Arrangement and method for identifying and correcting a faulty volumetric flow measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12098944-B2
Application number	US-202017754074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2020
Priority date	Sep 24, 2019
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

An arrangement includes a pipeline and a Coriolis volumetric flow meter for measuring a mass flow rate of a medium flowing through the pipeline. A first pressure sensor is attached at an inlet-side of the pipeline and a second pressure sensor is attached at an outlet-side of the pipeline, or wherein a differential pressure sensor is configured to detect a difference between an inlet-side and an outlet-side. The pressure sensors and/or the differential pressure sensor are configured to measure a media pressure and to determine, for each differential pressure, a volumetric flow velocity of the medium through the pipeline. A first monitoring sensor is attached at an inlet-side portion of the pipeline and a second monitoring sensor is attached at an outlet-side portion of the pipeline, wherein the monitoring sensors are configured to monitor a measurement variable different from the media pressure to identify a static media state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An arrangement, comprising:
a pipeline;
a Coriolis flow meter comprising at least one measuring tube, in each case with an inlet and an outlet, configured to measure a mass flow rate of a medium flowing through the pipeline;
wherein a first pressure sensor is attached in or on an inlet-side portion of the pipeline and a second pressure sensor is attached in or on an outlet-side portion of the pipeline,
and/or wherein a differential pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure difference between an inlet-side portion of the pipeline and an outlet-side portion of the pipeline,
wherein the pressure sensors and/or the differential pressure sensor are configured to determine a flow rate of the medium through the pipeline for each determination of a differential pressure between an inlet-side portion of the pipeline and an outlet-side portion of the pipeline;
wherein a first monitoring sensor is attached in or on an inlet-side portion of the pipeline, and a second monitoring sensor is attached in or on an outlet-side portion of the pipeline,
wherein the monitoring sensors are configured to monitor a measurement variable different from the medium pressure in order to identify a static medium state;
wherein the Coriolis flow meter is configured to report a zero flow if a static or quasi-static medium state is determined using the monitoring sensors.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the measurement variable of the monitoring sensors is at least one from the following list: medium density, viscosity, sound velocity, conductivity, thermal capacity, electrical capacity, physical state of the medium.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein an electronic measurement/control circuit of the Coriolis flow meter is configured to receive and process measurement signals of the monitoring sensors, the pressure sensors, and/or the differential pressure sensor and also to make a statement regarding the flow rate of the medium, or wherein the arrangement has an external computer which is configured to receive and process measurement signals of the monitoring sensors, the pressure sensors, and/or the differential pressure sensor, as well as volumetric flow measured values of the electronic measurement/control circuit, and to make a statement regarding the flow rate of the medium.

4. A method for operating an arrangement, wherein the arrangement includes: a pipeline; a Coriolis flow meter comprising at least one measuring tube, in each case with an inlet and an outlet, configured to measure a mass flow rate of a medium flowing through the pipeline; wherein a first pressure sensor is attached in or on an inlet-side portion of the pipeline and a second pressure sensor is attached in or on an outlet-side portion of the pipeline, and/or wherein a differential pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure difference between an inlet-side portion of the pipeline and an outlet-side portion of the pipeline, wherein the pressure sensors and/or the differential pressure sensor are configured to determine a flow rate of the medium through the pipeline for each determination of a differential pressure between an inlet-side portion of the pipeline and an outlet-side portion of the pipeline; wherein a first monitoring sensor is attached in or on an inlet-side portion of the pipeline, and a second monitoring sensor is attached in or on an outlet-side portion of the pipeline, wherein the monitoring sensors are configured to monitor a measurement variable different from the medium pressure in order to identify a static medium state; the method comprising the following steps:
measuring with a Coriolis flow meter a mass flow rate of a medium flowing through a pipeline, wherein the Coriolis flow meter is connected to the pipeline via an inlet and an outlet of a measuring tube,
measuring a differential pressure of the medium between an inlet-side portion of the pipeline and an outlet-side portion of the pipeline by means of a first pressure sensor and a second pressure sensor and/or a differential pressure sensor,
determining a first flow rate of the medium through the pipeline on the basis of the differential pressure measurement,
measuring a medium-related measurement variable other than the medium pressure with a first monitoring sensor in or at the inlet-side portion of the pipeline and a second monitoring sensor in or at the outlet-side portion of the pipeline,
ignoring the measurement of the flow rate for each differential pressure measurement if a static or quasi-static medium state is determined using the monitoring sensors.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the identification of the static medium state has the following steps:
producing a first measured value curve with the first monitoring sensor, and producing a second measured value curve with the second monitoring sensor;
interpreting a measured value difference between measured values of the first measured value curve and measured values of the second measured value curve as a consequence of a static medium state if the measured value difference relative to a first mean value of the corresponding measured values is greater than a first threshold value,
and/or
determining a second flow rate from a cross-correlation between the first measured value curve and the second measured value curve and interpreting a deviation of the second flow rate relative to a second mean value from the first flow rate and the second flow rate as a consequence of a static medium state if the deviation is greater than a second threshold value,
and/or
interpreting a measured value difference between measured values of the first measured value curve and measured values of the second measured value curve as a consequence of a static medium state if the measured value difference is constant over a time period.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first threshold value is at least 20% greater than the first mean value, and/or wherein the second threshold value is at least 20% greater than the second mean value.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the time period is more than 2 seconds.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein an electronic measurement/control circuit of the Coriolis flow meter receives and processes measurement signals of the monitoring sensors, the pressure sensors, and/or the differential pressure sensor and also makes a statement regarding the flow rate of the medium,
or an external computer receives and processes measurement signals of the monitoring sensors, the pressure sensors, and/or the differential pressure sensor, as well as volumetric flow measured values of the electronic measurement/control circuit, and also makes a statement regarding the flow rate of the medium.

Assignees

• Flowtec Ag

Inventors

• Rieder Alfred
• Zhu Hao
• Drahm Wolfgang
• Güttler Andreas

Classifications

• G01F1/74

  Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid · CPC title

• G01F7/005

  by measuring pressure or differential pressure, created by the use of flow constriction · CPC title

• G01F1/84 Primary

  Coriolis or gyroscopic mass flowmeters · CPC title

• G01F1/36

  the pressure or differential pressure being created by the use of flow constriction · CPC title

• G01F25/10 Primary

  of flowmeters · CPC title