US 10,871,432 B1Granted

Tubular sensors for inline measurement of the properties of a fluid

AssigneeRheonics GmbH

InventorsKlaus Haeusler, Joseph Goodbread, Sunil Kumar

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Abstract

An inline fluid properties measurement device that includes a tube defining an interior space that includes at least one non-cylindrical volume, and having a fluid entrance and exit, and capable of conducting fluid from the fluid entrance to the fluid exit, through the at least one non-cylindrical volume. An excitation and sensing transducer assembly is positioned to torsionally drive the tube and to sense torsional movement of the tube and a controller is programmed to drive the excitation and sensing transducer to drive the tube in torsion, thereby translating the fluid in the at least one non-cylindrical volume, and to sense torsional movement of the tube, thereby producing a sense signal. Finally, a signal analysis assembly responsive to the sense signal to form a measurement of at least one property of the fluid.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An inline fluid properties measurement device, comprising:

(a) a tube, having an exterior surface that is mounted in and to a supportive casing, and defining an interior space that includes at least one non-circularly cylindrical volume, and having a fluid entrance and exit that extends further than said casing, thereby providing a free end for a pipe to be attached on either end to said tube, so that all of the liquid flowing through said pipe flows through said tube, and capable of conducting fluid from said fluid entrance to said fluid exit, through said at least one non-circularly cylindrical volume;
(b) an excitation and sensing transducer assembly positioned to torsionally drive said tube and to sense torsional movement of said tube
(c) a controller programmed to drive said excitation and sensing transducer to drive said tube in torsion, thereby translating said fluid in said at least one non-circularly cylindrical volume, and to sense torsional movement of said tube, thereby producing a sense signal;
(d) a signal analysis assembly responsive to said sense signal to form a measurement of at least one property of said fluid;
(e) wherein said excitation and sensing transducer includes an electromagnet assembly and an attached magnet assembly, attached directly to said exterior surface of said tube and responsive to said electromagnet assembly to place a torqueing force on said tube, and wherein said electromagnet assembly also senses movement of said attached magnet assembly, said electromagnetic assembly being longitudinally coincident to said attached magnet assembly, there further being no driving and sensing assembly to drive said tube other than in torsion;
and
(f) whereby said tube can be mounted in and form a part of a fluid pathway.

4 more elements

A method for measuring properties of a fluid, comprising:

(a) providing an inline fluid properties measurement device, comprising:
(i) a tube having an exterior surface that is mounted in and to a casing, and that defines an interior space that includes at least one non-circularly cylindrical volume, and that has a fluid entrance and exit and is mounted into a fluid pathway, so that all of said fluid flowing through said fluid pathway flows through said tube;
(ii) an excitation and sensing transducer assembly positioned to torsionally drive said tube and to sense torsional movement of said tube;
(b) driving said excitation and sensing transducer assembly to drive said tube in torsion, thereby translating and shearing said fluid in said at least one non-circularly cylindrical volume and using said excitation and sensing transducer assembly to sense movement of said tube;
(c) wherein said excitation and sensing transducer includes an electromagnet assembly and an attached magnet assembly, attached directly to said exterior of said tube and responsive to said electromagnet assembly to apply a torqueing force to said tube, and wherein said electromagnet assembly also senses movement of said attached magnet assembly, said electromagnetic assembly being longitudinally coincident to said attached magnet assembly, there further being no driving and sensing assembly to drive said tube other than in torsion;
and
(d) analyzing said sense signals to measure at least two fluid properties of said fluid in said tube.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/688,789Filed 28 Aug 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 26 Aug 2016
Granted: 22 Dec 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

G01N 11/162
By measuring damping effect upon oscillatory body: oscillations being torsional, e.g. produced by rotating bodies
G01N 9/002
Investigating density or specific gravity of materials; Analysing materials by determining density or specific gravity: using variation of the…
G01N 2009/006
Using variation of the resonant frequency of an element vibrating in contact with the material submitted to analysis: vibrating tube, tuning fork
G01N
Investigating or analysing materials by determining their chemical or physical properties

Family

Application62/379,953Us provisional application · filed 26 Aug 2016
US 10,871,432 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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