLO1.htm

They all run on a little wheel that rotates as the fuel pushes it around
passing through it. A magnet senses the wheel's movement and converts each
vane into a pulse for measurement...

--
Larry

"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Franz Eckert" wrote in
. dk:

Maybe some of you gurus have an inexpensive idear of how to make a
flow meter that can measure the usage af gas to the engines. I don't
really care if it is analog or digital, as long as i can built it
myself :-)



The medical profession has a clear plastic flowmeter that's about 3" in
diameter with a red ball that the fluid running through it rotates around
the tube. It's a positive flow meter in that the ball just fits the round
tube and the tiniest flow of liquid shows up as a rotation of the ball. I
have no idea where you'd get it, but I'm sure any nurse or hospital supply
person could point you to the right company.

It would be very simple to put a light on one side of this tube and a
photocell on the other (OK, IR LED and photo IC is more complex and up-to-
date). Every time the ball comes around the loop, it would cut the light
so you could TIME the ball's rotation around the loop, which on the tube
is
calibrated in cc/hr or minute for the nurse to count. The time measured
would be easily converted to litres/hour or gallons/minute for your
display. The pulses could simply be fed to a serial port on a PC or
notebook already in use with a simple program monitoring the port's
data-in
and using the PC's timer functions.

How's that?....(c;

If you are talking about the Bel-Art flow indicator they are not really
positive displacement. It takes a water flow of 50mL/minute (maybe 35 for
diesel) before they start moving and they spin at different rates in the
horizontal position than vertical.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Hi Larry.

Actually i have found a flow measuring device, rather cheap too. But i
should have pointed out that i was in search for the schematics for
the read out device.

So what i need is a schematic that i can make a digital or analog
read out of the impulses from the flow sensor. And it would be nice if it
was not
Dependent on a notebook.

Nice links, but 'damn' they are expensive :-)
Wkr
Franz



"Larry" skrev i en meddelelse
...
"Franz Eckert" wrote in
. dk:

Maybe some of you gurus have an inexpensive idear of how to make a
flow meter that can measure the usage af gas to the engines. I don't
really care if it is analog or digital, as long as i can built it
myself :-)



The medical profession has a clear plastic flowmeter that's about 3" in
diameter with a red ball that the fluid running through it rotates around
the tube. It's a positive flow meter in that the ball just fits the round
tube and the tiniest flow of liquid shows up as a rotation of the ball. I
have no idea where you'd get it, but I'm sure any nurse or hospital supply
person could point you to the right company.

It would be very simple to put a light on one side of this tube and a
photocell on the other (OK, IR LED and photo IC is more complex and up-to-
date). Every time the ball comes around the loop, it would cut the light
so you could TIME the ball's rotation around the loop, which on the tube
is
calibrated in cc/hr or minute for the nurse to count. The time measured
would be easily converted to litres/hour or gallons/minute for your
display. The pulses could simply be fed to a serial port on a PC or
notebook already in use with a simple program monitoring the port's
data-in
and using the PC's timer functions.

How's that?....(c;

Americans, a lazy, sloven lot to be sure, would use:
http://www.asenashop.com/ivn/pr-0/9286.html
or
http://store.wmjmarine.com/s3fw022u1.html
or
http://www.consumersmarine.com/produ...l.cfm?i=380020
or
http://www.marineparts.com/partspages/FLOSCAN/FLO1.htm

They all run on a little wheel that rotates as the fuel pushes it around
passing through it. A magnet senses the wheel's movement and converts
each
vane into a pulse for measurement...

--
Larry

"Franz Eckert" wrote in
. dk:

So what i need is a schematic that i can make a digital or analog
read out of the impulses from the flow sensor. And it would be nice if
it was not
Dependent on a notebook.



How about a cheap pulse counter?

http://private.addcom.de/KeithWilson/Projects/imco.htm
http://www.boondog.com/%5Ctutorials%5C8254%5C8254.htm

Any simple analog tachometer circuit could easily be recalibrated to be
used to count these pulses:
http://www.mindspring.com/~corvair/earlytach.html

This NE555 common timer IC schematic would be ideal!
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com...tachometer.htm
You didn't say how big the pulses are coming from the device. This circuit
converts any bigger-than-5V pulses to 5V with the zener on pin 2, If your
pulses are smaller, simply add a transistor amp to make them bigger on the
input where the points go. Take the scale out of the meter movement, paint
it white and make a new scale in litres/hour with your boat's maximum fuel
consumption about 90% of the scale. The 50K resistor and .1uF cap over the
meter sets the timing. Fool with those values to make it read your slower
pulses. You might want to add a big electrolytic cap right across the
meter if the meter pulses in so slow an application, smoothing it out. The
theory is on the page.



--
Larry

Heeeyyyy Larry.

If you ever come around on my edge of the universe, i will sure buy you a
large beer.
This is exactly what i was searching for, youre a genious.

Wkr
Franz

"Larry" skrev i en meddelelse
...
"Franz Eckert" wrote in
. dk:

So what i need is a schematic that i can make a digital or analog
read out of the impulses from the flow sensor. And it would be nice if
it was not
Dependent on a notebook.



