Transducer for a vibronic measuring system and vibronic measuring system formed therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11530967-B2
Application number	US-201816754107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2018
Priority date	Oct 5, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a transducer comprising a tube, a converter unit, an electromechanical exciter arrangement for stimulating and sustaining forced mechanical vibrations of the converter unit, and a sensor arrangement for detecting mechanical vibrations of the converter unit and for generating a vibration signal representing mechanical vibrations of the converter unit. The converter unit includes two connection elements connected to a displacer element and is inserted into the tube and connected thereto. The converter unit is configured as to be contacted by a fluid flowing through the tube and enabled to vibrate such that the connection elements and the displacer elements are proportionately elastically deformed. The transducer can be a constituent of a measuring system adapted to measure and/or monitor a flow parameter of the flowing fluid and further includes an electronic measuring and operating system coupled to the exciter arrangement and the sensor arrangement of the transducer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transducer for a vibronic measuring system, the transducer comprising:
a tube with a lumen covered by a wall, the tube extending from an inlet side first end to an outlet side second end, wherein the tube is configured to be traversed by a fluid in a flow direction from the inlet side first end toward the outlet side second end;
a first converter unit, which comprises:
a displacer element;
a first connection element; and
a second connection element,
wherein the first connection element of the first converter unit is mechanically connected to the displacer element of the first converter unit, and wherein the second connection element of the first converter unit is mechanically connected to the displacer element of the first converter unit at a distance from the first connection element in a direction of an imaginary longitudinal axis of the displacer element;

an electromechanical exciter arrangement configured to excite and sustain forced mechanical resonance vibrations of the first converter unit; and
a sensor arrangement configured to detect mechanical vibrations of the first connection element and mechanical vibrations of the second connection element, wherein the sensor arrangement is configured to generate both a first vibration signal representing at least torsional vibrations of the first connection element and a second vibration signal representing at least torsional vibrations of the second connection element,
wherein the first converter unit is disposed within the tube and is thus mechanically connected to the tube such that:
the displacer element is disposed inside the lumen of the tube; and
each of the first and second connection elements is at least partially arranged inside the wall of the tube and mechanically connected to the tube such that the second connection element is at a distance from the first connection element in a direction of an imaginary longitudinal axis of the tube and/or an imaginary envelope line of the wall of the tube and/or is arranged downstream of the first connection element in the flow direction, and

wherein the first converter unit is configured to be contacted by the fluid inside the lumen of the tube and to be enabled to vibrate such that both of the first and second connection elements and the displacer element are being elastically deformed at least proportionately in each case such that each of the first and second connection elements is at least proportionately twisted about a respective imaginary main axis of inertia and/or that the displacer element is bent out of a static rest position at least proportionately in a direction of a diameter of the tube that is perpendicular to an imaginary main axis of inertia of the first connection element and/or to an imaginary main axis of inertia of the second connection element.

2. The transducer of claim 1 , wherein:
the first connection element has a first surface and a second surface opposite thereto and at least partially parallel to the first surface, and the second connection element has a first surface and a second surface opposite thereto and partially parallel to the first surface the second connection element; and
the first converter unit is disposed within the tube and mechanically connected to the tube such that the respective first surface of each of the first and second connection elements each faces the lumen of the tube and the respective second surface of each of the first and second connection elements faces away from the lumen of the tube.

3. The transducer of claim 1 , wherein the first connection element includes a first subsegment, which defines in each case at least proportionately the first surface and the second surface of the first connection element opposite thereto and/or is at least partially sleeve-shaped and/or at least partially shell-shaped and/or at least partially disc-shaped and/or at least partially hollow-cylindrical.

4. The transducer of claim 3 , wherein the first subsegment is at least partially hollow-cylindrical such that a wall thickness of the first subsegment is less than 2 mm and/or is less than a wall thickness of the wall of the tube.

5. The transducer of claim 3 , wherein the first connection element includes a second subsegment, which extends from a first end adjoining the first subsegment to a second end remote therefrom adjoining the displacer element, wherein the second subsegment is at least partially cylindrical and/or rod-shaped or bar-shaped, and defines at least proportionally the first surface of the first connection element.

6. The transducer of claim 5 , wherein the second subsegment and the displacer element are firmly bonded to each other by welding or soldering.

7. The transducer of claim 3 , wherein the first subsegment of the first connection element is configured to be at least proportionately elastically deformed by twisting about an associated imaginary main axis of inertia parallel to or coinciding with the first imaginary torsional vibration axis of the first converter unit.

8. The transducer of claim 5 , wherein:
the second subsegment is configured to transmit a rotational movement of a third subsegment of the first connection element about an associated imaginary main axis of inertia parallel to or coinciding with a first imaginary torsional vibration axis, to the displacer element and/or to the first subsegment as to convert the rotational movement of the third subsegment into a twisting of a subsegment of the displacer element adjoining the second end of the first connection element, which twisting causes a bending of the displacer element and/or into a twisting of the first subsegment; and/or
the second subsegment is configured to transmit a rotational movement of a first subsegment of the displacer element adjoining the second end of the first connection element about the first imaginary torsional vibration axis to the first subsegment and/or to the third subsegment of the first connection element to convert the rotational movement of the first subsegment of the displacer element into a twisting of the first subsegment of the first connection element about the first imaginary torsional vibration axis and/or a rotational movement of the third subsegment about the first imaginary torsional vibration axis; and/or
the third subsegment of the first connection element is configured to transmit a rotational movement of the second subsegment of the first connection element about an associated imaginary main axis of inertia parallel to or coincident with the first imaginary torsional vibration axis to the sensor arrangement; and/or
the third subsegment of the first connection element is configured to transmit a rotational movement of the third subsegment, caused by the exciter arrangement, about an associated imaginary main axis of inertia parallel to or coincident with the first imaginary torsional vibration axis to the second subsegment of the first connection element.

9. The transducer of claim 1 , further comprising a first carrier frame configured to hold components of the sensor arrangement and/or components of the exciter arrangement, which carrier frame is fixed to the tube wall and extends at least from the first connection element to the second connection element and/or extends parallel to the displacer element of the first converter unit.

10. The transducer of claim 9 , wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a first vibration sensor, the first vibration sensor including an electrodynamic, piezoelectric or capacitive sensor.

11. The transducer of claim 10 , wherein the first vibration sensor is mechanically connected at least to the first connection element of the first converter unit.

Assignees

• Flowtec Ag

Inventors

• Bitto Ennio
• Rieder Alfred
• Lin Yaoying
• Anklin Martin Josef

Classifications

• G01F1/8427

  detectors · CPC title

• G01F1/8413 Primary

  means for influencing the flowmeter's motional or vibrational behaviour, e.g., conduit support or fixing means, or conduit attachments · CPC title

• G01N9/002 Primary

  using variation of the resonant frequency of an element vibrating in contact with the material submitted to analysis (G01N9/34 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01F1/8459

  vibrating means being located inside the measuring conduits · CPC title

• G01N11/04

  through a restricted passage, e.g. tube, aperture · CPC title