Mass flowmeter

• US 5,307,689 A
• Filed: 01/15/1992
• Issued: 05/03/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokico Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Tokico Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Hiroaki, Miyata, Yasuji, Koido, Hiroshi, Nishiyama, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldstein, Herbert
• Application Number:
  US07/821,461
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 73/861.37, 73/861.38
• US Class Current: 73/861.357
• 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 1/8436 signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8477 with multiple measuring conduits
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8495 with multiple measuring conduits

Abstract

A mass flowmeter has a U-shaped sensor tube provided on a support base which is supported on a vibration absorbing member, and both ends of the sensor tube are respectively connected to an inlet and an outlet of a manifold. Vibrators are provided at an intermediate part of each straight tube part provided between the inlet and outlet sides of the sensor tube. Pickups are provided on the upstream and downstream sides of each vibrator so as to detect the displacement of the sensor tube. An external vibration is in an opposite direction between the inlet and outlet sides relative to the vibrating direction. Hence, outputs of the pickups located on the upstream sides of the vibrators are added, and outputs of the pickups located on the downstream sides of the vibrators are added. The external vibration is cancelled by obtaining a phase difference of the two added values.

Claims

1. A mass flowmeter for measuring a flux of a fluid comprising:

a sensor tube including a first tube part for receiving the fluid and a second tube part for outputting the fluid;

vibrating means for vibrating the first tube part at a first position and the second tube part at a second position in mutually opposite directions;

displacement detecting means for detecting a displacement of the first tube part on an upstream side and on a downstream side of the first position and a displacement of the second tube part on an upstream side and on a downstream side of the second position; and

measuring means for calculating the flux of the fluid based on a phase difference between a first sum of the displacements detected on the upstream side of the first position and on the upstream side of the second position and a second sum of the displacements detected on the downstream side of the first position and on the downstream side of the second position.

2. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sensor tube has an approximate U-shape.

3. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second tube parts include parts which extend approximately parallel to each other.

4. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 3, wherein the parts of the first and second tube parts which extend approximately parallel to each other are straight.

5. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second tube parts include parts which extend approximately parallel to each other.

6. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first position is provided at an approximate center position of the first tube part, and the second position is provided at an approximate center position of the second tube part.

7. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said displacement detecting means includes first and second detectors for respectively detecting the displacements of the first tube part on the upstream side and on the downstream side of the first position, and third and fourth detectors for respectively detecting the displacements of the second tube part on the upstream side and on the downstream side of the second position.

8. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first and second detectors are respectively arranged at positions on the upstream side and on the downstream side of the first position for detecting approximately the same vibration amplitude for a given vibration, and said third and fourth detectors are respectively arranged at positions on the upstream side and on the downstream side of the second position for detecting approximately the same vibration amplitude for a given vibration.

9. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 7, wherein said measuring means includes first means for obtaining a sum of outputs of said first and third detectors and a sum of outputs of the second and fourth detectors, and second means for calculating the flux of the fluid based on a phase difference between the two sums obtained by said first means.

10. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the outputs of said first through fourth detectors are dependent on D1 through D4,

D1=Asinω

t-α

cosω

t+Bsin(ω

₀ t+θ

)

D2=Asinω

t+α

cosω

t+Bsin(ω

₀ t+θ

)

D3=Asinω

t-α

cosω

t-Bsin(ω

₀ t+θ

)

D4=Asinω

t+α

cosω

t-Bsin(ω

₀ t+θ

)

where ω

denotes a resonance frequency, ω

₀ denotes an external vibration frequency, A denotes a maximum amplitude of the vibration which is generated by said vibrating means and is picked up at the positions of said first and fourth detectors, B denotes a maximum amplitude of the vibration which is generated by said vibrating means and is picked up at the positions of said second and third detectors, α

denotes a maximum amplitude of a vibration introduced by Coriolis'"'"' force, and θ

denotes a phase difference angle between an external vibration and the vibration generated by said vibrating means.

11. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vibrating means includes a first vibrator provided at the first position and a second vibrator provided at the second position.

12. The mass flowmeter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said displacement detecting means includes speed sensors for detecting displacements at the upstream and downstream sides of the first position of the first tube part and displacements at the upstream and downstream sides of the second position of the second tube part as relative speeds with respect to a reference position.