System and method for operating a flow process
First Claim
1. A system for operating a flow process, wherein a device disposed in the flow process causes unsteady pressures to be generated in a fluid flowing in a pipe in the flow process, the system comprising:
- a meter for measuring at least one parameter of the fluid in the flow process, the meter including a spatial array of at least two strain sensors disposed at different axial locations along a section of the pipe where the unsteady pressures are present in the fluid, each of the at least two strain sensors providing a pressure signal indicative of pressure within the pipe at a corresponding axial location; and
a signal processor configured to output a flow signal and a diagnostic signal in response to the pressure signals, the flow signal indicating the at least one parameter of the fluid and the diagnostic signal indicating a diagnostic condition of the device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for monitoring, diagnosing, and/or controlling a flow process uses one or more flow meters based on an array of pressure sensors. A signal processor outputs at least one of a flow signal, a diagnostic signal, and a control signal in response to the pressure signals from the pressure sensors. The flow signal indicates the at least one parameter of the fluid, the diagnostic signal indicates a diagnostic condition of a device in the flow process, and the control signal is effective in adjusting an operating parameter of at least one device in the flow process. The system may be arranged as a distributed control system (DCS) architecture for monitoring a plurality of flow meters based on array-processing installed at various locations throughout a flow process.
62 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system for operating a flow process, wherein a device disposed in the flow process causes unsteady pressures to be generated in a fluid flowing in a pipe in the flow process, the system comprising:
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a meter for measuring at least one parameter of the fluid in the flow process, the meter including a spatial array of at least two strain sensors disposed at different axial locations along a section of the pipe where the unsteady pressures are present in the fluid, each of the at least two strain sensors providing a pressure signal indicative of pressure within the pipe at a corresponding axial location; and a signal processor configured to output a flow signal and a diagnostic signal in response to the pressure signals, the flow signal indicating the at least one parameter of the fluid and the diagnostic signal indicating a diagnostic condition of the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for operating a flow process, wherein a device causes unsteady pressures to be generated in a fluid flowing in a pipe in the flow process, the system comprising:
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a meter for measuring at least one parameter of the fluid in the flow process, the meter including a spatial array of at least two strain sensors disposed at different axial locations along a section of the pipe where the unsteady pressures are present in the fluid each of the at least two strain sensors providing a pressure signal indicative of pressure within the pipe at a corresponding axial location; and a signal processor configured to output a flow signal and a diagnostic signal in response to the pressure signals, the flow signal indicating the at least one parameter of the fluid and the diagnostic signal indicating a diagnostic condition of the device; wherein the signal processor is operable to compare an input evaluation signal based on the pressure signals against a diagnostic evaluation criteria to determine the diagnostic condition of the device. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method of operating a flow process, wherein a device disposed within the flow process causes unsteady pressures to be generated in a fluid flowing in a pipe in the flow process, the method comprising:
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receiving pressure signals from a meter including a spatial array of at least two strain sensors disposed at different axial locations along a section of the pipe where the unsteady pressures are present in the fluid, each of the at least two strain sensors providing a pressure signal indicative of pressure within the pipe at a corresponding axial location; and providing a diagnostic signal and a flow signal in response to the pressure signals, the diagnostic signal indicating a diagnostic condition of the device, and the flow signal being indicative of a parameter of a fluid flowing within the flow process. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of operating a flow process, wherein a device disposed within the flow process causes unsteady pressures to be generated in a fluid flowing in a pipe in the flow process, the method comprising:
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receiving pressure signals from a meter including a spatial array of at least two strain sensors disposed at different axial locations along a section of the pipe where the unsteady pressures are present in the fluid, each of the at least two strain sensors providing a pressure signal indicative of pressure within the pipe at a corresponding axial location; and providing a diagnostic signal and a flow signal in response to the pressure signals, the diagnostic signal indicating a diagnostic condition of the device, and the flow signal being indicative of a parameter of a fluid flowing within the flow process; wherein providing the diagnostic condition further includes comparing an input evaluation signal based on the pressure signals against a diagnostic evaluation criteria to determine the diagnostic condition of the device. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A diagnostic monitoring system for monitoring the health of a device that is acoustically coupled to a pipe, wherein the device causes unsteady pressures to be generated in a fluid flowing in the pipe;
- the system comprising;
at least one sensor disposed to measure pressures within the pipe along a section of the pipe where the unsteady pressures caused by the device are present in the fluid, the at least one sensor providing a sensor output signal; and diagnostic processing logic, responsive to said sensor output signal, which provides a diagnostic condition indicative of the health of the device, wherein said diagnostic processing logic comprises logic which compares an input evaluation signal based on said sensor output signal against a diagnostic evaluation criteria to determine the health of the device. - View Dependent Claims (23)
- the system comprising;
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24. A diagnostic monitoring system for monitoring the health of a device that is acoustically coupled to a pipe, wherein the device causes unsteady pressures to be generated in a fluid flowing in the pipe;
- the system comprising;
at least one sensor disposed to measure pressures within the pipe along a section of the pipe where the unsteady pressures caused by the device are present in the fluid, the at least one sensor providing a sensor output signal; and diagnostic processing logic, responsive to said sensor output signal, which provides a diagnostic condition indicative of the health of the device. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
- the system comprising;
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29. A method of monitoring the health of a device that is acoustically coupled to a pipe, wherein the device causes unsteady pressures to be generated in a fluid flowing in the pipe, the method comprising:
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disposing at least one sensor to measure pressures within the pipe along a section of the pipe where the unsteady pressures are present in the fluid, the at least one sensor providing a sensor output signal; providing a diagnostic condition indicative of the health of the device in response to said sensor output signal. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of monitoring the health of a device that is acoustically coupled to a pipe, wherein the device causes unsteady pressures to be generated in a fluid flowing in the pipe, the method comprising:
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disposing at least one sensor to measure pressures within the pipe along a section of the pipe where the unsteady pressures are present in the fluid the at least one sensor providing a sensor output signal; providing a diagnostic condition indicative of the health of the device in response to said sensor output signal; and comparing an input evaluation signal based on said sensor output signal against a diagnostic evaluation criteria to determine the health of the device. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification