US2743605A

US2743605A - Pipeline viscosimeter

Info

Publication number: US2743605A
Application number: US425687A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gamlen Harry
Original assignee: Gamlen Chemical Co
Current assignee: Gamlen Chemical Co
Priority date: 1954-04-26
Filing date: 1954-04-26
Publication date: 1956-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1973-05-01

Description

y 1, 1956 H. GAMLEN 2,743,605

PIPELINE VISCOSIMETER Filed April 26. 1954 INVENTOR. HARRY GAMLEN ww ga w A TTOR/VEYS United States Patent PIPELINE VISCOSIMETER Harry Gamlen, San Francisco, Calif., assiguor to Gamlen Chemical Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 26, 1954, Serial No. 425,687

2 Claims. (Cl. 73-55) This invention relates to a viscosimeter means for oil burning furnaces and engines, and more particularly to a viscosimeter device adapted to be embodied in the oil line leading to a furnace or engine to enable quick and convenient checking of the viscosity of the oil.

The burner elements of oil burning furnaces, such as those employed for the burning of bunker fuel on seagoing vessels, are designed to operate at a maximum efiiciency when the fuel oil has a viscosity of approximately 150 Saybolt Seconds Universal, and it is the objective of operators of such oil burning equipment to sufficiently pre-heat the fuel oil so that it will reach the burners at this desired viscosity value.

The essential object of the present invention is to provide a device operating on viscosirnetric principles which may be connected directly and permanently into the oil supply line of a furnace or engine to enable a quick and accurate checking at any time of the viscosity of the fuel oil and thereby enable the obtaining of data for the proper control of the temperature of the oil.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawing forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure l is a View in vertical section of the apparatus of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail View in section of the measuring orifice portion of said apparatus;

Figure 3 is a top plan View of the upper, or operative, portion of the apparatus of Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a view taken along lines 44 of Figure 1 showing the lower, or auxiliary, portion of said apparatus.

With reference to the drawing, the apparatus comprises a horizontally disposed conduit portion defining therein passageway portions 12 and 14, a vertically disposed cylindrical cup portion 16 having its lower end 18 integral with the under wall of conduit portion 10, and annular wall portion 18 integral with both the upper wall of conduit portion 19 and the upper end of cup 16 and defining with the cylindrical wall of cup 16 an annular chamber 20 which is in flow communication with conduit portions 12 and 14. Conduit portion 10 is provided with end flanges 22 for connection with end flanges 24 of fuel oil supply line sections 26.

A passageway 28 extends through the lower end 13 of cup 16 and communicates through orifice member 30 with a larger diametral passageway 32 defined within boss 34 which depends from and is integral with the under wall of conduit portion 10. A cork 36 removably fitted within boss 34 serves to close the lower end of passageway 32.

Threadably connected to boss 38 formed on the upper wall of conduit portion 10, and communicating through passageway 40 with passageway portion 12, is a control valve 42, the upper end of which communicates through flexible tube 44 with the interior of cup 16.

The lower, or auxiliary, part of the apparatus comprises a tray-like member 46 which is connected to con- 2,743,605 Patented May 1, 1956 duit portion 10, as by hanger rods 48. And upstanding ring 50 formed on said tray serves to position an open top container, such as flask 52, in fluid receiving relation with passageway 32. r

The described apparatus is used from time to time, or as desired, by the operator of the oil burning equipment fed by a line 26 to determine whether the oil is being fed to the equipment at the desired temperature of pre-heat. With cork 36 in place, a test is conducted by opening valve 42 to allow oil to pass into cup 16 from passageway por tion 12. When the oil level within the cup reaches the level of the internal shoulder 54 defined therein, valve 42 is closed. The volumetric space above cork 36 and up to shoulder 54 is a known and pre-selected quantity, such as 240 milliliters. Likewise, the diameter of the orifice of member 30 is of a predetermined size, i. e. such as to allow the oil within cup 16 to pass therethrough in approximately 60 seconds when the oil is at the desired viscosity of Saybolt Seconds Universal.

When the cup 16 has been filled to the desired level and valve 42 has been turned oil, cork 36 is removed and the length of time required for the oil to pass through the orifice and into the receiving flask 52 is measured by an appropriate timing device. If the time period required is less than 60 seconds, the operator is thereby informed that the pre-heat temperature of the oil is too high and the pre-heater means is adjusted accordingly. If the period of time required for the cup to empty is greater than 60 seconds, the operator is thereby informed that pre-heating of the oil must be increased to bring the oil to the desired viscosity rating of 150 Saybolt Seconds Universal.

It will be appreciated that the testing of the viscosity condition of the oil can be performed very rapidly, being limited only by the total time required to fill the cup to the desired level and to then empty the cup. There is no need to adjust the temperature of the oil within the cup, and in fact this oil is maintained throughout the test run at the same temperature condition at which it existed before removal from the oil supply line proper due to the similar temperature condition of the oil occupying and passing through annular chamber 20 in surrounding relation to the cup.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple and eflicient fuel oil viscosity measuring device is provided by the apparatus of the invention. While a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that all substantial equivalents thereof are considered to be within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A device of the type described for oil burning apparatus comprising a fuel oil supply line, a cuplike container of predetermined volume, a discharge orifice of predetermined size for said container, plug means and means removably disposing the same in blocking relation with said orifice, first conduit means interconnecting adjacent sections of said supply line including means for constraining oil moving therethrough to pass in surrounding relation With said container, second conduit means adapted to introduce oil into said container from said first conduit means, and a valve forming part of said second conduit means to control the flow of oil from said first conduit means into said container.

2. A device of the type described for oil burning apparatus comprising a fuel oil supply line, a cup-like container, a discharge orifice in the lower end thereof, closure means and means removably disposing the same in closing relation with said orifice, means for introducing oil into said container from said supply line, and means constraining at least a portion of the oil moving through said supply line to pass around said con- 3 tainer'in heat-transfer relation therewith, "whereby o'il within said container will be maintained at substantially thesametemperaturvas that *ofthe 'oihfiowirxg through said supply line.

References Cited in'the file of this patent UNITED :STATES PATENTS 1,132,621 Saybolt Mar. 23, 1 915 '4 Smoot Apr. 21, 1925 Smith Jan. 3, 1928 'Powis Aug. 27, 1935 Boyle Oct. 23, 1951 Kalle June 3, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Germanyv M Dec. 4, 1952

Claims

1. A DEVICE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED FOR OIL BURNING APPARATUS COMPRISING A FUEL OIL SUPPLY LINE, A CUP-LIKE CONTAINER OF PREDETERMINED VOLUME, A DISCHARGE ORIFICE OF PREDETERMINED SIZE FOR SAID CONTAINER, PLUG MEANS AND MEANS REMOVABLY DISPOSING THE SAME IN BLOCKING RELATION WITH SAID ORIFICE, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS INTERCONNECTING ADJACENT SECTIONS OF SAID SUPPLY LINE INCLUDING MEANS FOR CONSTRAINING OIL MOVING THERETHROUGH TO PASS IN SURROUNDING RELATION WITH SAID CONTAINER, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS ADAPTED TO INTRODUCE OIL INTO SAID CONTAINER FROM SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS, AND A VALVE FORMING PART OF SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS TO CONTROL THE FLOW OF OIL FROM SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS INTO SAID CONTAINER.