Sensor apparatus, methods and computer program products employing vibrational shape control

A method of determining a process parameter associated with a material contained in a conduit, the method comprising:

• exciting the conduit by iteratively determining and applying new excitations to the conduit and determining motion of the conduit in response to the applied new excitations;
• adaptively determining a frequency response for the conduit by:
• generating a first estimated frequency response, and
• generating a second estimated frequency response from the first estimated frequency response, a previous excitation to the conduit, and the determined motion of the conduit,
• determining a new excitation based on a previously determined excitation, a determined motion in response to the previously determined excitation, a desired motion for the conduit, and at least one of the first estimated frequency response and the second estimated frequency response;
• and
• processing motion signals representative of motion of the excited conduit to generate an estimate of a process parameter of a material contained in the conduit.

An apparatus for controlling a parameter sensor comprising a conduit configured to contain a material, a plurality of actuators operative to move the conduit responsive to drive signals, and a plurality of motion transducers operative to generate motion signals representative of motion of the conduit the apparatus comprising:

• a shape control circuit configured to be coupled to the motion transducers and to the actuators, the shape control circuit operative to apply a first plurality of drive signals to the plurality of actuators to apply a first excitation to the conduit, and to process motion signals received from the plurality of motion transducers to determine motion of the conduit in response to the first excitation;
• and
• a frequency response determiner circuit configured to adaptively determine a frequency response for the conduit by generating a first estimated frequency response and generating a second estimated frequency response from the first estimated frequency response, the first excitation, and the determined motion of the conduit in response to the first excitation;
• wherein the shape control circuit is configured to apply a second plurality of drive signals to the plurality of actuators based on the first excitation, the determined motion in response to the first excitation, a desired motion for the conduit, and at least one of the first estimated frequency response and the second estimated frequency response to thereby apply a second excitation to the conduit.

A process parameter sensor, comprising:

• a conduit configured to contain a material;
• a plurality of actuators operatively associated with the conduit;
• a plurality of motion transducers operatively associated with the conduit;
• a shape control circuit configured to receive motion signals from the plurality of motion transducers and to apply drive signals to the plurality of actuators, the shape control circuit operative to excite the conduit by iteratively determining and applying new excitations to the conduit and determining motion of the conduit in response to the applied new excitations;
• a frequency response determiner circuit configured to adaptively determine a frequency response for the conduit by generating a first estimated frequency response and generating a second estimated frequency response from the first estimated frequency response, a previous excitation to the conduit, and the determined motion of the conduit in response to the first excitation;
• the shape control circuit configured to determine a new excitation based on a previously determined excitation, a determined motion in response to the previously determined excitation, a desired motion for the conduit, and at least one of the first estimated frequency response and the second estimated frequency response;
• and
• a process parameter estimator circuit configured to receive motion signals from the plurality of motion transducers and operative to process the received motion signals to generate an estimate of a process parameter associated with a material contained in the conduit.

An apparatus for controlling a parameter sensor comprising a conduit configured to contain a material, a plurality of actuators operatively associated with the conduit and a plurality of motion transducers operatively associated with the conduit, the apparatus comprising:

• means, responsive to the motion transducers, for determining motion of the conduit in response to a known first excitation applied to the conduit;
• means for adaptively determining a frequency response for the conduit, comprising:
• means for generating a first estimated frequency response, and
• means for generating a second estimated frequency response from the first estimated frequency response, the known first excitation, and the determined motion of the conduit in response to the first excitation;
• means, responsive to the means for determining motion, for determining a second excitation to apply to the conduit from the known first excitation, the determined motion in response to the first excitation, a desired motion for the conduit, and at least one of the first estimated frequency response and the second estimated frequency response;
• and
• means, responsive to the means for determining a second excitation and operatively associated with the plurality of actuators, for causing the actuators to apply the second excitation to the conduit.

A computer program product for controlling a parameter sensor comprising a conduit configured to contain a material, a plurality of actuators operatively associated with the conduit, and a plurality of motion transducers operatively associated with the conduit the computer program product comprising:

• computer-readable program code embodied in a computer readable storage medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:
• program code, responsive to the motion transducers, for determining motion of the conduit in response to a known first excitation applied to the conduit;
• program code for adaptively determining a frequency response for the conduit, comprising:
• program code for generating a first estimated frequency response, and
• program code for generating a second estimated frequency response from the first estimated frequency response, the known first excitation, and the determined motion of the conduit in response to the first excitation;
• program code, responsive to the program code for determining motion, for determining a second excitation to apply to the conduit from the known first excitation, the determined motion in response to the first excitation, a desired motion for the conduit, and at least one of the first estimated frequency response and the second estimated frequency response;
• and
• program code for causing the plurality of actuators to apply the second excitation to the conduit.