How about a cheap pulse counter?

http://private.addcom.de/KeithWilson/Projects/imco.htm
http://www.boondog.com/%5Ctutorials%5C8254%5C8254.htm

Any simple analog tachometer circuit could easily be recalibrated to be
used to count these pulses:
http://www.mindspring.com/~corvair/earlytach.html

This NE555 common timer IC schematic would be ideal!
http://www.electronics-tutorials.com...tachometer.htm
You didn't say how big the pulses are coming from the device. This
circuit
converts any bigger-than-5V pulses to 5V with the zener on pin 2, If your
pulses are smaller, simply add a transistor amp to make them bigger on the
input where the points go. Take the scale out of the meter movement,
paint
it white and make a new scale in litres/hour with your boat's maximum fuel
consumption about 90% of the scale. The 50K resistor and .1uF cap over
the
meter sets the timing. Fool with those values to make it read your slower
pulses. You might want to add a big electrolytic cap right across the
meter if the meter pulses in so slow an application, smoothing it out.
The
theory is on the page.



--
Larry

"Franz Eckert" wrote in
. dk:

youre a genious.

Shhhh....don't tell everyone! The government will have me working on
Shuttle problems if this gets out!....shhhh....(c;

Any great Danish beer would be ok....(c;

--
Larry

What did you find for flow measuring?

"Franz Eckert" wrote in message
. dk...
Hi Larry.

Actually i have found a flow measuring device, rather cheap too. But i
should have pointed out that i was in search for the schematics for
the read out device.

So what i need is a schematic that i can make a digital or analog
read out of the impulses from the flow sensor. And it would be nice if it
was not
Dependent on a notebook.

Nice links, but 'damn' they are expensive :-)
Wkr
Franz



"Larry" skrev i en meddelelse
...
"Franz Eckert" wrote in
. dk:

Maybe some of you gurus have an inexpensive idear of how to make a
flow meter that can measure the usage af gas to the engines. I don't
really care if it is analog or digital, as long as i can built it
myself :-)



The medical profession has a clear plastic flowmeter that's about 3" in
diameter with a red ball that the fluid running through it rotates around
the tube. It's a positive flow meter in that the ball just fits the
round
tube and the tiniest flow of liquid shows up as a rotation of the ball.
I
have no idea where you'd get it, but I'm sure any nurse or hospital
supply
person could point you to the right company.

It would be very simple to put a light on one side of this tube and a
photocell on the other (OK, IR LED and photo IC is more complex and
up-to-
date). Every time the ball comes around the loop, it would cut the light
so you could TIME the ball's rotation around the loop, which on the tube
is
calibrated in cc/hr or minute for the nurse to count. The time measured
would be easily converted to litres/hour or gallons/minute for your
display. The pulses could simply be fed to a serial port on a PC or
notebook already in use with a simple program monitoring the port's
data-in
and using the PC's timer functions.

How's that?....(c;

Americans, a lazy, sloven lot to be sure, would use:
http://www.asenashop.com/ivn/pr-0/9286.html
or
http://store.wmjmarine.com/s3fw022u1.html
or
http://www.consumersmarine.com/produ...l.cfm?i=380020
or
http://www.marineparts.com/partspages/FLOSCAN/FLO1.htm

They all run on a little wheel that rotates as the fuel pushes it around
passing through it. A magnet senses the wheel's movement and converts
each
vane into a pulse for measurement...

--
Larry

Hi there.

Goto www1.uk.conrad.com and search for component number 187151 - 14

That should do the trick, don't you think?

Wkr
Franz

"johnhh" skrev i en meddelelse
...
What did you find for flow measuring?

"Franz Eckert" wrote in message
. dk...
Hi Larry.

Actually i have found a flow measuring device, rather cheap too. But i
should have pointed out that i was in search for the schematics for
the read out device.

So what i need is a schematic that i can make a digital or analog
read out of the impulses from the flow sensor. And it would be nice if it
was not
Dependent on a notebook.

Nice links, but 'damn' they are expensive :-)
Wkr
Franz

"Franz Eckert" wrote in
. dk:

That should do the trick, don't you think?

Wkr
Franz



My friend, Dan, had a Hatteras 56 motor yacht with twin Detroit Diesel
9V92TA beasts turning 32", 4-bladed wheels. I used to call it "The Train"
because of its 32 volt electrical system, like a train. The engines were
735hp each with the twin turbochargers, one on each bank of 4 cylinders on
each engine.

One day I was "cleaning out the soot" about 5 miles offshore in the
Atlantic from the main helm below and Dan happen to catch a glimpse of the
dual-reading Flowscan flow meters. I thought he was going to have a heart
attack when he saw how HIGH I could make them read "cleaning out the soot".
Kay, his wife, thought it was wonderful as she came up on her plane steady
as a rock from the Naiad Stabilizers I had repaired a couple of weeks
previous. (Blown fuse buried under the engine room false decking.)
"Geez!", he exclaimed. "I didn't know you could make them read THAT
HIGH!", he kept on over the roar of nearly 1500 hp of 2-stroke diesel
power.

I miss his boat. I spent many weekends in its bilge fixing the twin
gensets (8KVA and 20KVA Onans), 5 zone air conditioners, dual Galley Maid
water pumps and their controls that never worked. It took hours to pump
the green frog water out of the main fresh water tanks after i got them
running. That water had been growing in there for years! They were like
trying to fill a swimming pool with a garden hose...

After he sold it, Kay said she was going to buy us a big diesel engine on a
stand and put it in their new garage to make us happy....(c;

--
Larry