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US 2009/0013753 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for proving flow meters
AssigneeMicro Motion, Inc.
InventorsMark James Bell, Brian T. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed that determines the time delay (202) between the actual flow and the measured flow in a flow meter. The time delay is used to shift the flow measured by the flow meter to correspond to the actual flow measured by a prover or calibration system. In this way an accurate comparison is made between the flow measured by the flow meter and the flow provided by the prover.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- determining a time delay (202) between an actual flow rate and a measured flow rate in a flow meter;
- providing the time delay to a proving device used to prove the flow rate of the flow meter.
A method, comprising:
- providing a flow of a known quantity of material, over a first time period, to a flow meter;
- receiving measured flow data, for a second time period, from the flow meter;
- receiving a delay time from the flow meter where the delay time is the time difference between the measured flow and the provided flow in the flow meter;
- shifting the measured flow data from the flow meter by the delay time.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- setting a plurality of measurement parameters for a flow meter;
- determining a time delay between an actual flow rate and a measured flow rate in the flow meter when the flow meter is operating with the set measurement parameters.
A prover, comprising:
- a section of tubing (104) having a know diameter;
- a first sensor (S1) at a first location on the section of tubing;
- a second sensor (S2) at a second location on the section of tubing;
- a device (102) configured to move inside the section of tubing (104) between the first location and the second location;
- the first and second sensors configured to send a first and second signal, respectively, when the device passes the first and second locations;
- a flow computer configured to receive the first and second signals from the first and second sensors;
- the flow computer also configured to receive flow measurements from a flow meter to be calibrated;
- the flow computer also configured to receive a delay time from the flow meter to be calibrated, and configured to shift the received flow measurements with respect to the first and second signals by the delay time.
5 more elements
A Coriolis flow meter, comprising:
- a conduit configured to contain a flowing material;
- at least one driver configured to vibrate the conduit;
- sensors configured to measure the position of the vibrating conduit;
- electronics configured to receive the measured position of the conduit and convert the measured position into a measured material flow rate;
- a storage area configured to store at least one delay time between an actual material flow through the conduit and the measured material flow through the conduit.
2 more elements
A Coriolis flow meter, comprising:
- a means for vibrating a conduit containing a flowing material;
- a means for measuring the phase of the vibrating conduit;
- a means for converting the measured phase into a flow measurement;
- a means for storing a delay time that indicates the time delay between an actual flow through the meter and the flow measurement.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.