# US 9,435,695 B2 · Method and apparatus for determining a temperature of a vibrating sensor component of a vibrating meter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,695 B2 - Document ID: US9435695B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/809,334 - Filed: 2010-08-02 - Published: 2013-05-16 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-02 - Assignees: Micro Motion, Inc. - Applicants: William M Mansfield - Inventors: William M Mansfield - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435695B2 ## CPC - G01K 7/00: Measuring temperature based on the use of electric or magnetic elements directly sensitive to heat (giving results other than momentary value of temperature G01K3/00) {; Power supply therefor, e.g. using thermoelectric elements} - G01F 1/8431: {electronic circuits} - G01F 1/8436: {signal processing} - G01F 15/022: {using electrical means} - G01K 7/36: using magnetic elements, e.g. magnets, coils (magnetic elements per se H01F) - G06F 17/00: Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions (information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00) - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method for determining a temperature of a vibrating sensor component (204A, 205A, 205′A) coupled to a conduit (203A, 203B) of a vibrating meter (200) is provided. The method comprises a step of supplying the vibrating sensor component (204A, 205A, 205′A) with a temperature determination signal (313). The method also comprises a step of measuring a resulting signal (314). The method further comprises a step of determining a temperature of the sensor component (204A, 205A, 205′A) based on the temperature determination signal (313) and the resulting signal (314). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for determining a temperature of a sensor component coupled to a conduit of a vibrating meter, comprising steps of: supplying the sensor component coupled to the conduit of the vibrating meter with a temperature determination signal; measuring a resulting signal; and determining a temperature of the sensor component based on the temperature determination signal and the resulting signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the temperature of the sensor component comprises: determining a voltage-to-current ratio from the temperature determination signal and the measured resulting signal; and determining the temperature of the sensor component based on a correlation between the determined voltage-to-current ratio and temperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises an alternating current at a frequency substantially equal to a resonant frequency of the conduit of the vibrating meter including a process fluid and wherein the method further comprises steps of: removing the temperature determination signal for a predetermined time; measuring a voltage; determining a back electromotive force; and compensating the voltage-to-current ratio for the back electromotive force. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises an alternating current at a frequency different from a resonant frequency of the conduit of the vibrating meter including a process fluid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises an alternating current at a frequency substantially equal to a resonant frequency of the conduit of the vibrating meter including a process fluid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises an alternating current and the resulting signal comprises a voltage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises a fixed voltage and the resulting signal comprises a current. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor component comprises a driver coil. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor component comprises a pick-off sensor coil. ### Claim 10 A method for generating a correlation between a voltage-to-current ratio and temperature of a sensor component coupled to a conduit of a vibrating sensor, comprising steps of: supplying the sensor component coupled to the conduit of the vibrating sensor with a test signal; measuring a first resulting signal; determining a first voltage-to-current ratio based on the test signal and the resulting signal; measuring a first temperature of the sensor component; and storing the first determined voltage-to-current ratio with the first measured temperature. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising steps of: measuring a second temperature of the sensor component; and if the second temperature of the sensor component has changed by more than a threshold amount from the first temperature, measuring a second resulting signal to determine at least a second voltage-to-current ratio; and storing the second voltage-to-current ratio with the second temperature. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the sensor component comprises a driver coil. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the sensor component comprises a pick-off sensor coil. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the test signal comprises an alternating current and the resulting signal comprises a voltage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the test signal comprises a fixed voltage and the resulting signal comprises a current. ### Claim 16 A meter electronics (220) for a vibrating meter (200) including one or more conduits (203A, 203B) and one or more sensor components (204A, 205A, 205′A) coupled to the one or more conduits (203A, 203B), and including a processing system (303) configured to: supply a sensor component (204A, 205A, 205′A) of the one or more sensor components (204A, 205A, 205′A) coupled to the one or more conduits (203A, 203B) of the vibrating meter with a temperature determination signal; measure a resulting signal; and determine a temperature of the sensor component based on the temperature determination signal and the resulting signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The meter electronics (220) of claim 16, wherein the processing system (303) is further configured to: determine a voltage-to-current ratio based on the temperature determination signal and the resulting signal; and determine the temperature of the sensor component based on a correlation between the determined voltage-to-current ratio and temperature. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The meter electronics (220) of claim 17, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises an alternating current at a frequency substantially equal to a resonant frequency of the conduit of the vibrating meter including a process fluid and wherein the processing system (303) is further configured to: remove the temperature determination signal for a predetermined time; measure a voltage; determine a back electromotive force; and compensate the voltage-to-current ratio for the back electromotive force. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The meter electronics (220) of claim 16, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises an alternating current at a frequency different from a resonant frequency of the conduit (203A, 203B) of the vibrating meter (200) including a process fluid. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The meter electronics (220) of claim 16, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises an alternating current at a frequency substantially equal to a resonant frequency of the conduit (203A, 203B) of the vibrating meter (200) including a process fluid. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The meter electronics (220) of claim 16, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises an alternating current and the resulting signal comprises a voltage. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The meter electronics (220) of claim 16, wherein the temperature determination signal comprises a fixed voltage and the resulting signal comprises a current. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The meter electronics (220) of claim 16, wherein the sensor component comprises a drive coil (204A). ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The meter electronics (220) of claim 16, wherein the sensor component comprises a pick-off coil (205A, 205′A).