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US 6,507,791 B2Granted
Digital flowmeter
AssigneeInvensys Systems, Inc.
InventorsManus P. Henry, David W. Clarke, James H. Vignos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A digital flowmeter includes a vibratable conduit, a driver connected to the conduit and operable to impart motion to the conduit, and a sensor connected to the conduit and operable to sense the motion of the conduit. A control and measurement system is connected to the driver and the sensor. The control and measurement system includes circuitry to receive a sensor signal from the sensor, generate a drive signal based on the sensor signal using digital signal processing, supply the drive signal to the driver, and generate a measurement of a property of a two-phase material flowing through the conduit based on the signal from the sensor.
Claims56
A digital flowmeter comprising:
- a vibratable conduit;
- a driver connected to the conduit and operable to impart motion to the conduit;
- a sensor connected to the conduit and operable to sense the motion of the conduit;
- and
- a control and measurement system connected to the driver and the sensor, the control and measurement system comprising circuitry to:
- receive a sensor signal from the sensor,
- generate a drive signal based on the sensor signal using a synthesis process executed by a digital signal processor, the synthesis process being operable to determine parameters of the sensor signal and generate the drive signal using the determined parameters,
- supply the drive signal to the driver, and
- generate a measurement of a property of material flowing through the conduit based on the sensor signal;
- wherein the sensor signal is generally periodic and the control and measurement system processes the sensor signal in sets, wherein each set includes data for a complete cycle of the periodic sensor signal.
7 more elements
A digital flowmeter comprising:
- a vibratable conduit;
- a driver connected to the conduit and operable to impart motion to the conduit;
- a sensor connected to the conduit and operable to sense the motion of the conduit;
- and
- a control and measurement system connected to the driver and the sensor, the control and measurement system comprising circuitry to:
- receive a sensor signal from the sensor,
- generate a drive signal based on the sensor signal using digital signal processing,
- supply the drive signal to the driver, and
- generate a measurement of a property of material flowing through the conduit based on the sensor signal;
- wherein the control and measurement system:
- estimates a first parameter of the sensor signal;
- determines a rate of change of a second parameter;
- and
- corrects the estimated first parameter based on the determined rate of change;
- and
- wherein the sensor signal is generally periodic and the control and measurement system processes the sensor signal in sets, wherein each set includes data for a complete cycle of the periodic sensor signal.
13 more elements
A digital flowmeter comprising:
- a vibratable conduit;
- a driver connected to the conduit and operable to impart motion to the conduit;
- a sensor connected to the conduit and operable to sense the motion of the conduit;
- and
- a control and measurement system connected to the driver and the sensor, the control and measurement system comprising circuitry to:
- receive a sensor signal from the sensor,
- generate a drive signal based on the sensor signal using digital signal processing,
- supply the drive signal to the driver, and
- generate a measurement of a property of material flowing through the conduit based on the sensor signal;
- wherein the control and measurement system:
- estimates a first parameter of the first sensor signal;
- determines a rate of change of a second parameter of the first sensor signal;
- corrects the estimated first parameter of the first sensor signal based on the determined rate of change of the second parameter of the first sensor signal;
- estimates a first parameter of the second sensor signal;
- determines a rate of change of a second parameter of the second sensor signal;
- and
- corrects the estimated first parameter of the second sensor signal based on the determined rate of change of the second parameter of the second sensor signal;
- wherein the control and measurement system performs the estimating, determining, and correcting for each sensor signal independently of the estimating, determining, and correcting for the other sensor signal;
- and
- wherein the sensor signal is generally periodic and the control and measurement system processes the sensor signal in sets, wherein each set includes data for a complete cycle of the periodic sensor signal.
17 more elements
A method of generating a measurement of a property of material flowing through a conduit, the method comprising:
- sensing motion of the conduit;
- generating a measurement of a property of material flowing through the conduit based on the sensed motion;
- using digital signal processing to generate a drive signal by synthesizing a sine wave having a property corresponding to the property of the sensed motion for imparting motion in the conduit;
- and
- imparting motion to the conduit using the drive signal.
2 more elements
A method of generating a measurement of a property of material flowing through a conduit, the method comprising:
- sensing motion of the conduit;
- determining a frequency of the sensed motion using an iterative curve fitting technique;
- generating a measurement of a property of material flowing through the conduit based on the sensed motion;
- using digital signal processing to generate a drive signal for imparting motion in the conduit based on sensed motion of the conduit;
- and
- imparting motion to the conduit using the drive signal.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.