HK1158307B

HK1158307B - System and method for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device

Info

Publication number: HK1158307B
Application number: HK11112840.4A
Authority: HK
Inventors: Craig B. Mcanally
Original assignee: Micro Motion, Inc.
Filing date: 2008-07-01
Publication date: 2018-02-15

Description

System, method for generating a drive signal in a vibration measuring device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a system, method and computer program product for generating a drive signal in a vibration measuring device.

Background

Vibratory measurement devices, such as, for example, densitometers and Coriolis flow meters, are used to measure characteristics of a flow material, such as, for example, density, mass flow rate, volume flow rate, aggregate mass flow, temperature, and other information. The vibration measurement device includes one or more conduits, which may have a variety of shapes, such as, for example, a straight, U-shaped, or irregular configuration.

One or more conduits have a set of natural vibration modes including, for example, simple bending, torsional, radial, and coupled modes. To determine the properties of the flowing substance, at least one drive drives or vibrates one or more conduits at a resonant frequency in one of the drive modes. One or more electronics transmit a sinusoidal or square wave drive signal to the at least one driver, which is typically a magnet/coil combination, where the magnet is typically secured to the conduit and the coil is secured to the mounting structure or another conduit. The drive signal causes the driver to vibrate the one or more conduits in the drive mode at the drive frequency. For example, the drive signal may be a periodic current delivered to the coil.

At least one sensor (pick-up) detects motion of the conduit(s) and generates a sinusoidal sensing signal representative of the motion of the vibrating conduit(s). The sensor is typically a magnet/coil combination, with the magnet typically being secured to one conduit and the coil being secured to a mounting structure or another conduit. The sensing signal is transmitted to one or more electronic devices; and the one or more electronics may use the sense signal to determine a characteristic of the flowing substance or adjust the drive signal as necessary, according to well-known principles.

In order to drive the vibration measuring device in the desired mode, a drive train is typically employed. The drive chain modifies one or more sense signals to generate a drive signal. The drive train boosts the appropriate drive frequency and suppresses other drive frequencies. As an example, the generated drive signal may start with the sense signal. The sense signal may then be modified (e.g., to filter out undesired modes, adjust signal gain and phase shift) to provide the generated drive signal.

Depending on the operating conditions, a given vibration measurement device may operate more accurately at a particular frequency. For example, a particular vibration measurement device can operate in a first bending drive mode at low frequencies or a second bending drive mode at high frequencies. The low frequency first bending drive mode may provide better air entrainment performance, while the high frequency second bending drive mode may provide more accurate measurements across a wider range of operating conditions.

As a practical matter, in the case where the vibration measuring apparatus is designed to operate in multiple modes, it is difficult to switch between the modes since a single fixed drive train cannot generate more than one mode. This is particularly problematic in the case where any analog hardware is included as part of the drive chain due to the fixed nature of the analog hardware.

The present invention is directed to overcoming this disadvantage inherent in prior single catheter systems.

Disclosure of Invention

The scope of the invention is to be determined entirely by the following claims, and is not to be affected to any extent by the statements within this summary.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for generating a drive signal in a vibratory measurement device comprises: at least one conduit, at least one driver, at least one sensor, and one or more electronics. At least one conduit is configured to receive a flow material. At least one driver vibrates at least one conduit. At least one sensor measures movement of at least one conduit. The one or more electronic devices include at least two drive chains, wherein each drive chain modifies the at least one sense signal to generate a drive signal for vibrating the at least one conduit and each drive chain generates a different vibration pattern in the at least one conduit. The one or more electronic devices include a drive chain selector for selecting a drive chain from at least two drive chains. The one or more electronics provide the drive signals generated by the selected drive chain to the driver.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating a drive signal of a vibration measuring device, the vibration measuring device comprising: at least one conduit configured to receive a flowable substance; at least one driver that vibrates at least one conduit; and at least one sensor that measures movement of at least one conduit, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least two drive chains to the one or more electronic devices, wherein each drive chain modifies the at least one sense signal to generate a drive signal and each drive chain generates a different vibration mode in the at least one conduit; selecting a drive chain from the at least two drive chains; and providing the drive signal generated by the selected drive chain to the driver.

According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including executable code for performing a process of generating a drive signal for a vibration measuring device (5), the process comprising: selecting a drive chain from at least two drive chains, wherein each drive chain modifies at least one sense signal to generate a drive signal and each drive chain generates a different vibration mode in at least one conduit; and providing the drive signal generated by the selected drive chain to the driver.

Aspect(s)

According to one aspect of the invention, a system for generating a drive signal in a vibratory measurement device comprises:

at least one conduit configured to receive a flowable substance;

at least one driver that vibrates at least one conduit;

at least one sensor that measures movement of at least one conduit;

one or more electronic devices comprising at least two drive chains, wherein:

each drive chain modifying at least one sense signal to generate a drive signal for vibrating at least one conduit;

each drive chain generating a different vibration mode in at least one conduit;

the one or more electronic devices include a drive chain selector for selecting a drive chain from at least two drive chains; and

the one or more electronics provide the drive signals generated by the selected drive chain to the driver.

Preferably, each drive chain modifies at least one sense signal in a manner that enhances a particular drive frequency and suppresses other drive frequencies.

Preferably, each drive chain includes a filter that filters out undesired vibration modes.

Preferably, each drive chain includes a phase shift algorithm.

Preferably, each drive chain includes a gain adjustment algorithm.

Preferably, the user or program selects a drive chain.

Preferably, the drive train is selected based on the presence or absence of entrained gas in the flowing substance.

Preferably, the drive chain is selected in dependence on the noise of the sense signal.

Preferably, the drive chain is selected by accessing a look-up table that correlates a plurality of conditions to a particular drive chain.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for generating a drive signal for a vibration measuring device, the vibration measuring device comprising: at least one conduit configured to receive a flowable substance; at least one driver that vibrates at least one conduit; and at least one sensor that measures movement of at least one conduit, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least two drive chains to one or more electronic devices, wherein:

each drive chain modifying at least one sense signal to generate a drive signal;

each drive chain generating a different vibration mode in at least one conduit;

selecting a drive chain from at least two drive chains; and

the drive signal generated by the selected drive chain is provided to the driver.

Preferably, each drive chain includes a phase shift algorithm.

Preferably, each drive chain includes a gain adjustment algorithm.

Preferably, the user or program selects a drive chain.

According to another aspect of the invention, a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including executable code for performing a process of generating a drive signal for a vibration measuring device (5), the process comprising:

selecting a drive chain from at least two drive chains, wherein:

each drive chain generating a different vibration mode in at least one conduit; and

Preferably, each drive chain includes a phase shift algorithm.

Preferably, each drive chain includes a gain adjustment algorithm.

Preferably, the user or program selects a drive chain.

Drawings

Fig. 1 depicts a perspective view of an example of a vibration measurement device.

Fig. 2 depicts a schematic perspective view of a drive system comprising a plurality of drive chains.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a vibration measurement device 5 in the form of a Coriolis flowmeter, which includes a sensor assembly 10 and one or more electronics 20. One or more electronic devices 20 are connected to the sensor assembly 10 to measure characteristics of the flowing substance, such as, for example, density, mass flow rate, volumetric flow rate, aggregate mass flow, temperature, and other information.

The sensor assembly 10 includes a pair of flanges 101 and 101', manifolds 102 and 102', and conduits 103A and 103B. Manifolds 102, 102' are secured to opposite ends of conduits 103A, 103B. The flanges 101 and 101 'of the present example are secured to manifolds 102 and 102'. Manifolds 102 and 102' of the present example are secured to opposite ends of partition 106. Isolator 106 maintains the spacing between manifolds 102 and 102' in this example to prevent undesirable vibration in conduits 103A and 103B. The conduits extend outwardly from the manifold in a substantially parallel manner. When sensor assembly 10 is inserted into a pipeline system (not shown) carrying a flowing substance, the substance enters sensor assembly 10 through flange 101, passes through inlet manifold 102 (where the total amount of material is directed into conduits 103A and 103B), flows through conduits 103A and 103B and returns to outlet manifold 102 '(where the substance exits sensor assembly 10 through flange 101').

The sensor assembly 10 of the present example includes a driver 104. The driver 104 is fixed to the conduits 103A, 103B at a position where the driver 104 can vibrate the conduits 103A, 103B in the driving mode. More specifically, the driver 104 includes a first driving portion (not shown) fixed to the guide tube 103A and a second driving portion (not shown) fixed to the guide tube 103B. Driver 104 may comprise one of many well-known arrangements, such as a first partial magnet mounted to conduit 103A and an opposing second partial coil mounted to conduit 103B.

In this example, the drive mode is the first out-of-phase bending mode and conduits 103A and 103B are preferably selected and suitably mounted to inlet manifold 102 and outlet manifold 102' so as to provide a balanced system having substantially the same mass distribution, moment of inertia, and modulus of elasticity about bending axes X-X and X ' -X ', respectively. In the present example, where the drive mode is the first out-of-phase bending mode, driver 104 drives conduits 103A and 103B in opposite directions about respective bending axes X and X' of conduits 103A and 103B. A drive signal in the form of an alternating current, such as for example provided by one or more electronics 20 via pathway 110, and passes through the coil to oscillate both catheters 103A, 103B.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other drive modes may be used within the scope of the present invention. As an example, the drive mode may be a twist mode as described in U.S. patent No. 5,271282, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The illustrated sensor assembly 10 includes a pair of sensors 105, 105' secured to conduits 103A, 103B. More specifically, a first sensing portion (not shown) is located on conduit 103A and a second sensing portion (not shown) is located on conduit 130B. In the depicted embodiment, the sensors 105, 105' are located at opposite ends of the conduits 103A, 103B. The sensors 105, 105' may be electromagnetic detectors, such as a first sensing portion magnet and a second sensing portion coil, which produce sensing signals indicative of the velocity and position of the conduits 103A, 103B. For example, the sensors 105, 105 'may supply sensing signals to one or more electronic devices via the pathways 111, 111'. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the motion of the conduits 103A, 103B is proportional to the particular characteristics of the flowing substance, such as the mass flow rate and density of the material flowing through the conduits 103A, 103B.

In the example shown in fig. 1, one or more electronic devices 20 receive sensing signals from sensors 105, 105'. Path 26 provides input and output means that allow one or more electronic devices 20 to interface with an operator. One or more electronic devices 20 measure characteristics of the flowing substance, such as, for example, density, mass flow rate, volume flow rate, aggregate mass flow, temperature, and other information. More specifically, the one or more electronics 20 receive one or more signals, for example, from the sensors 105, 105' and one or more temperature sensors (not shown), and use this information to measure characteristics of the flowing substance, such as, for example, density, mass flow rate, volume flow rate, aggregate mass flow, temperature, and other information.

Techniques for measuring characteristics of a flowing substance with a vibratory measuring device such as, for example, a Coriolis flowmeter or densitometer are well known; see, for example, U.S. patent No. 6,505,131, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein; therefore, a detailed discussion is omitted for the sake of brevity in this specification.

In the example shown in fig. 1, one or more electronic devices 20 provide drive signals to driver 104. More specifically, a drive chain C such as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2₁、C₂、C₃、C_NThe drive chain of (a) modifies one or more sense signals in a manner that enhances the appropriate drive frequency and suppresses other drive frequencies. For example, the drive chain C₁By filtering out undesired modes, i.e. the drive chain C₂、C₃、C_NAnd adjusting the signal gain and phase shifting the signal to modify the sense signal. After the drive chain modifies the one or more sense signals, the appropriate drive signal is sent to the driver 105 to vibrate the conduits 103, 103'.

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the drive chain of the present embodiment may be implemented in a software product, hardware, or a combination thereof. For example, the drive train may include analog hardware in the form of filters and software running processes such as one or more algorithms to phase shift and adjust signal gain.

Turning now to FIG. 2, an embodiment of a drive system 70 capable of selecting different drive chains is shown. As shown in FIG. 2, the drive system 70 includes a plurality of drive chains, such as drive chain C₁、C₂、C₃And C_N. According to one aspect of this embodiment, for example, the drive chain C₁、C₂、C₃、C_NIs configured to generate a different drive frequency or drive pattern. According to another aspect of this embodiment, for example, the drive chain C₁、C₂、C₃、C_NEach drive chain of (a) modifies one or more sense signals in a manner that enhances the appropriate drive frequency of the drive chain. According to a further aspect of this embodiment, for example, the drive chain C₁、C₂、C₃、C_NEach drive chain of (a) modifies one or more sense signals in a manner that suppresses other drive frequencies, including other drive frequencies of other drive chains. By way of example, each drive chain C₁、C₂、C₃、C_NAt least one filter F, which may be provided with, for example, an algorithm or hardware₁、F₂、F₃、F_NAt least one phase shift algorithm P₁、P₂、P₃、P_NAnd at least one gain adjustment algorithm G₁、G₂、G₃、G_NWhich modify one or more sense signals in an appropriate manner.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the particular algorithm employed will depend on many factors. Further, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, in practice, vibration measurement devices are often different from one another. For example and without limitation, vibration measuring devices typically differ at least to some extent in the amount of their mass, in their mass distribution, in the amplitude and/or frequency of the vibrations involved, and in the particular substance flowing through the conduit or the density of the particular substance. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that even small differences in mass, mass distribution, vibration amplitude and/or frequency, and in the particular substance flowing through the conduit or the density of the particular substance, will affect the particular drive train and algorithm used. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that some routine testing may be required in order to determine the appropriate drive train or algorithm for a particular vibration measurement device.

As shown in fig. 2, the drive system 70 includes a drive chain selector 75. According to one aspect of the present embodiment, the drive chain selector 75 is configured to allow selection of an appropriate drive chain, such as drive chain C₁、C₂、C₃、C_N. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the selector 75 of the present embodiment may be implemented in a software product, hardware, or a combination thereof. As an example, the drive chain selector 75 may be hardThe member switch and/or may be a software run, for example, where a user or program selects or enters the desired drive chain C to be used, such as at 76₁、C₂、C₃、C_NThe process of (1).

Thus, in situations where a particular drive chain is not appropriate, a user or program may switch to a more appropriate drive chain. For example, in situations where entrained gas is present, a particular drive train may provide more accurate measurements. As another example, certain drive chains may generate less noisy sense signals, i.e., such that they occur at frequencies that are different from other frequencies present in the system. As yet another example, a program or user may access a lookup table that correlates various conditions to particular drive chains.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is within the scope of the present invention to use the principles discussed herein in conjunction with any type of vibratory measurement device, including, for example, densitometers, regardless of the number of drives, the number of sensors, the mode of operation of the vibration, or the determined characteristics of the flowing substance. This written description depicts specific examples to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the best mode of the invention. For the purpose of teaching inventive principles, some conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Those skilled in the art will recognize variations of these examples that fall within the scope of the invention. The above detailed description of embodiments is not an exhaustive description of all embodiments contemplated by the inventors to be within the scope of the invention.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that certain elements of the above-described embodiments may be variously combined or eliminated to create additional embodiments, and that such additional embodiments will fall within the scope and teachings of the present invention. It will also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the above-described embodiments may be combined in whole or in part to create additional embodiments within the scope and teachings of the present invention.

Thus, while specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The teachings provided herein may be applied to other embodiments than those described above and shown in the drawings. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5), comprising:

at least one conduit (103A) configured to receive a flow material;

at least one driver (104) that vibrates the at least one conduit (103A);

at least one sensor (105) measuring movement of the at least one conduit (103A);

one or more electronic devices (20) configured to receive at least one sensing signal from the at least one sensor (105)Wherein the one or more electronic devices (20) comprise at least two drive chains (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Wherein:

the at least two drive chains (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Modifying the sense signal to generate a drive signal comprising different modes and different frequencies of vibration in the at least one conduit (103A); and is

The one or more electronic devices (20) comprise at least two drive chains (C) driven from the at least two drive chains₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) A drive chain selector (75) to select a drive chain, process the at least one sense signal with the selected drive chain to generate a drive signal, and provide the drive signal to the at least one driver (104),

wherein each drive chain (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) At least one sense signal is modified in a manner that enhances a particular drive frequency and suppresses other drive frequencies.

2. System for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 1, wherein each drive chain (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) A filter is included that filters out undesired vibration modes.

3. System for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 1, wherein each drive chain (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Comprising a phase shift algorithm (P)₁、P₂、P₃、P_N)。

4. System for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 1, wherein each drive chain (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Including a gain adjustment algorithm (G)₁、G₂、G₃、G_N)。

5. System for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 1, wherein the drive chain (C) is selected by a user or a program₁、C₂、C₃、C_N)。

6. System for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 1, wherein the drive train (C) is selected according to the presence or absence of entrained gas in the flowing substance₁、C₂、C₃、C_N)。

7. System for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 1, wherein the drive chain (C) is selected according to the noise of the sense signal₁、C₂、C₃、C_N)。

8. System for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of conditions are associated with a specific drive chain (C) by access₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Associated look-up tables to select the drive chain (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N)。

9. A method for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5), the vibrating measuring device (5) comprising: at least one conduit (103A) configured to receive a flow material; at least one driver (104) that vibrates the at least one conduit (103A); and at least one sensor (105) measuring the movement of the at least one conduit (103A), the method comprising the steps of:

from at least two drive chains (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Wherein the at least two drive chains (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Modifying the sense signal to generate a drive signal comprising different modes and different frequencies of vibration in the at least one conduit (103A);

receiving at least one sensing signal from the at least one sensor (105);

processing the at least one sense signal with the selected drive chain to generate a drive signal; and is

Providing the drive signal to the at least one driver (104),

10. Method for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 9, wherein each drive chain (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) A filter is included that filters out undesired vibration modes.

11. Method for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 9, wherein each drive chain (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Comprising a phase shift algorithm (P)₁、P₂、P₃、P_N)。

12. Method for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 9, wherein each drive chain (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Including a gain adjustment algorithm (G)₁、G₂、G₃、G_N)。

13. Method for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 9, wherein the drive chain (C) is selected by a user or a program₁、C₂、C₃、C_N)。

14. Method for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 9, wherein the drive train (C) is selected according to the presence or absence of entrained gas in the flowing substance₁、C₂、C₃、C_N)。

15. Method for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 9, wherein the drive chain (C) is selected according to the noise of the sense signal₁、C₂、C₃、C_N)。

16. Method for generating a drive signal in a vibrating measuring device (5) according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of conditions are associated with a specific drive chain (C) by accessing₁、C₂、C₃、C_N) Associated look-up tables to select the drive chain (C)₁、C₂、C₃、C_N)。