Electromagnetic flowmeter

• US 5,880,376 A
• Filed: 09/29/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kubota, Yousuke, Sai, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Harshad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Jewel V.
• Application Number:
  US08/937,595
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 73/861.08, 73/861.12, 73/861.16, 73/861.17
• US Class Current: 73/861.08
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/002 wherein the flow is in an open channel
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/584 constructions of electrodes, accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/586 constructions of coils, magnetic circuits, accessories therefor G01F1/582 takes precedence; magnet; inductances; transformers; selection of materials for their magnetic properties per se H01F
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/588 combined constructions of electrodes, coils or magnetic circuits, accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/60 Circuits therefor

Abstract

An electromagnetic flowmeter generates a magnetic filed perpendicular to a ring earth electrode contacting fluid at an end portion of a measuring tube and a point electrode attached to a lower portion of the measuring tube so as to measure a flow rate without depending on a fluid level. The electromagnetic flowmeter comprises magnetic field generation means for generating the magnetic field in the measuring tube to be perpendicular to an axial direction of the measuring tube such that electromotive force generated in fluid is not influenced by the fluid level, flow rate output means for calculating a flow rate of fluid flowing in the measuring tube based on a potential developed in the fluid by said magnetic filed generated by the magnetic field generation means so as to output the calculated flow rate, and display means for displaying the flow rate calculated by the flow rate calculation means.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic flowmeter comprising:

magnetic field generation means for generating a magnetic field in a measuring tube, said magnetic field being perpendicular to an axial direction of said measuring tube and perpendicular to a gravitation direction, such that electromotive force generated in a fluid in said measuring tube is not influenced by a fluid level of said fluid; and

flow rate output mans for calculating flow rate of fluid flowing in said measuring tube based on a potential developed in said fluid by said magnetic field generated by said magnetic field generation means so as to output said calculated flow rate and;

display means for displaying said flow rate calculated by said flow rate output means.

3. The electromagnetic flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic field generation means comprises:

first magnetic field generation means for generating the magnetic field in said measuring tube to be perpendicular to the axial direction of said measuring tube;

detection means for detecting level of fluid flowing in said measuring tube;

drive current output means for outputting a drive current for generating a magnetic field such that electromotive force generated in said fluid is not influenced by said fluid level based on the fluid level detected by said detection means; and

second magnetic field generation means for generating a magnetic field for correcting the magnetic field generated in the measuring tube to be perpendicular to an axial direction of said measuring tube such that electromotive force generated in said fluid is not influenced by said fluid level based on said drive current output from said drive current output means.

2. An electromagnetic flowmeter comprising:

magnetic field generation means for generating a magnetic field in a measuring tube, said magnetic field being perpendicular to an axial direction of said measuring tube and to be perpendicular to a gravitation direction such that an electromotive force generated in a fluid flowing in said measuring tube is not influenced by a fluid level of said fluid;

flow rate output means for calculating a flow rate of said fluid flowing in said measuring tube based on a potential developed in said fluid by said magnetic field generated by said magnetic field generation means so as to output said calculated flow rate; and

display means for displaying said flow rate calculated by said flow rate output means, wherein said magnetic field generation means comprises;

a pair of excitation coils provided on an outer periphery of said measuring tube; and

supply means for supplying an excitation current to each of said excitation coils to generate the magnetic field;

wherein said excitation coils are arranged such that a line connecting to a center of each of said excitation coils is placed on an upper side in the gravitation direction with respect to a line which passes through the center of the measuring tube parallel to the axial direction of the measuring tube and perpendicular to the gravitation direction.

4. An electromagnetic flowmeter comprising:

magnetic field generation means for generating a magnetic field that is both perpendicular to an axial direction of said measuring tube and perpendicular to a gravitation direction in a measuring tube; and

flow rate output means for calculating a flow rate of fluid flowing in said measuring tube based on a potential developed in said fluid by the magnetic field generated by said magnetic field generation means and said level of fluid flowing in said measuring tube so as to output said calculated flow rate; and

display means for displaying said flow rate calculated by said flow rate output means.

5. The electromagnetic flowmeter according to claim 4, wherein said flow rate output means comprises:

detection means for detecting the level of fluid flowing in said measuring tube;

calculation means for calculating the flow rate of fluid flowing in said measuring tube based on the potential developed in said fluid by the magnetic field generated by said magnetic generation means; and

correction flow rate output means for correcting the flow rate of fluid calculated by said calculation means based on the fluid level detected by said detection means so as to output said corrected flow rate to said display means.

6. The electromagnetic flowmeter according to claim 4, wherein said flow rate output means comprises:

fluid level detection means for detecting the level of fluid flowing in said measuring tube;

a plurality of flow rate detection means for outputting signals, which are proportional to the flow rate of fluid flowing in said measuring tube, based on electromotive force generated at a position in an axial direction of a lower portion of said measuring tube, respectively;

flow rate selection means for selecting a signal, which is output from said flow rate detection means corresponding to said fluid level and proportional to the flow rate, among the signals, which are output from said flow rate detection means and proportional to the flow rate, based on the fluid level detected by said fluid level detection means; and

correction flow rate output means for calculating the flow rate of fluid flowing in said measuring tube based on the signal output from said flow rate selection means so as to correct the calculated flow rate of fluid based on the fluid level detected by said fluid level detection means and to output said corrected flow rate to said display means.

7. The electromagnetic flowmeter according to claim 4, wherein said flow rate output means comprises:

a plurality of potential detection means for detecting a potential of each of a plurality of positions of said measuring tube;

fluid level detection means for detecting the fluid level flowing in said measuring tube based on the potential detected by said potential detection means;

selection means for selecting one of potentials output from said plurality of potential detection means so as to be output based on the fluid level detected by said fluid level detection means;

lower portion potential detection means for detecting a potential of a lower portion of said measuring tube; and

correction flow rate output means for calculating the flow rate of fluid flowing in said measuring tube based on the potential detected by said lower portion potential detection means and the potential output from said selection means so as to correct said calculated flow rate of fluid based on the fluid level detected by said fluid level detection means and to output said corrected flow rate to said display means.

8. An electromagnetic flowmeter comprising:

an earth ring, provided at an end portion of a measuring tube, for indicating an earth potential;

magnetic field generation means for generating a magnetic field in said measuring tube to be perpendicular to an axial direction of said measuring tube and to be perpendicular to a gravitation direction; and

flow rate output means for calculating a flow rate of fluid flowing in said measuring tube based on a potential, which is developed at a lower portion of said measuring tube and which is detected at a portion of said measuring tube separated from said earth ring by a distance more than an inner diameter of said measuring tube, said potential developed by said magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generation means and the earth potential indicated by said earth ring; and

display means for displaying said flow rate calculated by said flow rate output means.

9. An electromagnetic flowmeter comprising:

a pair of excitation coils, provided on an outer periphery of a measuring tube, for generating a magnetic field in said measuring tube, said magnetic fluid being perpendicular to an axial direction of said measuring tube and perpendicular to a gravitational direction, such that an electromotive force generated in a fluid in said measuring tube is not influenced by a fluid level of said fluid;

a point electrode, provided at a lower portion in said measuring tube, for detecting a potential developed in said fluid by said magnetic field generated by said pair of excitation coils;

a processor for calculating a flow rate of fluid flowing in said measuring tube based on the potential detected by said point electrode; and

a display device for displaying said flow rate calculated by said processor.