Flow rate calculation system, flow rate calculation system program, flow rate calculation method, and flow rate calculation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11448535-B2
Application number	US-202016800670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2020
Priority date	Feb 28, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

In order to accurately calculate an estimated flow rate by a dynamic constant volume method, a flow rate calculation system including a tank into which fluid flows, an inflow line through which the fluid flows into the tank, and a pressure sensor that detects the pressure inside the tank is adapted to include: a pressure change data storage part that stores pressure change data indicating a temporal change in the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during an inflow period; a flow rate calculation part that calculates the estimated flow rate during the inflow period based on a pressure change rate; and a flow rate correction part that, on the basis of first pressure detected by the pressure sensor after a predetermined time has elapsed after the inflow period and second pressure included in the pressure change data and higher than the first pressure, corrects the estimated flow rate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flow rate calculation system including a tank into which fluid flows, an inflow line through which the fluid flows into the tank, and a pressure sensor that detects pressure inside the tank, the flow rate calculation system further comprising:
a pressure change data storage part that stores pressure change data indicating a temporal change in the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during an inflow period from start flowing the fluid into the tank through the inflow line to stop flowing the fluid into the tank;
a flow rate calculation part that, on a basis of a pressure change rate calculated from the pressure change data, calculates an estimated flow rate of the fluid estimated to flow through the inflow line during the inflow period; and
a flow rate correction part that, on a basis of first pressure detected by the pressure sensor after a predetermined time has elapsed since stop flowing the fluid into the tank and second pressure included in the pressure change data and higher than the first pressure, corrects the estimated flow rate calculated by the flow rate calculation part.

2. The flow rate calculation system according to claim 1 , wherein
the second pressure is maximum pressure included in the pressure change data or pressure close to the maximum pressure.

3. The flow rate calculation system according to claim 1 , wherein
the flow rate correction part corrects the estimated flow rate on a basis of a correction factor that is a ratio of the first pressure to the second pressure.

4. The flow rate calculation system according to claim 1 , further comprising
a temperature sensor that detects temperature inside or of the tank, wherein
the flow rate calculation part calculates the estimated flow rate on a basis of the pressure change rate and temperature detected by the temperature sensor during the inflow period.

5. The flow rate calculation system according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a temperature storage part that stores temperature change data indicating a temporal change in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor during the inflow period; and
an average temperature calculation part that, from the temperature change data, calculates average temperature inside or of the tank during the inflow period, wherein
the flow rate calculation part calculates the estimated flow rate on a basis of the pressure change rate and the average temperature.

6. The flow rate calculation system according to claim 4 , wherein
the temperature sensor detects wall temperature of the tank.

7. The flow rate calculation system according to claim 1 , further comprising
a flow rate control device that controls a flow rate of the fluid flowing through the inflow line, wherein
the flow rate calculation part calculates the estimated flow rate of the fluid estimated to flow through the flow rate control device during the inflow period.

8. The flow rate calculation system according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a branch line that branches from the inflow line; and
a switching mechanism that switches between a first state allowing the fluid to flow only to the branch line and a second state allowing the fluid to flow only to a downstream side of a branching point to the branch line in the inflow line, wherein
the flow rate control device is provided on an upstream side of the branching point to the branch line in the inflow line.

9. A recording medium recording a flow rate calculation system program used for a flow rate calculation system including a tank into which fluid flows, an inflow line through which the fluid flows into the tank, and a pressure sensor that detects pressure inside the tank, the flow rate calculation system program fulfilling functions as:
a pressure change data storage part that stores pressure change data indicating a temporal change in the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during an inflow period from start flowing the fluid into the tank through the inflow line to stop flowing the fluid into the tank;
a flow rate calculation part that, on a basis of a pressure change rate calculated from the pressure change data, calculates an estimated flow rate of the fluid estimated to flow through the inflow line during the inflow period; and
a flow rate correction part that, on a basis of first pressure detected by the pressure sensor after a predetermined time has elapsed since stop flowing the fluid into the tank and second pressure included in the pressure change data and higher than the first pressure, corrects the estimated flow rate calculated by the flow rate calculation part.

10. A flow rate calculation method used for a flow rate calculation system including a tank into which fluid flows, an inflow line through which the fluid flows into the tank, and a pressure sensor that detects pressure inside the tank, the flow rate calculation method comprising the steps of:
storing pressure change data indicating a temporal change in the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during an inflow period from start flowing the fluid into the tank through the inflow line to stop flowing the fluid into the tank;
on a basis of a pressure change rate calculated from the pressure change data, calculating an estimated flow rate of the fluid estimated to flow through the inflow line during the inflow period; and
on a basis of first pressure detected by the pressure sensor after a predetermined time has elapsed since stop flowing the fluid into the tank and second pressure included in the pressure change data and higher than the first pressure, correcting the estimated flow rate calculated by the flow rate calculation part.

11. A flow rate calculation device used for a flow rate calculation system including a tank into which fluid flows, an inflow line through which the fluid flows into the tank, and a pressure sensor that detects pressure inside the tank, the flow rate calculation device comprising:
a pressure change data storage part that stores pressure change data indicating a temporal change in the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during an inflow period from start flowing the fluid into the tank through the inflow line to stop flowing the fluid into the tank;
a flow rate calculation part that, on a basis of a pressure change rate calculated from the pressure change data, calculates an estimated flow rate of the fluid estimated to flow through the inflow line during the inflow period; and
a flow rate correction part that, on a basis of first pressure detected by the pressure sensor after a predetermined time has elapsed since stop flowing the fluid into the tank and second pressure included in the pressure change data and higher than the first pressure, corrects the estimated flow rate calculated by the flow rate calculation part.

12. A flow rate calculation system including a tank into which fluid flows, an inflow line through which the fluid flows into the tank, a pressure sensor that detects pressure inside the tank, and a temperature sensor that detects temperature inside or of the tank, the flow rate calculation system further comprising:
a pressure change data storage part that stores pressure change data indicating a temporal change in the pressure detected by the pressure sensor during an inflow period from start flowing the fluid into the tank through the inflow line to stop flowing the fluid into the tank;
a temperature change data storage part that stores temperature change data indicating a temporal change in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor during the inflow period;
a flow rate calculation part that, on a basis of a pressure change rate calculated from the pressure ch

Assignees

• Horiba Stec Co Ltd

Inventors

• Terasaka Masanori
• Imamura Koji
• Horinouchi Osamu
• Isobe Yasuhiro

Classifications

• G01F1/50 Primary

  Correcting or compensating means · CPC title

• G01F25/14 Primary

  using a weighing apparatus · CPC title

• G01F25/00

  Testing or calibration of apparatus for measuring volume, volume flow or liquid level or for metering by volume · CPC title

• G01F1/363

  with electrical or electro-mechanical indication (G01F1/37 and G01F1/38 take precedence) · CPC title

• G05D7/0623

  characterised by the set value given to the control element · CPC title