Vortex flowmeter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020326214-A1
Application number	US-202016915070-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 29, 2020
Priority date	Feb 10, 2015
Publication date	Oct 15, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A menu navigation engine that enables user configuration of a vortex flowmeter. The vortex flowmeter includes a memory device and a processor, among other hardware components. Software instructions stored on the memory device and executable by the processor implement the menu navigation engine by displaying use case identifiers on the user interface, receiving selections of use case identifiers via the user interface, generating a formatted hierarchical tree of vortex flowmeter configuration nodes associated with the selected use case, and displaying the generated tree on the user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vortex flowmeter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid, the flowmeter comprising:
a flowtube; a bluff body positioned in the flowtube for shedding vortices in the fluid as the fluid flows through the flowtube; a vortex sensor for detecting the vortices; a processor configured to determine a flow rate of the fluid when the fluid flows through the flowtube as a function of the detected vortices; a user interface; and a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device storing one or more software components that are executable by the processor for implementing a menu navigation engine enabling user configuration of the flowmeter, the menu navigation engine:
displaying one or more use case identifiers on the user interface, the use case identifiers each representing an expected usage of the flowmeter;
receiving a selection of one of the use case identifiers via the user interface, the received selection corresponding to a selected use case;
generating, based on the received selection, a formatted hierarchical tree of vortex flowmeter configuration nodes associated with the selected use case; and
displaying the generated tree on the user interface.

2 . The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the formatted hierarchical tree masks at least one of the vortex flowmeter configuration nodes of a complete hierarchical tree and is different from when another use case is selected, and wherein the complete hierarchical tree includes one or more vortex flowmeter configuration nodes associated with each of the use cases.

3 . The vortex flowmeter of claim 2 , wherein the software components stored in the memory device that are executable by the processor for implementing the menu navigation engine further configure the menu navigation engine for receiving a configuration selection via the user interface based on the formatted hierarchical tree.

4 . The vortex flowmeter of claim 3 , wherein the software components stored in the memory device that are executable by the processor for implementing the menu navigation engine further configure the menu navigation engine for configuring the vortex flowmeter for the use case associated with the selected use case identifier based on the received configuration selection without receiving any selections via the user interface based on any other formatted hierarchical tree.

5 . The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the vortex flowmeter configuration nodes comprise information items related to a communications protocol utilized by the flowmeter in the selected use case.

6 . The vortex flowmeter of claim 5 , wherein the protocol comprises at least one of a Hart protocol, a FoxCom protocol, and a Foundation Fieldbus protocol.

7 . The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the vortex flowmeter configuration nodes comprise information items related to configuration checks utilized by the flowmeter in the selected use case.

8 . The vortex flowmeter of claim 7 , wherein the configuration checks comprise one or more of: Pulse_Available, Pulse_Totalizer, MA_Live, MA_Fixed, Pressure_Live, Ecep, GasPurge, Pipe_Mate, Pipe_Piping, LIQUID, GAS, and VAPOR.

9 . The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the vortex flowmeter configuration nodes comprise information items related application specific parameters utilized by the flowmeter in the selected use case.

10 . The vortex flowmeter of claim 9 , wherein the application specific parameters comprise one or more of: M84C, M84, M84LowPower, OilandGas, Produced Water, Steam, Gas, SaturatedSteam, and a user-defined fluid selection.

11 . A method for configuring a vortex flowmeter comprising:
displaying one or more use case identifiers on a user interface, the use case identifiers each representing an expected usage of the flowmeter; receiving a selection of one of the use case identifiers via the user interface, the received selection corresponding to a selected use case; generating, based on the received selection, a formatted hierarchical tree of vortex flowmeter configuration nodes associated with the selected use case, wherein the vortex flowmeter configuration nodes comprise information items related application specific parameters utilized by the flowmeter in the selected use case; and displaying the generated tree on the user interface.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the formatted hierarchical tree masks at least one of the vortex flowmeter configuration nodes of a complete hierarchical tree and is different from when another use case is selected, and wherein the complete hierarchical tree includes one or more vortex flowmeter configuration nodes associated with each of the use cases.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving a configuration selection via the user interface based on the formatted hierarchical tree.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising configuring the vortex flowmeter for the use case associated with the selected use case identifier based on the received configuration selection without receiving any selections via the user interface based on any other formatted hierarchical tree.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the vortex flowmeter configuration nodes comprise information items related to a communications protocol utilized by the flowmeter in the selected use case.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the protocol comprises at least one of a Hart protocol, a FoxCom protocol, and a Foundation Fieldbus protocol.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the vortex flowmeter configuration nodes comprise information items related to configuration checks utilized by the flowmeter in the selected use case.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the configuration checks comprise one or more of: Pulse_Available, Pulse_Totalizer, MA_Live, MA_Fixed, Pressure_Live, Ecep, GasPurge, Pipe_Mate, Pipe_Piping, LIQUID, GAS, and VAPOR.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the application specific parameters comprise one or more of: M84C, M84, M84LowPower, OilandGas, Produced Water, Steam, Gas, SaturatedSteam, and a user-defined fluid selection.

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Systems Usa Inc

Inventors

• Allstrom Peter
• Ritchie Briane

Classifications

• G01F1/007

  by measuring the level variations of storage tanks relative to the time · CPC title

• G01F1/3259 Primary

  for detecting fluid pressure oscillations · CPC title

• G01F15/068 Primary

  with electrical means (G01F15/063 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01F1/3254 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic