System of distributed configurable flowmeters

#The present disclosure relates to fluid flowmeters and, more particularly, to a system of distributed, configurable fluid flowmeters.

#A fluid flow process (flow process) includes any process that involves the flow of fluid through pipes, ducts, or other conduits, as well as through fluid control devices such as pumps, valves, orifices, heat exchangers, and the like. Flow processes are found in many different industries such as the oil and gas industry, refining, food and beverage industry, chemical and petrochemical industry, pulp and paper industry, power generation, pharmaceutical industry, and water and wastewater treatment industry. The fluid within the flow process may be a single phase fluid (e.g., gas, liquid or liquid/liquid mixture) and/or a multi-phase mixture (e.g. paper and pulp slurries or other solid/liquid mixtures). The multi-phase mixture may be a two-phase liquid/gas mixture, a solid/gas mixture or a solid/liquid mixture, gas entrained liquid or a three-phase mixture.

#Various sensing technologies exist for measuring various physical parameters of single and/or multiphase fluids in an industrial flow process. Such physical parameters include, for example, volumetric flow rate, composition, consistency, density, and mass flow rate.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system including a configurable flowmeter, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2a-d are diagrams of a digital data selection signal for use in selecting a function in the configurable flowmeter of FIG. 1 or for selecting the meter itself.

#FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a system including a plurality of distributed selectable latent configurable flowmeters of FIG. 1.

#Referring to FIG. 1, a system 10 of one or more configurable flowmeters 12 allows an individual, locally or remotely, to selectively activate one or more functions of the flowmeter 12. In other words, an individual is capable of selecting which parameter of the process flow that the flowmeter 12 is to measure, thereby effectively providing latent functions that may be selectively brought on line or shut off. The system 10 also allows an individual, locally or remotely, to selectively activate one or more latent flowmeters 12 in the system. The system 10 of configurable flowmeters 12 may be a distributed control system (DCS), which receives input signals from conventional meters and devices in the process flow. The system 10 also provides a method of flowmeter selection and billing. Each of these aspects of the present invention is described in further detail hereinafter.

#Referring to FIG. 1, the system 10 includes a configurable flowmeter 12, which is mounted to a pipe, duct or other form of conduit (hereinafter “pipe”) 14 having a single or multi-phase fluid 13 passing therethrough. The flowmeter 12 includes a sensor head (sensor array) 11 and a transmitter (signal processor) 19. The sensor head 11 includes an array of sensors 15, 16, 17, and 18 spaced axially along the pipe 14 to measure unsteady pressures created by sound propagating through the fluid 13 and/or unsteady pressures created by vortical disturbances (eddies) propagating within the fluid 13. The pressure signals P1(t), P2(t), P3(t), P4(t) provided by each respective sensor 15, 16, 17, 18 are indicative of unsteady pressure within the pipe 14 at a corresponding axial location of the pipe 14. While the flowmeter 12 is shown as including four pressure sensors, it is contemplated that the flowmeter 12 may include an array of two or more pressure sensors, each providing a pressure signal P(t) indicative of unsteady pressure within the pipe 14 at a corresponding axial location of the pipe 14.

#The pressure signals P1(t), P2(t), P3(t), P4(t) provided by each respective sensor 15, 16, 17, 18 are processed by a transmitter 19, which applies this data to flow logic 36 executed by transmitter 19 to determine one or more parameters 21 of the flow process, such as volumetric flow rate, mass flow rate, density, composition, entrained air, consistency, particle size, velocity, mach number, speed of sound propagating through the fluid 13, and/or other parameters of the fluid 13. The flow logic 36 is described in further detail hereinafter.