PROCESS VARIABLE TRANSMITTER WITH ACCELERATION SENSOR

• US 20090043530A1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Hedtke, Robert C., Sittler, Fred C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,898,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/028 Acoustic or vibration analysis

Abstract

A process variable transmitter for use in an industrial process control or monitoring system includes a transmitter housing and a process variable sensor having a sensor output related to a process variable. An accelerometer is coupled to the transmitter and provides an accelerometer output related to acceleration. Diagnostic circuitry provides a diagnostic output as a function of the sensor output and the accelerometer output.

Claims

1. A process variable transmitter for use in an industrial process control or monitoring system, comprising:

a process variable sensor having a sensor output related to a process variable;

an accelerometer coupled to the transmitter having an accelerometer output related to acceleration; and

diagnostic circuitry having a diagnostic output as a function of the sensor output and the accelerometer output which is indicative of a diagnostic condition of a process device or component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a transmitter housing wherein the accelerometer is coupled to the transmitter housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer is adjacent the process variable sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer comprises a tri-axis accelerometer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the process variable sensor comprises a pressure sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 including communication circuitry configured to couple to a process control loop.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the diagnostic output from the diagnostic circuitry is transmitted on the process control loop.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the diagnostic output is related to failure of a process component.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the diagnostic output is related to degradation in performance of a process component.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the diagnostic output is related to an impending failure of a process component.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic output is used to compensate the process variable.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic output is based upon rules.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry implements a neural network, or fuzzy logic.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the acceleration sensor is selected from a group of acceleration sensors including of capacitive, electrodynamic, piezoelectric and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS).

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry is configured to control an acceleration applied to the process control transmitter.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 including a striker configured to impact the transmitter.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer is configured to sense an acceleration applied by an operator.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer is configured to sense a calibrated acceleration applied to the transmitter.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry is configured to compare acceleration from more than one calibrated accelerations applied to the transmitter.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the process variable transmitter is configured to control an output of the process variable based upon sensed acceleration.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer is configured to sense an ambient acceleration.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the ambient acceleration is from at least one of a water hammer, pump pulsation and machinery acceleration.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic circuitry is configured to compensate the output from the process variable based upon a sensed static acceleration.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer provides an output for use in one of diagnostics, process variable compensation, or verification of operation.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 including a memory configured to store the process variable and wherein the process variable transmitter provides an output based upon the process variable stored in the memory as a function of sensed acceleration.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic output is a function of a historical relationship between the sensory output and the accelerometer output.

27. A method of diagnosing operation of a transmitter in an industrial process control system, comprising:

sensing accelerations applied to the transmitter using an accelerometer;

measuring a process variable; and

diagnosing operation of the transmitter or a process component based upon the sensed accelerations and the measured process variable.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the accelerometer is coupled to a transmitter housing.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the accelerometer is adjacent a process variable sensor.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the accelerometer comprises a tri-axis accelerometer.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the sensed process variable comprises pressure.

32. The method of claim 27 including transmitting diagnostic information on a process control loop.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the diagnosed operation is related to an impending failure of a process component.

34. The method of claim 27 including compensating the process variable based upon the step of diagnosing.

35. The method of claim 27 wherein the diagnosing is based upon rules.

36. The method of claim 27 wherein the diagnosing is based upon a neural network, or fuzzy logic.

37. The method of claim 27 wherein the acceleration sensor is selected from a group of acceleration sensors including of capacitive, electrodynamic, piezoelectric and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS).

38. The method of claim 27 including controlling an acceleration applied to the transmitter.

39. The method of claim 27 including sensing an acceleration applied by an operator.

40. The method of claim 27 including sensing a calibrated acceleration applied to the transmitter.

41. The method of claim 27 including storing the process variable and wherein providing an output based upon the stored process variable as a function of sensed acceleration.