# US 11,029,181 B2 · Vortex flowmeter with flow instability detection

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- Number: US 11,029,181 B2
- Document ID: US11029181B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/016,163
- Filed: 2018-06-22
- Published: 2019-12-26
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-22
- Assignees: Micro Motion, Inc.
- Applicants: Micro Motion, Inc.
- Inventors: Jeffry Duane Foster
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029181B2

## CPC

- G01F 1/3209: {using Karman vortices}
- G01F 1/3287: {circuits therefor}
- G01F 25/10: of flowmeters
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME

## Abstract

A vortex flowmeter for measuring a flow rate of a process fluid, including a vortex generator arranged to generate vortices in a flow of the process fluid, a vortex sensor arranged to sense the vortices in the flow of the process fluid and responsively provide a sensor output related to the flow rate of the process fluid, measurement circuitry configured to receive the sensor output and provide a digital output, a memory configured to store measurements based upon the digital output; and diagnostic circuitry coupled to the memory arranged to detect instability in the flow of the process fluid based upon the measurements stored in the memory.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vortex flowmeter for measuring a flow rate of a process fluid, comprising:
a vortex generator arranged to generate vortices in a flow of the process fluid;
a vortex sensor arranged to sense the vortices in the flow of the process fluid and responsively provide a sensor output related to the flow rate of the process fluid;
measurement circuitry configured to receive the sensor output and provide a digital output indicative of flow of process fluid including errors in flow measurement due to instability in the flow of process fluid;
a memory configured to store measurements based upon the digital output; and
diagnostic circuitry coupled to the memory arranged to detect the instability in the flow of the process fluid during steady state operation based upon the measurements stored in the memory.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry detects instability by comparing the measurements to a threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 2 wherein the threshold comprises a dynamic threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the measurements stored in memory comprise information related to frequency.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry detects instability based upon a profile of the measurements stored in the memory.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry calculates a statistical parameter of the measurements.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 6 wherein the statistical parameter comprises standard deviation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 6 wherein the diagnostic circuitry detects instability in the flow of process fluid by comparing measurements with the statistical parameter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 including output circuitry coupled to a process control loop.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 9 wherein the vortex flowmeter is powered with power received from the process control loop.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry corrects for errors in a measurement flow rate based upon detected instability in the flow of process fluid.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry determines modality of the measurements stored in the memory.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 12 wherein the diagnostics circuitry detects instability in the flow of the process fluid if the measurements stored in the memory are multi-modal.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry detects instability in the flow of the process fluid based upon peaks in a frequency of the measurements stored in the memory.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry identifies a possible cause of instability in the flow of the process fluid.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 15 including an output which provides an output to an operator indicative of the identified possible cause.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry operates in response to a command.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry operates in response to a peak in the measurements.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 wherein the diagnostics circuitry operates in response to a detected signature in the measurements stored in the memory.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The vortex flowmeter of claim 1 including an output configured to output information related to the sensor output to a remote location and wherein the diagnostic circuitry is located at the remote location.