Diagnostics of impulse piping in an industrial process

• US 20050132808A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Schumacher, Mark S., Brown, Gregory C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,523,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/592
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0015 using switching means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2634 cylindrical from outside
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/12 by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves measuring frequency or resonant frequency of mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in general G01H1/06, G01H3/04, G01H13/00; acoustic resonators G10K11/04; vibration or shock testing of structures G01M7/00

Abstract

Diagnosing operation of an impulse piping line in an industrial process is provided. A vibration source transmits a vibration signal through the piping and a vibration signal receiver receives the vibration signal. The operation of the impulse piping line is diagnosed, such as failure or impending failures, based upon the received vibration signal.

Claims

29. A method of diagnosing operation of impulse piping in an industrial process, comprising:

controlling a vibration signal source to generate a desired vibration signal and sending the vibration signal along the impulse piping;

receiving the vibration signal from the impulse piping line; and

diagnosing operation of the impulse piping based upon the received vibration signal.

1. A device for diagnosing operation of an impulse piping line in an industrial process, comprising:

a vibration signal source configured to generate a desired vibration signal and transmit the vibration signal through the impulse piping line;

a vibration signal receiver configured to receive the vibration signal from the impulse piping line; and

diagnostic circuitry configured to control the vibration signal source and responsively diagnose operation of the impulse piping based upon the received vibration signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry is further configured to monitor background noise.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry comprises monitored background noise with a stored reference noise signature to identify failure or pending failure of process equipment.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a frequency of the vibration signal is adjusted to change a signal to noise ratio.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry is configured to diagnose variations in impulse piping which forms a filled capillary leg of a level measurement device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry includes a memory containing a spectral profile of a received vibration signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry comprises comparing the received vibration signal to a reference.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vibration signal source and signal receiver are formed by a transducer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vibration signal comprises a noise signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vibration signal has a frequency of less than about 20 Hz.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vibration signal source and vibration signal receiver are coupled to a process coupling.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the process coupling comprises a flange.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the impulse piping line couples a pressure sensor to process fluid.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vibration signal source is configured to direct the transmitted vibration signal along a length of the impulse piping line.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the vibration signal source and vibration signal receiver are inserted through and disposed within an opening in the flange.

16. A transmitter including the device of claim 1.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the transmitter comprises a flow transmitter.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the transmitter comprises a pressure transmitter.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the transmitter comprises a level transmitter.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the transmitter includes a transmitter housing and the vibration signal source and vibration signal receiver couple to the diagnostic circuitry in the transmitter through an opening in the transmitter housing.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the transmitter is configured to couple to a two-wire process control loop.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the transmitter is configured to be completely powered with power received from the process control loop.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry is configured to diagnose plugging of the impulse piping line.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry is configured to diagnose loss of fill fluid in the impulse piping line.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry is configured to diagnose variations in impulse piping line forming a wet leg of a level measurement device.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry is configured to diagnose variations in impulse piping line forming a dry leg of a level measurement device.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry performs a self diagnostic based upon the received vibration signal.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vibration signal source and vibration signal receiver comprise a piezoelectric transducer.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the diagnosing includes retrieving a spectral profile of a received vibration signal.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the diagnosing comprises comparing the received vibration signal to a reference.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein the vibration signal comprises a noise signal.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the vibration signal has a frequency of less than about 20 Hz.

34. The method of claim 29 including coupling the vibration signal to a process coupling.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the process coupling comprises a flange.

36. The method of claim 29 wherein the impulse piping couples a pressure sensor to process fluid.

37. The method of claim 29 including directing the vibration signal along a length of the impulse piping.

38. A transmitter implementing the method of claim 29.

39. The method of claim 29 including transmitting diagnostic data on a two-wire process control loop.

40. The method of claim 29 including diagnosing plugging of the impulse piping.

41. The method of claim 29 including diagnosing variations in impulse piping forming a wet leg of a level measurement device.

42. The method of claim 29 including diagnosing variations in impulse piping forming a dry leg of a level measurement device.

43. The method of claim 29 including performing a self diagnostic based upon the received vibration signal.

40-1. The method of claim 29 including diagnosing loss of fill fluid in the impulse piping.