Magnetic-inductive measuring device for flowing substances and method for its production

• US 20050183514A1
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Patent GmbH (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Scholz, Wolfgang, Schwiderski, Hans-Werner, Szasz, Paul, Keese, Dieter, Huck, Ralf, Vogel, Albrecht, Thone, Andreas, Eifel, Dominik, Huybrechts, Dirk, Lorito, Fabrizio, Rasche, Gunter, Oehler, Arno Erich, Asaah, Eniet
• Granted Patent: US 7,137,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.120
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/588 combined constructions of electrodes, coils or magnetic circuits, accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/006 characterised by the use of a particular material, e.g. anti-corrosive material G01F15/14 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a magnetic-inductive measuring device (1) for flowing substances (substance being measured), with at least one subsystem respectively

• • for carrying substance (hydraulic system, measuring tube) (2),
  • for recording measuring signals, comprising a signal pickup (electrode arrangement (20, 22) for signal tapping),
  • for generating a magnetic field, comprising at least two exciting coils (30) and a ferromagnetic core (32) (magnetic system), and for bounding the device on the ambient side (housing), and is characterized in that at least one of the subsystems is entirely or partly formed by layers of fibre composite material and/or is embedded in layers of fibre composite material.

Claims

1. Magnetic-inductive measuring device for flowing substances (substance being measured), with at least one subsystem respectively

for carrying substance (hydraulic system, measuring tube)

for recording measuring signals, comprising a signal pickup (electrode arrangement for signal tapping),

for generating a magnetic field, comprising at least two exciting coils and a ferromagnetic core (magnetic system), and

for bounding the device on the ambient side (housing), wherein at least one of the subsystems is entirely or partly formed by layers of fibre composite material and/or is embedded in layers of fibre composite material.

2. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring tube is entirely or partly formed by layers of fibre composite material, in particular of an electrically nonconductive fibre composite material.

3. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the signal pickup is entirely or partly formed by layers of fibre composite material and/or is embedded in layers of fibre composite material.

4. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic system is entirely or partly formed by layers of fibre composite material and/or is embedded in layers of fibre composite material.

5. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the signal pickup is completely embedded and the magnetic system is completely or partly embedded in layers of fibre composite material.

6. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed from fibre composite material.

7. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the signal pickup and the magnetic system are embedded in the measuring tube formed by layers of fibre composite material.

8. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring tube is formed by a series of layers of different fibre composite materials.

9. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the wall thickness of the measuring tube is of such a size that the measuring tube with the embedded subsystems can absorb the hydraulic and mechanical loads occurring.

10. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the signal pickup comprises at least two measuring electrodes and electrical leads to the electrodes and/or a reference electrode for the electrical contacting of the substance being measured.

11. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the signal pickup comprises at least two measuring electrodes and at least two shielding electrodes shielding the measuring electrodes from external fields, and electrical leads to the electrodes and/or a reference electrode for the electrical contacting of the substance being measured.

12. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring and/or shielding and/or reference electrodes are formed from metal foil or bendable metal sheet or conductive plastic or conductive fibre composite material.

13. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring electrodes are formed from perforated metal foil or metal gauze or conductive synthetic fabric.

14. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the signal pickup comprises an electronic signal converter subassembly and an electrically conducting connection is led from each of the measuring electrodes to the signal converter subassembly.

15. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic core is embedded in layers of fibre composite material.

16. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the exciting coils are embedded together with the ferromagnetic core in layers of fibre composite material.

17. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic core is formed from erromagnetic foil or ferromagnetic metal sheet or ferromagnetic wire or ferromagnetic wire mesh.

18. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic core is formed from iron or iron-nickel or cobalt-iron or silicon-iron or aluminium-iron or ferrite.

19. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the exciting coils are formed from copper wire embedded in fibre-reinforced epoxy resin.

20. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein at least one shielding layer against electrical or magnetic or electromagnetic fields is embedded in the layers of fibre composite material between the signal pickup and the device bounding surface on the ambient side.

21. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the shielding layer is formed from conductive fibre composite material or from metal foil or from metal mesh.

22. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein an electrical connection device is attached at the device boundary on the ambient side and in that electrical connecting conductors are formed from the signal pickup and/or the measuring transducer and the coils to the electrical connection device.

23. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical connection device comprises a measuring transducer.

24. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises at least one further measuring pickup for recording at least one further measured variable of the substance and/or of the hydraulic system.

25. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises a first further measuring pickup for recording a further measured variable of the flowing substance and a second further measuring pickup for recording a measured variable of the hydraulic system.

26. Measuring device according to claim 25, wherein the first and/or second further measuring pickup is a temperature sensor.

27. Measuring device according to claim 26, wherein the first measuring pickup is a pressure sensor or an optical turbidity sensor or an optical analyser or an imaging optoelectronic component.

28. Measuring device according to claim 26, wherein the second measuring pickup is a strain gauge.

29. Measuring device according to claim 24, wherein the information obtained from the measuring signal of the further measuring pickup can be used to carry out a device diagnosis, in particular monitoring the operational limit and/or determining the remaining service life.

30. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the device bounding surface on the substance side is nanostructured and formed with reduced adhesiveness.

31. Measuring device according to claim 30, wherein the device bounding surface on the substance side is structured in the manner of a lotus leaf surface.

32. Measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the layers of fibre composite material are produced by a winding technique.

33. Method for producing a magnetic-inductive measuring device for flowing substances (substances being measured), the magnetic-inductive measuring device having a device bounding surface on the side of the substance being measured and a device bounding surface on the ambient side and also at least one further subsystem respectively for carrying substance (hydraulic system, measuring tube), for recording measuring signals (signal pickup) and for generating a magnetic field (magnetic system), wherein all or some of the further subsystems are entirely or partly formed by layers of fibre composite material and/or embedded in layers of fibre composite material.

34. Method according to claim 33, wherein the measuring tube is produced from fibre composite material by semifinished fibre composite material being wound layer by layer onto a core and the signal pickup and the magnetic system being incorporated in the measuring tube during winding.

35. Method according to claim 34, wherein the signal pickup and the magnetic system are already positioned and provisionally fastened on the already wound part of the measuring tube before being incorporated during winding.

36. Method according to claim 35, wherein the measuring tube with the subsystems incorporated by winding is wound from layers of resin-impregnated semifinished fibre material and is subsequently cured.

37. Method according to claim 35, wherein the measuring tube with the subsystems incorporated by winding is wound from layers of dry semifinished fibre material and the resin is subsequently drawn in under a vacuum.

38. Method according to claim 33, wherein certain regions different fibre composite materials are wound on.

39. Method according to claim 38, wherein certain regions electrically nonconductive fibre composite materials and in certain regions electrically conductive fibre composite materials are wound on.