US 8,783,088 B2 · Apparatus and method for determining displacer position in a flowmeter prover

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for proving a flowmeter. In one embodiment, a flowmeter prover includes a flow tube, a displacer, and a signal analyzer. The displacer is moveable in a flow passage of the flow tube. A magnetic target is disposed on the displacer. One or more inductive transducers are disposed on the flow tube and configured to detect the magnetic target as the displacer moves in the flow tube. The signal analyzer is configured to detect a maximum slope of rising and falling edges of a signal generated by the transducer responsive to the magnetic target traversing the transducer. The signal analyzer is further configured to determine displacer velocity based on the detected maximum slope.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A flowmeter prover, comprising:

a flow tube;
a displacer moveable in a flow passage of the flow tube;
a magnetic target disposed on the displacer;
at least two inductive transducers disposed on the flow tube, the transducers configured to detect the magnetic target as the displacer moves in the flow tube;
and
a signal analyzer configured to:
detect a signal indicative of change of inductance of each transducer caused by the magnetic target moving across the transducer;
and
determine displacer velocity based on edges of the signal.

6 more elements

A flow metering system, comprising:

a flowmeter prover, comprising:
a displacer disposed in a flow tube, the flow tube comprising:
a plurality of inductive transducers disposed along the length of the flow tube;
a pulse generation circuit coupled to each transducer, the pulse generation circuit configured to generate a pulse having slope corresponding to a rate of change of inductance of the transducer produced by the displacer moving across the transducer.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for determining displacer position in a flowmeter prover

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for determining displacer position in a flowmeter prover

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28