Thermal flowmeter including a coupling element with an anisotropic thermal conductivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11543274-B2
Application number	US-201816646244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2018
Priority date	Sep 11, 2017
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for determining a flow of a medium through a pipe, as well as a method for operating the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a heating element at least partially in thermal contact with the medium and which is heatable by means of a heating signal, and a first temperature sensor for registering a temperature of at least one component of the apparatus or the temperature of the medium. The heating element and the first temperature sensor are arranged outside of the pipe. The apparatus includes at least one coupling element, which is at least partially in thermal contact with the heating element, the first temperature sensor and/or a portion of the pipe or tube and serves to assure a thermal coupling between the heating element and the first temperature sensor and between the heating element and the medium.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring a volume flow, a mass flow, and/or a flow velocity of a flowable medium through a pipe or a tube, the apparatus comprising:
a heating element, which is at least partially and/or at times in thermal contact with the medium and which is heatable in response to a heating signal;
a first temperature sensor configured to register a temperature of at least one component of the apparatus or a temperature of the medium and which is operable at least at times via a first temperature signal, wherein the heating element and the first temperature sensor are arranged outside of an internal volume of the pipe or the tube flowed through by the medium;
a first coupling element at least partially in thermal contact with the heating element, the first temperature sensor and a wall of the pipe or the tube, wherein the first coupling element is configured to enable a thermal coupling between the heating element and the medium via the wall of the pipe or tube through which the medium flows,
wherein the first coupling element is composed at least partially of a first material having an anisotropic thermal conductivity, which first material is a carbon-containing material or hexagonal boron nitride, and wherein the first coupling element is configured as a layer, coating or film in the form of a two-dimensional element and is affixed to the wall of the pipe or tube; and
a second temperature sensor arranged next to the first temperature sensor and the heating element,
wherein a second coupling element is arranged between the heating element and the first temperature sensor in a region of the first temperature sensor facing away from the medium, and wherein at least a portion of the first coupling element is arranged between the medium and the second temperature sensor and is in thermal contact with the first temperature sensor and the heating element.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a measuring tube which is integratable into an existing pipeline, wherein at least the heating element, the first temperature sensor, the second temperature sensor, and the first coupling element are arranged on a wall of the measuring tube.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is embodied to be attachable externally onto the pipe or the tube.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein a further portion of the first coupling element is arranged between the medium and the first temperature sensor.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first coupling element is arranged such that an imaginary connecting line between the first temperature sensor and the heating element has a predeterminable angle to a longitudinal axis through the pipe or the tube.

6. The apparatus as claims in claim 1 , wherein a width and/or a thickness of the first coupling element along a length of the first coupling element are/is at least sectionally variable.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first coupling element comprises the first material at least in the portion and, at least in a further portion of the first coupling element, a second material different from the first material.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first coupling element is at least partially embodied and/or arranged in such a manner that, when the heating element is supplied with the heating signal, the first coupling element transports a first predeterminable amount of heat from the heating element to the first temperature sensor and a second predeterminable amount of heat from the heating element to the medium.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first coupling element is at least partially embodied and/or arranged such that when the heating element is supplied with the heating signal, the first coupling element transports a third predeterminable amount of heat from the heating element to the second temperature sensor.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
the second coupling element, wherein the first coupling element is at least partially embodied and arranged such that, when the heating element supplied with the heating signal, the first coupling element transports a first predeterminable amount of heat from the heating element to the first temperature sensor, and
wherein the second coupling element is at least partially embodied and is arranged such that, when the heating element is supplied with the heating signal, the second coupling element transports a third predeterminable amount of heat from the heating element to the second temperature sensor.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first coupling element comprises the first material, and the second coupling element comprises a second material different than the first material.

12. A method for operating an apparatus for determining and/or monitoring a volume flow, a mass flow, and/or a flow velocity of a flowable medium through a pipe or tube, comprising:
providing the apparatus, the apparatus including:
a heating element which is at least partially and/or at times in thermal contact with the medium and which is heatable via a heating signal; and
a first temperature sensor configured to register a temperature of at least one component of the apparatus or a temperature of the medium, and which is operable at least at times via a first temperature signal, wherein the heating element and the first temperature sensor are arranged outside of an internal volume of the pipe or the tube flowed through by the medium;
a first coupling element at least partially in thermal contact with the heating element, the first temperature sensor, and/or a portion of the pipe or the tube, wherein the first coupling element is configured to enable a thermal coupling between the heating element and the first temperature sensor and between the heating element and a wall of the pipe or tube through which the medium flows,
wherein the first coupling element is composed at least partially of a material having an anisotropic thermal conductivity, which material is a carbon-containing material or hexagonal boron nitride, and wherein the first coupling element is configured as a layer, coating or film in the form of a two-dimensional element and is affixed to the wall of the pipe or tube; and
a second temperature sensor,
wherein a second coupling element is arranged between the heating element and the first temperature sensor in a portion of the first temperature sensor facing away from the medium, wherein at least the second temperature sensor is arranged next to the first temperature sensor and the heating element, and wherein at least a second portion of the first coupling element is arranged between the medium and at least the second temperature sensor and is in thermal contact with the first temperature sensor and the heating element;

heating the heating element in response to a heating signal;
operating the first temperature sensor via a first temperature signal; and
ascertaining information concerning the volume flow, the mass flow, the flow velocity, and/or a temperature of the medium.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising operating the second temperature sensor via a second temperature signal.

Assignees

• Endress Hauser Wetzer Gmbh Co Kg

Inventors

• Umkehrer Alfred
• Schalles Marc

Classifications

• G01F1/6847 Primary

  where sensing or heating elements are not disturbing the fluid flow, e.g. elements mounted outside the flow duct · CPC title

• G01F1/688

  using a particular type of heating, cooling or sensing element {(G01F1/6847 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G01F1/6986

  with pulsed heating, e.g. dynamic methods · CPC title

• G01F15/006

  characterised by the use of a particular material, e.g. anti-corrosive material (G01F15/14 takes precedence) · CPC title