# US 11,441,988 B2 · Flowmeter phase fraction and concentration measurement adjustment method and apparatus

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- Number: US 11,441,988 B2
- Document ID: US11441988B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/980,654
- Filed: 2018-04-09
- Published: 2021-01-21
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-09
- Assignees: Micro Motion, Inc.
- Applicants: Micro Motion, Inc.
- Inventors: Justin Craig Hollingsworth
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441988B2

## CPC

- G01F 1/8436: {signal processing}
- G01N 9/36: Analysing materials by measuring the density or specific gravity, e.g. determining quantity of moisture (methods of measurement in general G01N9/02 - G01N9/32)
- G01F 1/74: Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid
- G01F 23/14: by measurement of pressure
- G01F 25/10: of flowmeters
- G01N 2009/006: {vibrating tube, tuning fork}
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A vibratory meter (5) is provided, having a driver (104) and a vibratory member (103, 103′) vibratable by the driver (104). At least one pickoff sensor (105, 105′) is configured to detect vibrations of the vibratory member (103, 103′). Meter electronics (20) comprise an interface (301) configured to receive a vibrational response from the at least one pickoff sensor (105, 10540 ), and a processing system (303) coupled to the interface (301). The processing system (303) is configured to measure a drive gain (306) of the driver (104), and measure a total density (325) of a multiphase process fluid in the vibratory meter (5), and determine whether the drive gain (306) is below a first threshold. A liquid/liquid phase concentration allocation is determined with the measured total density (325) if the drive gain (306) is below the first threshold, and a flow rate for each liquid phase is calculated.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vibratory meter (5), comprising: a driver (104); a vibratory member (103, 103′) vibratable by the driver (104); at least one pickoff sensor (105, 105′) configured to detect vibrations of the vibratory member (103, 103′); meter electronics (20) comprising an interface (301) configured to receive a vibrational response from the at least one pickoff sensor (105, 105′), and a processing system (303) coupled to the interface (301) configured to: measure a drive gain (306) of the driver (104); measure a total density (325) of a multiphase process fluid in the vibratory meter (5); determine whether the drive gain (306) is below a first threshold; determine a liquid/liquid phase concentration allocation with the measured total density (325) if the drive gain (306) is below the first threshold, and calculate a flow rate for each liquid phase; determine at least one of whether the drive gain (306) is above a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold and whether the drive gain (306) is above a first drive gain noise threshold; and determine a gas/liquid phase concentration allocation with the measured total density (325) and a previously determined liquid density, if the measured total density (325) is lower than a liquid density range, and calculate a flow rate for each fluid phase.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vibratory meter (5) of claim 1, wherein the processing system (303) is configured to: determine at least one of whether the drive gain (306) is below the second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, and whether the drive gain (306) is below the first drive gain noise threshold, if the drive gain (306) is above the first threshold.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vibratory meter (5) of claim 2, wherein the processing system (303) is configured to: determine a solid/liquid phase concentration allocation with the measured total density (325) and a previously determined liquid density, if the measured total density (325) is within a solids density range, and calculate a flow rate for each fluid phase.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The vibratory meter (5) of claim 2, wherein the processing system (303) is configured to: determine a solid/liquid phase concentration allocation with the measured total density (325) and a previously determined liquid density, if the measured total density (325) is within a solids density range, and calculate a flow rate for each fluid phase.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The vibratory meter (5) of claim 2, wherein the processing system (303) is configured to: determine a gas/liquid phase concentration allocation with the measured total density (325) and a previously determined liquid density, if the measured total density (325) is lower than a solids density range and within a gas density range, and calculate a flow rate for each fluid phase.

### Claim 6

A method of flowmeter phase fraction and concentration measurement adjustment comprising the steps of:
providing a vibratory flowmeter;
flowing a multiphase process fluid through the vibratory flowmeter;
measuring a drive gain of a driver of the vibratory meter;
measuring a density of the process fluid;
determining whether the drive gain is below a first threshold;
determining a liquid/liquid phase concentration allocation of the process fluid with the measured total density if the drive gain is below the first threshold, and calculate a flow rate for each liquid phase;
determining at least one of whether the drive gain is above a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold and whether the drive gain is above a first drive gain noise threshold;
determining that the measured total density is lower than a liquid density range; and
determining a gas/liquid phase concentration allocation with the measured total density and a previously determined liquid density, and calculate a flow rate for each fluid phase.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of flowmeter phase fraction and concentration measurement adjustment of claim 6, comprising the step of: determining that the drive gain is above the first threshold; and determining at least one of whether the drive gain is below the second threshold that is greater than the first threshold, and whether the drive gain is below the first drive gain noise threshold.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of flowmeter phase fraction and concentration measurement adjustment of claim 7, comprising the step of: determining that the measured total density is within a solids density range; and determining a solid/liquid phase concentration allocation with the measured total density and a previously determined liquid density, and calculate a flow rate for each fluid phase.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of flowmeter phase fraction and concentration measurement adjustment of claim 7, comprising the step of: determining that the measured total density is lower than a solids density range and within a liquids density range; and determining a liquid/liquid phase concentration allocation with the measured total density, and calculate a flow rate for each fluid phase.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of flowmeter phase fraction and concentration measurement adjustment of claim 7, comprising the step of: determining that the measured total density is lower than a solids density range and within a gas density range; and determining a gas/liquid phase concentration allocation with the measured total density and a previously determined liquid density, and calculate a flow rate for each fluid phase.