Multi-phase Coriolis flowmeter

• US 7,698,954 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Mattar, Wade M., Dutton, Robert E., Lansangan, Robbie, Henry, Manus P., Duta, Mihaela D., Tombs, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson; Jewel
• Application Number:
  US11/681,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 738/613.57, 738/613.56, 738/613.55
• US Class Current: 73/861.356
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/74 Devices for measuring flow of a fluid or flow of a fluent solid material in suspension in another fluid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8431 electronic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8436 signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/8486 with multiple measuring conduits
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/849 having straight measuring conduits
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/022 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/024 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters

Abstract

A flowmeter is disclosed. The flowmeter includes a vibratable flowtube, and a driver connected to the flowtube that is operable to impart motion to the flowtube. A sensor is connected to the flowtube and is operable to sense the motion of the flowtube and generate a sensor signal. A controller is connected to receive the sensor signal. The controller is operable to determine an individual flow rate of each phase within a multi-phase flow through the flowtube.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a liquid fraction probe configured to measure a liquid fraction in a flow of fluid that includes a first liquid, a second liquid, and a gas;

a vibratable flowtube configured to receive the flow of fluid;

a driver connected to the flowtube and operable to impart motion to the flowtube;

a sensor connected to the flowtube and operable to sense the motion of the flowtube and generate a sensor signal; and

one or more processing devices connected to access the sensor signal and to access the measured liquid fraction, the one or more processing devices being configured to determine an apparent density or an apparent flowrate of the flow of fluid based on the received sensor signal, and correct the apparent density or the apparent flowrate based, at least in part, on the liquid fraction to generate a corrected density or a corrected flowrate.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to determine the apparent density of the flow of fluid based on the accessed sensor signal, and correct the apparent density based on the liquid fraction to generate the corrected density.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the apparent density is an apparent bulk density of the flow of fluid.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to determine the apparent flowrate of the flow of fluid based on the accessed sensor signal, and correct the apparent flowrate based on the liquid fraction to generate the corrected flowrate.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the apparent flowrate is an apparent bulk flowrate of the flow of fluid.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the apparent bulk flowrate is an apparent bulk mass flowrate.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the liquid fraction includes a volume fraction of the first liquid with respect to the second liquid.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to determine a flowrate of the first liquid within the fluid flow based on the corrected density or the corrected flowrate.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to determine a flowrate of the gas based on the corrected density or the corrected flowrate.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the one or more processing devices are configured to;

correct the measured liquid fraction based on the corrected apparent density or the apparent flowrate to generate a corrected liquid fraction; and

further correct the corrected density or the corrected flowrate based on the corrected liquid fraction to generate a further corrected density or a further corrected flowrate.

11. A transmitter comprising:

one or more processing devices; and

a storage storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to perform the following;

access a liquid fraction measured by a liquid fraction probe configured to measure a liquid fraction in a flow of fluid that includes a first liquid, a second liquid, and a gas;

impart motion to a vibratable flowtube using a driver connected to the flowtube, the flowtube being configured to receive the flow of fluid;

receive a sensor signal from a sensor connected to the flowtube and operable to sense the motion of the flowtube and generate the sensor signal;

determine an apparent density or an apparent flowrate of the flow of fluid based on the received sensor signal; and

correct the apparent density or the apparent flowrate based, at least in part, on the liquid fraction to generate a corrected density or a corrected flowrate.

12. The transmitter of claim 11 wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to determine the apparent density of the flow of fluid based on the received sensor signal, and correct the apparent density based on the liquid fraction to generate the corrected density.

13. The transmitter of claim 12 wherein the apparent density is an apparent bulk density of the flow of fluid.

14. The transmitter of claim 11 wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to determine the apparent flowrate of the flow of fluid based on the received sensor signal, and correct the apparent flowrate based on the liquid fraction to generate the corrected flowrate.

15. The transmitter of claim 14 wherein the apparent flowrate is an apparent bulk flowrate of the flow of fluid.

16. The transmitter of claim 15 wherein the apparent bulk flowrate is an apparent bulk mass flowrate.

17. The transmitter of claim 11 wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to determine a flowrate of the first liquid within the fluid flow based on the corrected density or the corrected flowrate.

18. The transmitter of claim 11 wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to determine a flowrate of the gas within the fluid flow based on the corrected density or the corrected flowrate.

19. The transmitter of claim 11 wherein the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to:

correct the measured liquid fraction based on the corrected apparent density or the apparent flowrate to generate a corrected liquid fraction; and

further correct the corrected density or the corrected flowrate based on the corrected liquid fraction to generate a further corrected density or a further corrected flowrate.

20. A method comprising:

measuring a liquid fraction using a liquid fraction probe configured to measure a liquid fraction in a flow of fluid that includes a first liquid, a second Liquid, and a gas;

imparting motion to a vibratable flowtube using a driver connected to the flowtube, the flowtube being configured to receive the flow of fluid

accessing a sensor signal generated by a sensor connected to the flowtube and operable to sense the motion of the flowtube;

determining an apparent density or an apparent flowrate of the flow of fluid based on the received sensor signal, and

correcting the apparent density or the apparent flowrate based, at least in part, on the liquid fraction to generate a corrected density or a corrected flowrate.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein:

determining an apparent density or an apparent flowrate of the flow of fluid based on the received sensor signal includes determining the apparent density of the flow of fluid based on the received sensor signal, and

correcting the apparent density or the apparent flowrate based on the liquid fraction to generate a corrected density or a corrected flowrate includes correcting the apparent density based on the liquid fraction to generate the corrected density.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein:

determining an apparent density or an apparent flowrate of the flow of fluid based on the received sensor signal includes determining the apparent flowrate of the flow of fluid based on the received sensor signal, and

correcting the apparent density or the apparent flowrate based on the liquid fraction to generate a corrected density or a corrected flowrate includes correcting the apparent flowrate based on the liquid fraction to generate the corrected flowrate.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising determining a flowrate of the first liquid within the fluid flow based on the corrected density or the corrected flowrate.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising determining a flowrate of the gas within the fluid flow based on the corrected density or the corrected flowrate.