SENSOR DEVICE FOR DETECTING FLOWABLE MEDIA, A PRESSURE DEVICE AND A MEASURING METHOD

• US 20140053640A1
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydac Technology Gmbh (HYDAC International GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Hydac Technology Gmbh (HYDAC International GmbH)
• Inventors: Jirgal, Matthias Leo
• Granted Patent: US 9,488,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/64.53
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 1/165 in the form of a bladder
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 2201/50 Monitoring, detection and testing means for accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/05 by using mechanical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/22 by measuring physical variables, other than linear dimensions, pressure or weight, dependent on the level to be measured, e.g. by difference of heat transfer of steam or water involving the use of floats G01F23/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2967 for discrete levels
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/24 using infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/74 of fluids G01N24/00 takes precedence

Abstract

Sensor device (1) for detecting flowable media (3, 3′), and pressure device (5) and measuring method for operating the sensor device (1). A sensor device (1) for detecting flowable media (3, 3′), in particular in the form of fluids (9) which can be received in pressure devices (5), such as pressure containers (7) or pressure lines, with at least one sensor element (11) is characterized in that the respective sensor element (11) has an oscillation device (13) which is excited to produce oscillations under the action of a field (15) of a field generation device (17), the oscillating behaviour of which oscillations changes upon inflow of the respective medium (3), and in that the change can be detected by a measuring device (19).

Claims

1. A sensor device for detecting flowable media (3, 3′

), in particular in the form of fluids (9), which can be received in pressure devices (5) such as pressure containers (7) or pressure lines, said sensor device having at least one sensor element (11), wherein that sensor element has an oscillation device (13), which is excited to produce oscillations under the influence of a magnetic field (15) of a field generation device (17), the oscillation behavior of which oscillations changes upon the influx of the respective medium (3), and in that the change can be detected by a measuring device (19), wherein the field generation device (17) is formed by a magnet device (21) and the measuring device (19) is formed by at least one electromagnetic solenoid (23), wherein in addition to an electrical voltage in the solenoid (23), the magnetic flux of which electromagnetic solenoid is influenced by the oscillations of the sensor element when that sensor element (11) is excited, characterized in that the oscillation device (13) of the sensor element (11) is formed in the manner of a reed switch (33) or reed contact.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective reed switch (33) or reed contact is preferably formed of at least two preferably soft magnetic, elastic metal tongues (35, 35′

), which move away from one another as the field strength of the magnet device (21) decreases and in such a way, are excited to produce oscillations, of which at least one oscillation characteristic (37) changes upon the influx of the medium (3, 3′

), which can be detected by means of the measuring and evaluation device (19, 27).

3. The sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that the measuring device (19) is connected to an evaluation device (27) by means of a data transmission path (29), preferably by means of a cable connection or radio link (31), and in that the evaluation device (27) is disposed outside the pressure device (5).

4. The sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that the measuring and evaluation device (19, 27), which determines the absolute number of oscillations of the sensor element or the number of oscillations of the sensor element (11) above a predeterminable threshold value of an oscillation amplitude, preferably as a function of the medium (3, 3′

) that is to be detected.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor element (11) has a casing (39), preferably made of a plastic or glass material, having at least one opening (41) for the influx of the media (capillary solution).

6. The sensor device according to one of the preceding claim 1, characterized in that the energy for the operation of the sensor element (11) and/or of the measuring device (19) is obtained

from an electrical energy source (43), such as an accumulator, for example in the form of a battery or

through an inductive coupling of the sensor element (11) and the measuring device (19) with an energy source of the evaluation device (27) or

from energy of the medium (3) within the pressure device (5), such as from a difference in electrical potentials, from temperature differences, from the relative speed between a sensor element (11) and a flowing medium (3), or from pressure fluctuations in the medium (3).

7. A pressure device, in particular in the form of a pressure container (7) or a pressure line, characterized in that, by means of a sensor device (1) according to one of the preceding claims in the pressure device (5),

at least one present medium (3) or the absence of such a medium (3) or

at least one medium (3) present in a media mixture (solution, suspension) and/or

at least one medium flow

can be detected.

8. The pressure device according to claim 7, characterized in that the evaluation device (27) of the sensor device (1) is present on the sensor element (11) and/or outside the pressure device (5), and in that the evaluation device (27) is connected with the sensor element (11) thereof with the aid of a data transmission path (29) of the sensor device (1), preferably in the form of a cable connection or radio link (31), to which the sensor element (11) is connected.

9. The pressure device according to claim 7 in the form of a pressure container (7) formed as a hydraulic accumulator (45) (bellows accumulator, membrane accumulator, piston accumulator, bladder accumulator) having at least one separator (49) disposed in the accumulator housing (47) and preferably movably disposed, said separator separating two adjacently disposed media chambers (51, 53) within the accumulator housing (47) with different media (3, 3′

) from one another, whereby, in the event of an inadvertent media inflow of at least one of the media (3, 3′

) into the respective other media chamber (51, 53), the sensor device (1) registers this and signals this by means of the evaluation device (27), in particular to maintenance or operating personnel.

10. Measuring methods for operating the sensor device in a pressure device, each according to claim 1, characterized in that a reed switch (33) of the sensor device (1) behaves like a mechanical oscillator (55) under the influence of a magnetic field (15) of a field generation device (17), the oscillation behavior of which changes upon the influx of the respective medium (3, 3′

) and in that the change is registered by a measuring device (19), which relays the measured data thereof to an evaluation device (27) for further evaluation.

11. The measuring method according to claim 10, characterized in that the measuring and evaluation device (19, 27) carries out a nominal value compensation, which accounts for a current pressure in the media chamber (51), in which the sensor element (11) is mounted, and for a current temperature in at least one of the media chambers (51, 53).