Method for start-up and/or monitoring of an inline measuring device

• US 20080229846A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Original Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Inventors: Grotzer, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/861.18
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8409 constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8413 means for influencing the flowmeter's motional or vibrational behaviour, e.g., conduit support or fixing means, or conduit attachments
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8418 motion or vibration balancing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8472 having curved measuring conduits, i.e. whereby the measuring conduits' curved center line lies within a plane G01F1/8481 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/00 Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters

Abstract

The measuring device includes a flow measuring transducer, through which a medium to be measured flows during operation. For monitoring an installed position of the flow transducer, the method of the invention provides, on the basis of application of a suitable tilt sensor, for ascertaining an instantaneous inclination of the measuring transducer corresponding to a tilt of at least one principal axis of inertia of the measuring transducer relative to at least one reference axis.

Claims

1-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A method for start-up and/or monitoring of an inline measuring device including a flow measuring transducer, through which a medium to be measured flows during operation, the flow measuring transducer defining at least one principal axis said method comprising the step of:

ascertaining an instantaneous inclination of the flow measuring transducer corresponding to a tilt of the at least one principal axis of inertia of the flow measuring transducer relative to at least one reference axis.

47. The method as claimed in claim 46, further comprising the step of:

producing a report, which signals, at least qualitatively, a deviation of said instantaneous inclination from a reference value predetermined therefor.

48. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein:

the report signals, at least at times, a permissible deviation of said instantaneous inclination from said reference value predetermined therefor; and

/or

the report signals, at times, an impermissibly high deviation of said instantaneous inclination from said reference value predetermined therefor; and

/or

the report is visually perceivable; and

/or

the report is acoustically perceivable; and

/or

the report is haptically perceivable.

49. The method as claimed in claim 48, wherein:

the report signals a permissible deviation of said instantaneous inclination from said reference value predetermined therefor such that self-emptying of flow measuring transducer is guaranteed.

50. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein:

the report signals an impermissible deviation of said instantaneous inclination from said reference value predetermined therefor such that self-emptying of flow measuring transducer cannot be guaranteed.

51. The method as claimed in claim 46, wherein:

the step of ascertaining an instantaneous inclination of the flow measuring transducer further includes a step of measuring said instantaneous inclination; and

/or

said inclination of said measuring transducer corresponds to a tilt of a reference plane of the flow measuring transducer defined by a first principal axis of inertia of the flow measuring transducer and a second principal axis of inertia of the flow measuring transducer, relative to the at least one reference axis; and

/or

a fall-line pointing in the direction of the acceleration of gravity is selected as the reference axis; and

/or

the flow measuring transducer includes at least one measuring tube for conveying medium to be measured.

52. The method as claimed in claim 46, further comprising at least one of the following steps:

producing a report signalizing, taking into consideration said instantaneous inclination of the flow measuring transducer, an instantaneous installed position of the flow measuring transducer as being unsuitable for operation of the inline measuring device;

producing an inclination measured-value, which represents the deviation of said instantaneous inclination to at least two places from said reference value predetermined therefor;

registering said instantaneous inclination by means of a tilt sensor reacting to a change of the inclination of the flow measuring transducer, and

producing a measurement signal representing said instantaneous inclination of the flow measuring transducer.

53. The method as claimed in claim 46, further comprising at least one of the following steps:

producing an on-site, visually and/or acoustically and/or haptically perceivable report, which signals, taking into consideration said instantaneous inclination of the flow measuring transducer, an instantaneous installed position of the flow measuring transducer as being unsuitable for operation of the inline measuring device;

producing an inclination measured-value, which represents the deviation of said instantaneous inclination to more than two places from a reference value predetermined therefor; and

registering said instantaneous inclination by means of a tilt sensor reacting to a change of the inclination of the flow measuring transducer, said tilt sensor being essentially rigidly coupled to the flow measuring transducer.

54. The method as claimed in claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

allowing medium to be measured to flow through the flow measuring transducer;

registering at least one parameter of medium present in the flow measuring transducer; and

producing at least one parameter measured-value quantitatively representing the parameter.

