Vibratory transducer

• US 7,353,717 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Original Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Inventors: Rieder, Alfred, Drahm, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): CYGAN, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/448,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20060225517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 738/613.51, 738/613.52, 738/613.55, 738/613.54, 738/613.57
• US Class Current: 73/861.351
• 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 1/8422 exciters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8427 detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/849 having straight measuring conduits
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/167 Sample holder oscillates, e.g. rotating crucible
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0025 Shearing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0094 Visco-elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0676 Force, weight, load, energy, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/002 using variation of the resonant frequency of an element vibrating in contact with the material submitted to analysis G01N9/34 takes precedence

Abstract

To conduct a fluid, the transducer has a flow tube which in operation is vibrated by an excitation assembly and whose inlet-side and outlet-side vibrations are sensed by means of a sensor arrangement. To produce shear forces in the fluid, the flow tube is at least intermittently excited into torsional vibrations about a longitudinal flow-tube axis. The transducer further comprises a torsional vibration absorber which is fixed to the flow tube and which in operation covibrates with the torsionally vibrating flow tube, thus producing reactive torques which at least partially balance torques developed in the vibrating flow tube. One of the advantages of the transducer disclosed is that it is dynamically balanced to a large extent even in the face of variations in fluid density or viscosity.

Claims

1. A vibratory transducer for a fluid flowing in a pipe, the transducer comprising:

an essentially straight flow tube communicating with the pipe for conducting the fluid, said flow tube being connected to the pipe via an inlet tube section and via an outlet tube section, and said flow tube being operable to vibrate;

an antivibrator fixed to said flow tube, said antivibrator extending essentially parallel to said flow tube and said antivibrator being connected to said flow tube to be essentially coaxial with said flow tube;

an excitation assembly acting on said flow tube for vibrating said flow tube, said excitation assembly being adapted to excite said flow tube into torsional vibrations about its longitudinal axis, and to excite said flow tube into flexural vibrations; and

a sensor arrangement for sensing vibrations of said flow tube.

2. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said antivibrator is in form of a tube.

3. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 2, wherein grooves are provided in said antivibrator.

4. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 3, wherein said antivibrator is connected to said flow tube at an inlet end and outlet end.

5. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the excitation assembly is adapted to excite said flow tube simultaneously into said torsional and said flexural vibrations.

6. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 5, wherein the excitation assembly is adapted to excite vibrations of said flow tube and said antivibrator differentially.

7. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the excitation assembly is adapted to excite said antivibrator into flexural vibrations, which are essentially coplanar with the flexural vibrations of flow tube.

8. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the excitation assembly is adapted to excite also said antivibrator into vibrations.

9. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 8, wherein the sensor arrangement is adapted to sense vibrations of said flow tube and said antivibrator differentially.

10. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement is adapted to sense both, torsional and flexural vibrations of said flow tube.

11. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor arrangement comprises at least an inlet-sight first sensor and an outlet-sight second sensor.

12. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first and second sensors are electrodynamic velocity sensors.

13. Use of vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1 in a meter for measuring a viscosity of a fluid flowing in a pipe.

14. Use of the vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1 in a meter for measuring both, a viscosity and a mass flow rate of a fluid flowing in a pipe.

15. Use of the vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1 in a meter for measuring a viscosity of a fluid flowing in a pipe, said meter being selected from a group consisting of viscometer, viscometer-densimeter, and viscometer-mass flowmeter.

16. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow tube is made from a material selected from a group consisting of:

steel, titanium, and zirconium.

17. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a transducer case fixed to said inlet and outlet tube sections.

18. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a transducer case for receiving said flow tube.

19. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow tube is excited at a torsional frequency corresponding to a natural resonance frequency of a fundamental torsional eigenmode in which said flow tube is twisted essentially unidirectionally over its entire length.

20. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow tube is excited at a torsional frequency corresponding to a natural resonance frequency, and wherein a torsional resonance frequency of said antivibrator is chosen to lie below said frequency of said torsional vibration of said flow tube.

21. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow tube is excited at a torsional frequency corresponding to a natural resonance frequency, and wherein a torsional resonance frequency of said antivibrator is chosen to lie above said frequency of said torsional vibration of said flow tube.

22. The vibratory transducer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flow tube is excited at a flexural vibration frequency corresponding to a lowest natural flexural resonance frequency of flow tube.