Flow measuring system having transducer temperatures that deviate from measuring point temperatures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11573111-B2
Application number	US-201716315834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 8, 2016
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

The measuring system includes a transducer apparatus with two tubes. Each tube is adapted to be flowed through by a fluid from an inlet end toward an outlet end and to be caused to vibrate. An electromechanical exciter mechanism excites and maintains mechanical oscillations of each of the tubes, and a sensor arrangement registers mechanical oscillations of at least one of the tubes. The transducer apparatus includes two temperature sensors each being mechanically and thermally conductively coupled with a wall of the tube, wherein each of the temperature sensors registers a measuring point temperature, and converts such into a temperature measurement signal temperature. A measuring and operating electronics (ME) generates a transducer temperature measured value representing a transducer apparatus temperature so that a magnitude of the transducer temperature measured value is greater than a magnitude of the measuring point temperature and less than a magnitude of the measuring point temperature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A measuring system, which measuring system comprises:
a measuring- and operating electronics;
and a transducer apparatus electrically coupled with the measuring- and operating electronics,
wherein the transducer apparatus includes:
a first tube exhibiting a lumen surrounded by a wall, and extending from an inlet side, first end to an outlet side, second end, said first tube being adapted to be flowed through by a fluid, starting from the inlet side, first end and proceeding toward the outlet side, second end, and, during that, to be caused to vibrate,
a second tube exhibiting a lumen surrounded by a wall, and extending from an inlet side, first end to an outlet side, second end, said second tube being adapted to be flowed through by a fluid, starting from the inlet side, first end and proceeding toward the outlet side, second end, and, during that to be caused to vibrate,
an inlet side, first flow divider and an outlet side, second flow divider, said first and second flow dividers being connected to the first and second tubes to form flow paths connected for flow in parallel, in such a manner that the first tube communicates with its first end with a first flow opening of the first flow divider and with its second end with a first flow opening of the second flow divider, and that the second tube communicates with its first end with a second flow opening of the first flow divider and with its second end with a second flow opening of the second flow divider,
an electromechanical-exciter mechanism formed by means of at least one oscillation exciter for exciting and maintaining mechanical oscillations of both the first as well as also the second tube about associated static resting positions,
a sensor arrangement formed by means of at least a first oscillation sensor for registering mechanical oscillations,
a first temperature sensor coupled mechanically and thermally conductively with the wall of the first tube, said first temperature sensor being positioned closer to the first end of the first tube than to the second end of the first tube, and being adapted to register a first measuring point temperature which first measuring point temperature is a temperature of the wall of the first tube at a first temperature measuring point formed by the temperature sensor, and to convert said first measuring point temperature into a first temperature measurement signal, which first temperature measurement signal is a first electrical measurement signal representing the first measuring point temperature, and a second temperature sensor coupled mechanically and thermally conductively with the wall of the first tube, said second temperature sensor being positioned closer to the second end of the first tube than to the first end of the first tube, and being adapted to register a second measuring point temperature, which second measuring point is a temperature of the wall of the first tube at a second temperature measuring point formed by the second temperature sensor and to convert such into a second temperature measurement signal, which second temperature measurement signal is a second electrical measurement signal representing the second measuring point temperature;
wherein the first temperature sensor is positioned at the same distance from the first end of the first tube as the second temperature sensor from the second end of the first tube and the first temperature sensor is coupled in the same manner thermally conductively with the wall of the first tube as the second temperature sensor is;
and wherein the measuring- and operating electronics is adapted to generate, with application of both the first temperature measurement signal as well as also the second temperature measurement signal, a transducer temperature measured value, which represents a transducer apparatus temperature deviating both from the first measuring point temperature as well as also from the second measuring point temperature, in such a manner that a magnitude of the transducer temperature measured value is greater than a magnitude of the first measuring point temperature and less than a magnitude of the second measuring point temperature.

2. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first temperature sensor is positioned at the same distance from a halflength of the first tube as the second temperature sensor from such halflength of the first tube; and/or
wherein the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor are of equal construction; and/or
wherein the first temperature sensor is coupled in the same manner mechanically with the wall of the first tube as the second temperature sensor is.

3. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second temperature sensors are coupled thermally conductively with the wall of the first tube in such a manner that a thermal resistance opposing a heat flow flowing from the wall of the first tube to the first temperature sensor and further to an atmosphere surrounding the first temperature sensor is the same as a thermal resistance opposing a heat flow flowing from the wall of the first tube to the second temperature sensor and further to an atmosphere surrounding the second temperature sensor.

4. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the first tube is mirror symmetrically arranged about at least one imaginary symmetry axis imaginarily cutting the first tube; and/or
wherein a temperature sensor arrangement of the transducer apparatus formed by the first and second temperature sensors is axisymmetric about at least one imaginary symmetry axis imaginarily cutting the first tube.

5. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: a second oscillation sensor for registering mechanical oscillations of at least one of the tubes.

6. The measuring system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the sensor arrangement further comprises the second oscillation sensor, and is mirror symmetrically arranged about at least one imaginary symmetry axis imaginarily cutting the transducer apparatus; and/or wherein the first temperature sensor is positioned the same distance from the first oscillation sensor as the second temperature sensor is from the second oscillation sensor.

7. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein both the first tube as well as also the second tube are bent; and/or
wherein both the first tube as well as also the second tube are, at least sectionally, straight; and/or
wherein both the first tube as well as also the second tube are, at least sectionally, bent; and/or
wherein both the wall of the first tube as well as also the wall of the second tube are composed, at least partially of a material whose specific thermal conductivity is greater than 10 W/(m·K), and whose specific heat capacity is less than 1000 J/(kg·K); and/or
wherein both the wall of the first tube as well as also the wall of the second tube are composed of a metal, or an alloy; and/or
wherein the first tube and the second tube are of equal construction and/or
wherein a straightened tube length of the first tube is greater than 300 mm and/or a straightened tube length of the second tube is greater than 300 mm.

8. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second flow dividers are equally constructed.

9. The measuring system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein both the first flow divider as well as also the second flow divider are integral components of the transducer housing.

10. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: a transducer housing including a cavity surrounded by a wall, wherein both the first as well as also the second tube are arranged within the cavity of the transduce

Assignees

• Flowtec Ag

Inventors

• Rieder Alfred
• Eckert Gerhard
• Bitto Ennio
• Zhu Hao

Classifications

• G01F1/8436 Primary

  signal processing · CPC title

• G01F1/8413

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

• G01F1/845

  arrangements of measuring means, e.g., of measuring conduits · CPC title

• G01N11/16

  by measuring damping effect upon oscillatory body · CPC title

• G01F1/86

  Indirect mass flowmeters, e.g. measuring volume flow and density, temperature or pressure · CPC title