Vibratory flow meter with multichannel flow tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11486750-B2
Application number	US-202016783625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2020
Priority date	Aug 23, 2017
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

Vibratory meters ( 5 ), and methods for their use measuring a fluid are provided. Each vibratory meter includes a multichannel flow tube ( 300 ) comprising two or more fluid channels ( 302 ), a pickoff ( 170 ), a driver ( 180 ), and meter electronics ( 20 ) configured to apply a drive signal to the driver at a drive frequency ω, and measure a deflection of the multichannel flow tube with the pickoff. In examples, at least one fluid channel has an effective diameter that is related to velocity of sound and drive velocity. In further examples, the driver may apply a drive signal to the driver having a drive frequency proportional to the velocity of sound and effective diameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of measuring a fluid with a vibratory flow meter including a multichannel flow tube, the method comprising:
flowing the fluid into two or more fluid channels in the multichannel flow tube, the two or more channels formed by a tube perimeter wall and one or more channel divisions extending along at least a portion of the tube perimeter wall, the fluid comprising liquid with entrained gas;
applying a drive signal to a driver coupled to the multichannel flow tube, the driver being configured to vibrate the multichannel flow tube in response to the drive signal; and
measuring a deflection of the multichannel flow tube with a pickoff attached to the multichannel flow tube, wherein the fluid has a velocity of sound c and an effective diameter d eff of at least one of the two or more fluid channels is:

d
eff

≤

0.0894

c
ω

.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a multiphase fluid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more fluid channels has the effective diameter d eff in at least a first dimension.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two or more fluid channels has an effective diameter d eff in a first dimension and a second dimension.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective diameter d eff of the two or more fluid channels is less than 0.3 inches.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more channel divisions are substantially straight.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more channel divisions are substantially circular.

8. A method of measuring a fluid with a vibratory meter comprising a multichannel flow tube, the method comprising:
receiving a velocity of sound c for the fluid, the fluid comprising liquid with entrained gas:
receiving an effective diameter d eff of at least one of the two or more fluid channels of the multichannel flow tube, the two or more channels formed by a tube perimeter wall and one or more channel divisions extending along at least a portion of the tube perimeter wall;
determining a drive frequency ω, wherein

ω
≤

0.0894

c

d
eff

;

applying a drive signal at the drive frequency ω to a driver coupled to the multichannel flow tube; and
measuring a deflection of the multichannel flow tube with a pickoff attached to the multichannel flow tube.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the fluid is a multiphase fluid.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the two or more fluid channels has the effective diameter d eff in at least a first dimension.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the two or more fluid channels has an effective diameter d eff in a first dimension and a second dimension.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the effective diameter d eff of the two or more fluid channels is less than 0.3 inches.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more channel divisions are substantially straight.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more channel divisions are substantially circular.

15. A vibratory meter ( 5 ) including a multichannel flow tube ( 300 , 400 , 500 ), the vibratory meter comprising:
a meter assembly ( 10 ) communicatively coupled to a meter electronics ( 20 ), the meter assembly comprising:
the multichannel flow tube comprising two or more fluid channels ( 302 , 402 , 502 ) formed by a tube perimeter wall ( 304 , 404 , 504 ) and one or more channel divisions ( 306 , 406 , 506 ) extending along at least a portion of the tube perimeter wall, at least one of the two or more fluid channels having an effective diameter d eff ( 1114 ) ,
a pickoff ( 170 l , 170 r ) attached to the multichannel flow tube,
a driver ( 180 ) coupled to the multichannel flow tube, the driver being configured to vibrate the multichannel flow tube; and

the meter electronics coupled to the driver, with the meter electronics being configured to:
receiving a velocity of sound c for the fluid, the fluid comprising liquid with entrained gas;
receive the effective diameter ( 1114 ) d eff for at least one of the two or more fluid channels of the multichannel flow tube;
determine a drive frequency ω ( 1108 ), wherein the fluid has a velocity of sound c ( 1118 ), and the drive frequency ω is:

ω
≤

0.0894

c

d
eff

;

apply a drive signal at the drive frequency co to the driver coupled to the multichannel flow tube; and
measure a deflection of the multichannel flow tube with the pickoff attached to the multichannel flow tube.

16. The vibratory meter of claim 15 , wherein each of the two or more fluid channels has the effective diameter d eff in a first dimension.

17. The vibratory meter of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the two or more fluid channels has an effective diameter d eff in a first dimension and a second dimension.

18. The vibratory meter of claim 15 , wherein the one or more channel divisions are substantially straight.

19. The vibratory meter of claim 15 , wherein the one or more channel divisions are substantially circular.

20. The vibratory meter of claim 15 , wherein the effective diameter d eff of the two or more fluid channels is less than 0.3 inches.

Assignees

• Micro Motion Inc

Inventors

• Bell Mark James
• Weinstein Joel
• Desai Mitalee Nayan
• Griffin Clinton R

Classifications

• G01F1/8409 Primary

  constructional details · CPC title

• G01F1/8468

  vibrating measuring conduits · CPC title

• G01F1/8486

  with multiple measuring conduits · CPC title

• G01F1/8495

  with multiple measuring conduits · CPC title

• G01F1/8422

  exciters · CPC title