Method and device for system and/or process monitoring

• US 20040037349A1
• Filed: 06/09/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Original Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Inventors: Budmiger, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,070,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/58 by electromagnetic flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to a device for system- and/or process-monitoring in connection with a measurement apparatus that determines/monitors at least one process parameter of a medium (12).

An object of the invention is to provide a method and a device which enable statements to be made regarding the present and future functionality of a measurement apparatus, or individual components of the measurement apparatus (1).

Regarding the method, the object is solved in the manner that the temperature values (T) of the medium (12) are ascertained directly or indirectly and that a trend analysis regarding the thermal loading of the measurement apparatus (1) or the thermal loading of individual components of the measurement apparatus (1) is carried out on the basis of the ascertained temperature values (T) of the medium (3) or on the basis of the derivatives of the ascertained temperature values of the medium (3).

Claims

1. Method for system- and/or process monitoring in association with a measurement apparatus that determines at least one process parameter of a medium, characterized in that,

the temperatures (T) of the medium (3) are directly or indirectly ascertained and a trend analysis regarding thermal loading of the measurement apparatus (1) or thermal loading of individual components of the measurement apparatus (1) is performed on the basis of the ascertained temperature values (T) of the medium (3) or on the basis of derivatives of the ascertained temperature values T(ⁿ/t^m with m,n>

0) of the medium.

10. Device as claimed in one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that,

in the storage unit (8) characteristic curves are stored, which provide a relationship between the temperature (T) of the electromagnet (3;

4) or of the measurement apparatus (1) and the probable life span of the measurement apparatus (1).

11. Device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that,

the characteristic curves are empirically established characteristic curves.

12. Device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that,

an output unit (9) is provided, by way of which information on the probable life span of the measurement apparatus (1) or of individual components of the measurement apparatus (1) are made available to operating personnel.

2. Device for system- and/or process monitoring with a measurement apparatus that determines at least one process parameter of a medium, characterized in that,

a unit (10) for direct measurement of the temperature values or the derivatives of the temperature values (Tⁿ/t^m with m,n>

0) is provided or the temperature values or the derivatives of the temperature values (Tⁿ/t^m with m,n>

0) are indirectly ascertained, and

an evaluation-/control-unit (8) is provided, which performs a trend analysis regarding thermal loading of the measurement apparatus (1) or thermal loading of individual components of the measurement apparatus (1) on the basis of the established temperature values (T) of the medium (3) or on the basis of derivatives of the temperature values (Tⁿ/t^m with m,n>

0).

3. Device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that,

the measurement apparatus (1) exhibits a measurement tube (2), through which a medium (3) flows, and

the measurement apparatus (1) contains a sensor for determining and/or monitoring mass or volume flow.

4. Device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that,

the measurement apparatus (1) contains a magnetic-inductive sensor with a measurement tube (2), a magnet component containing two electromagnets (3, 4) and at least one measurement electrode (5;

6), wherein the medium (12) flows through the measurement tube (2) in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the measurement tube, wherein the magnet component produces a magnetic field passing through the measurement tube (2) and oriented essentially crosswise to the longitudinal axis (11) of the measurement tube, wherein the at least one measurement electrode (5;

6) is arranged in a lateral region of the measurement tube (2) and galvanically or capacitively coupled with the medium (12) and wherein the evaluation-/control unit (7) produces information about the volume flow of the medium (3) in the measurement tube (2) on the basis of a measurement voltage induced in the measurement electrode (5;

6).

5. Device as claimed in claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that,

the unit (10) for measuring the temperature (T) contains a temperature sensor that is arranged such that it comes in contact with the medium (12) or that is arranged such that it is in immediate proximity to the medium (12).

6. Device as claimed in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that,

the evaluation-/control-unit (7) monitors the resistance (R(T)) of at least one electromagnet (3;

4) over an extended time,

the evaluation-/control-unit (7) determines the temperature (T) or the temperature change of the electromagnet (3;

4) and

the evaluation-/control-unit (7) uses the established temperature values (7) of the at least one electromagnet (5;

6) for a trend analysis regarding the thermal loading of the magnetic-inductive measurement apparatus (1) or regarding the thermal loading of individual components of the magnetic-inductive measurement apparatus (1).

7. Device as claimed in claim 2, 4, 5 or 6 characterized in that,

the evaluation-/control-unit (7) uses the information about the thermal loading of the measurement apparatus (1) for making a statement regarding the life span of the measurement apparatus (1) or regarding the life span of individual components of the measurement apparatus.

8. Device as claimed in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that,

a storage unit (8) is provided, in which the resistance values (R(T)) of the electromagnet (5;

6) are stored as a function of temperature.

9. Device as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that,

characteristic curves are filed in the storage unit (8), which relate the resistance (R(T)) of the electromagnet (5;

6) or resistance changesR((T)ⁿ/t^m with m,n>

0) of the at least one electromagnet (5;

6) to the temperature (T) or, respectively, temperature changes (Tⁿ/t^m with m,n>

0) of the measurement apparatus (1).