55. The method as claimed in claim 54, wherein:

said step of registering the at least one parameter further includes a step of producing at least one measurement signal corresponding to the parameter.

56. The method as claimed in claim 55, wherein:

said step of producing the at least one parameter measured-value further includes a step of applying the measured signal corresponding to the parameter.

57. The method as claimed in claim 46, further comprising the steps of:

allowing medium to be measured to flow through the flow measuring transducer;

registering at least one parameter of medium present in the flow measuring transducer;

producing at least one parameter measured-value quantitatively representing the parameter, and

producing an inclination measured-value, which represents the deviation of the instantaneous inclination to at least two places from the reference value predetermined therefor, wherein;

said step of producing the at least one parameter measured-value further includes a step of applying also the instantaneous inclination measured-value.

58. The method as claimed in claim 57, wherein:

said step of producing at least one measured value quantitatively representing the measured value occurs, when the inclination measured-value corresponds to a permissible deviation of said instantaneous inclination from the reference value predetermined therefor; and

/or

said step of producing at least one measured value quantitatively representing the measured variable is not performed, when the inclination measured-value corresponds to an impermissibly high deviation of said instantaneous inclination from the reference value predetermined therefor; and

/or

said step of producing the at least one parameter measured-value further includes a step of applying also the instantaneous inclination measured-value for compensation of measurement errors associated with said instantaneous inclination and/or for validation of the parameter measured-value.

59. The method as claimed in claim 46, wherein:

the flow measuring transducer includes an inlet for in-flowing medium and an outlet for out-flowing medium.

60. The method as claimed in claim 59, wherein:

the flow measuring transducer defines an imaginary flow axis connecting the inlet and the outlet.

61. The method as claimed in claim 60, wherein:

the principal axis of inertia of flow measuring transducer defining, at least in part, the inclination of the flow measuring transducer extends essentially parallel to the flow axis.

62. The method as claimed in claim 61, wherein:

the principal axis of inertia of the flow measuring transducer defining, at least in part, the inclination of the flow measuring transducer is coincident with the flow axis.

63. The method as claimed in claim 60, wherein:

the principal axis of inertia of the flow measuring transducer defining, at least in part, the inclination of the flow measuring transducer extends essentially perpendicular to the flow axis.

64. The method as claimed in claim 46, wherein:

the flow measuring transducer includes at least one measuring tube for conveying medium to be measured, the at least one measuring tube being at least sectionally essentially straight and/or the at least one measuring tube being at least sectionally curved.

65. The method as claimed in claim 64, wherein:

the at least one measuring tube is at least sectionally U- or V-shaped.

66. A measuring system, comprising:

a flow measuring transducer, through which a medium to be measured flows during operation; and

at least one tilt sensor for registering and/or monitoring an instantaneous inclination of said flow measuring transducer corresponding to a tilt of at least one principal axis of said flow measuring transducer relative to at least one reference axis.

67. The measuring system as claimed in claim 66, wherein:

said tilt sensor delivers, at least at times, a measurement signal representing, at least proportionately, the instantaneous inclination of said flow measuring transducer;

and/or said tilt sensor delivers, at least at times, a switch signal, which signals an impermissibly high deviation of the instantaneous inclination from a reference value predetermined therefor.

68. The measuring system as claimed in claim 67, further comprising:

measuring device electronics coupled electrically with said flow measuring transducer.

69. The measuring system as claimed in claim 68, wherein:

said flow measuring transducer registers, during operation, at least one parameter of the medium and delivers at least one measurement signal corresponding to the parameter; and

said measuring device electronics generates, during operation, by means of the at least one measurement signal, at least one parameter measured-value quantitatively representing the parameter.

70. The measuring system as claimed in claim 69, wherein:

said measuring device electronics is coupled with said at least one tilt sensor.

71. The measuring system as claimed in claim 70, wherein:

said measuring device electronics generates, at times, by means of the measurement signal delivered by said at least one tilt sensor and/or by means of the switch signal delivered by said at least one tilt sensor, a report, which at least qualitatively signals a deviation of the instantaneous inclination from a reference value predetermined therefor.

