Pressure measuring device, tap, storage unit and installation comprising such a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9786151-B2
Application number	US-201514699650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2015
Priority date	Apr 29, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

Pressure measuring device, comprising a connector extending along a longitudinal direction around a central longitudinal axis, the connector comprising a first longitudinal end intended to be fixed to an element containing pressurized gas, and a second longitudinal end provided with a diaphragm intended to be subjected to the pressure, the diaphragm comprising a pressure sensor of the piezoelectric type generating an electrical signal representative of the pressure measured, the pressure sensor being connected to an electronics board comprising electronic logic for processing the electrical signal of the sensor, the device furthermore comprising a transmission/reception antenna of the radiofrequency type fitted on the electronics board in order to receive and transmit data from and to the electronic logic, the electronics board being housed in a protective casing fixed to the connector, wherein the antenna is located on or adjacent to an axis passing through the central longitudinal axis of the connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pressure measuring device for measuring the pressure of a gas, comprising:
a connector extending along a longitudinal direction around a central longitudinal axis, the connector comprising a first longitudinal end configured to be fixed to an element containing pressurized gas, and a second longitudinal end provided with a diaphragm configured to be subjected to the pressure, the diaphragm comprising a pressure sensor of the piezoelectric type generating an electrical signal representative of the pressure measured, said pressure sensor being connected to an electronics board comprising electronic logic for processing the electrical signal of the sensor, and
a transmission/reception antenna of the radiofrequency type fitted on said electronics board in order to receive and transmit data from and to the electronic logic, the electronics board being housed in a protective casing fixed to the connector, wherein the antenna is located on or adjacent to an axis passing through the central longitudinal axis of the connector, at a distance of between zero and five millimeters from an axis passing through the central longitudinal axis of the connector, and in that the antenna is located level with the border of a first end of the electronics board, adjacent to a wall forming a base of the casing,

further comprising a temperature sensor connected to the electronic logic, and in that the electronic logic is configured in order to correct the possible error of the pressure measurement (Pm) of the sensor with respect to the actual pressure (Pr), as a function of the temperature (T) measured by the temperature sensor and at least one correction coefficient (a, b),
wherein the electronic logic is configured in order to correct a possible error of the pressure measurement (Pm) as a function of the temperature variation (DT=T−T 0 ) measured with respect to a temperature reference T determined according to a formula of the type: Pr(T)=Pm(T)·a·DT+b, in which Pr(T) is the actual pressure in bars at the temperature (T), Pm(T) is the pressure in bars measured by the pressure sensor at the temperature T, DT being the temperature variation T−To measured with respect to standard temperature conditions To determined in degrees Celsius, a and b being known coefficients determined for the sensor by means of at least one calibration measurement of the sensor at a determined temperature, a being a dimensionless correction coefficient and b being a correction coefficient expressed in bars.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is of the type with bidirectional transmission/reception at a frequency of between 50 and 300 kHz.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the electronic logic is configured in order to automatically transmit a wireless response signal via the antenna on reception of a received signal.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein, along the longitudinal direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis, the antenna is located opposite the first end of the connector.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electronics board is housed in a cavity of the casing, the casing comprising at least one groove for guiding and holding at least one edge of the board.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the casing consists of plastic.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the casing is white.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic logic is configured in order to modify the at least one correction coefficient (a, b) in response to a control signal received by the antenna.

9. An installation comprising a pressurized gas storage unit provided with a tap and a gas extraction and/or filling component selectively connectable to the tap, wherein the pressurized gas storage unit comprising a tap for a pressurized gas storage unit, comprising a pressure measuring device, comprising:
a connector extending along a longitudinal direction around a central longitudinal axis, the connector comprising a first longitudinal end configured to be fixed to an element containing pressurized gas, and a second longitudinal end provided with a diaphragm configured to be subjected to the pressure, the diaphragm comprising a pressure sensor of the piezoelectric type generating an electrical signal representative of the pressure measured, said pressure sensor being connected to an electronics board comprising electronic logic for processing the electrical signal of the sensor, and
a transmission/reception antenna of the radiofrequency type fitted on said electronics board in order to receive and transmit data from and to the electronic logic, the electronics board being housed in a protective casing fixed to the connector, wherein the antenna is located on or adjacent to an axis passing through the central longitudinal axis of the connector, at a distance of between zero and five millimeters from an axis passing through the central longitudinal axis of the connector, and in that the antenna is located level with the border of a first end of the electronics board, adjacent to a wall forming a base of the casing,

the extraction/filling component comprising an antenna which, when the gas extraction/filling component is connected to the tap, lies adjacent to the antenna of the measuring device, further comprising a mobile component for opening a valve of the tap of the storage unit, and in that the extraction and/or filling component comprises electronic logic connected to the mobile opening component and to the pressure measuring device, the said electronic logic being configured in order to allow opening of the valve of the tap by means of the mobile opening component only when the antenna of the measuring device is adjacent to the antenna of the extraction component, that is to say when the antenna of the device receives a determined signal from the antenna of the extraction component.

10. The installation of claim 9 , further comprising a temperature sensor connected to the electronic logic of the measuring device, the said electronic logic being configured in order to correct the possible error of the pressure measurement of the sensor with respect to the actual pressure as a function of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and at least one correction coefficient (a, b), wherein the electronic logic is configured in order to modify the at least one correction coefficient (a, b) in response to a control signal sent by the antenna of the extraction/filling component to the antenna of the pressure measuring device.

Assignees

• L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procédés Georges Claude

Inventors

• Roberge Guillaume

Classifications

• G08B21/182 Primary

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• G01D11/245

  Housings for sensors · CPC title

• G01L9/008 Primary

  using piezoelectric devices (piezoelectric resonators G01L9/0022; surface acoustic waves G01L9/0025) · CPC title

• G01L19/086

  for remote indication · CPC title

• G01L19/148

  Details about the circuit board integration, e.g. integrated with the diaphragm surface or encapsulation · CPC title