72. The measuring system as claimed in claim 71, wherein:

said flow measuring transducer includes at least one measuring tube for conveying medium to be measured.

73. The measuring systems as claimed in claim 72, wherein:

the report signals a permissible deviation of the instantaneous inclination from the reference value predetermined therefor such that self-emptying of said flow measuring transducer is guaranteed.

74. The measuring system as claimed in the claim 71, wherein:

the report signals an impermissible deviation of the instantaneous inclination from the reference value predetermined therefor such that self-emptying of said flow measuring transducer cannot be guaranteed.

75. The measuring system as claimed in claim 72, wherein:

said at least one measuring tube is at least sectionally essentially straight, and/or said at least one measuring tube is at least sectionally curved.

76. The measuring system as claimed in claim 75, wherein:

said at least one measuring tube is at least sectionally essentially U- or V-shaped.

77. The measuring system as claimed in claim 72, further comprising:

a transducer housing surrounding and/or encasing said at least one measuring tube.

78. The measuring system as claimed in claim 66, further comprising:

a display element coupled with said at least one tilt sensor for signaling an installed position of said flow measuring transducer corresponding to the instantaneous inclination of said flow measuring transducer.

79. The measuring system as claimed in claim 66, further comprising:

measuring device electronics coupled electrically with said flow measuring transducer.

80. The measuring system as claimed in claim 79, further comprising:

an electronics housing for said measuring device electronics.

81. The measuring system as claimed in claim 80, wherein:

said flow measuring transducer includes at least one measuring tube for conveying medium to be measured.

82. The measuring system as claimed in claim 81, further comprising:

a transducer housing surrounding and/or encasing said at least one measuring tube.

83. The measuring system as claimed in claim 82, wherein:

said electronics housing is mechanically coupled with said transducer housing.

84. The measuring system as claimed in claim 83, wherein:

said electronics housing is essentially rigidly coupled with said transducer housing; and

/or

said transducer housing has a connection seat for mounting of said electronics housing; and

/or

said at least one tilt sensor is mechanically connected with said transducer housing; and

/or

said at least one tilt sensor is placed within said transducer housing.

85. The measuring system as claimed in claim 84, wherein:

said transducer housing has a neck-shaped connection seat for mounting of said electronics housing; and

/or

said at least one tilt sensor is essentially rigidly and/or lastingly connected with said transducer housing.

86. The measuring system as claimed in claim 66, wherein:

said at least one tilt sensor is suited for registering a tilt of an imaginary reference plane of said flow measuring transducer relative to the at least one reference axis.

87. The measuring system as claimed in claim 86, wherein:

the reference plane is defined by a first principal axis of inertia of said flow measuring transducer and a second principal axis of said flow measuring transducer.

88. The measuring system as claimed in claim 87, wherein:

said at least one tilt sensor delivers, at least at times, a first measurement signal, which represents a tilt of the first principal axis of inertia relative to the at least one reference axis; and

said at least one tilt sensor delivers, at least at times, a second measurement signal, which represents a tilt of the second principal axis of inertia relative to the at least one reference axis.

89. The measuring system as claimed in claim 66, wherein:

at least two tilt sensors for registering tilts of two principal axes of inertia of said flow measuring transducer relative to the at least one reference axis are provided.

90. The measuring system as claimed in claim 66, further comprising:

a measuring device electronics coupled electrically with said flow measuring transducer; and

/or

a display element coupled with said at least one tilt sensor for signaling an installed position of said flow measuring transducer corresponding to the instantaneous inclination of said flow measuring transducer.

91. The measuring system as claimed in claim 90, wherein:

said display element is electrically coupled to said measuring device electronics.

92. The use of a tilt sensor coupled mechanically with a flow measuring transducer, through which a medium to be measured flows during operation for registering and/or monitoring an instantaneous inclination of the flow measuring transducer corresponding to a tilt of at least one principal axis of inertia of the measuring transducer relative to at least one reference axis.