Measuring system with a flow conditioner for flow profile stabilization

• US 7,882,751 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Original Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Inventors: Hoecker, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US12/318,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20090217771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/861.22
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/3209 using Karman vortices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/185 Connecting means, e.g. bypass conduits

Abstract

A measuring system is inserted into the course of a process line for a flowing medium and includes a measuring transducer with a measuring tube for conveying the medium and with a sensor arrangement for generating at least one measurement signal influenced by a measured variable of the medium. The measuring tube shows a smaller flow cross section than a supply segment of the process line, connected to the inlet end of the measuring system. The measuring system further includes a flow conditioner, arranged at the inlet end of the measuring tube and mediating between the measuring tube and the supply segment. The flow conditioner shows a lumen tapering towards the measuring tube, and includes at least two inner edges arranged upstream of its outlet end and protruding into the lumen of the flow conditioner. Between the first inner edge and the second inner edge, there extends additionally, a first guide surface of the flow conditioner. Moreover, the second inner edge bounds a second guide surface extending towards the outlet end of the flow conditioner and serving for guiding medium flowing in the flow container during operation.

Claims

1. A measuring system inserted into the course of a process line for registering at least one measured variable of a medium flowing in the process line, said measuring system comprising:

a circular-cylindrical measuring transducer, including a measuring tube which serves for conveying the medium to be measured and which shows a smaller flow cross section than a supply segment of the process line connected to an inlet of the measuring system;

a sensor arrangement which includes at least one sensor element reacting primarily to said variable to be registered and/or reacting primarily to changes of said variable to be registered, and provides, by means of the at least one sensor element, at least one measurement signal influenced by the measured variable; and

a measuring electronics communicating with the measuring transducer and producing, taking into consideration the at least one measurement signal, at least one measured value instantaneously representing the measured variable; and

a flow conditioner arranged at an inlet of said measuring tube, said flow conditioner mediating between said measuring tube and the supply segment of the process line, said flow conditioner showing a lumen which tapers toward said measuring tube, and through which medium flows during operation, an inlet end of said flow conditioner, facing the supply segment of the process line, shows a flow cross section which is greater than the flow cross section of said measuring tube, and an outlet end of said flow conditioner, facing toward said measuring tube, shows a flow cross section which is smaller than the flow cross section of the inlet end of said flow conditioner, wherein;

said flow conditioner includes, arranged upstream of its outlet end, at least a first inner edge protruding into the lumen of said flow conditioner and against which medium conveyed in said flow conditioner flows during operation;

said flow conditioner also includes, arranged downstream from the first inner edge, at least a second inner edge likewise protruding into the lumen of said flow conditioner and against which medium conveyed in said flow conditioner flows during operation, and said flow conditioner also includes a first guide surface serving to guide medium flowing in said flow conditioner and a second guide surface serving to guide medium flowing in said flow conditioner, said first guide surface extending between the first inner edge and the second inner edge, and said second guide surface extending from the second inner edge in the direction of the outlet end of said flow conditioner, and

said flow conditioner shows an installed length, which is smaller than an installed length of said measuring tube, so that an installed length ratio, defined by a ratio of the installed length of said flow conditioner to the install length of said measuring tube, is kept smaller than one.

2. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

each of the first and second inner edges protruding into the lumen of said flow conditioner has an edge radius smaller than 2 mm; and

a cross section ratio, defined by a ratio of the flow cross section of the supply segment of the process line to the flow cross section of said measuring tube, is kept greater than 1.5 and smaller than 10.

3. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a cross section of the lumen of said flow conditioner bounded by one of the first and second inner edges is smaller than the flow cross section of the supply segment of the process line.

4. The measuring system as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

a constriction ratio, defined by a ratio of a cross section bounded by the first inner edge to the flow cross section of the supply segment of the process line, is kept smaller than 0.9 and greater than 0.1 and;

a contraction ratio, defined by a ratio of the cross section bounded by the first inner edge to the flow cross section of said measuring tube, is kept greater than 1.2 and smaller than 5.

5. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a cross section ratio, defined by a ratio of the flow cross section of the supply segment of the process line to the flow cross section of said measuring tube, is kept greater than 1.5 and smaller than 10, and a constriction ratio, defined by a ratio of a cross section bounded by the first inner edge to the flow cross section of the supply segment of the process line, is kept smaller than 0.9 and greater than 0.1; and

a difference between said cross section ratio and said constriction ratio is kept greater than 0.5 and smaller than 10.

6. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a cross section ratio, defined by a ratio of the flow cross section of the supply segment of the process line to the flow cross section of said measuring tube, is kept greater than 1.5 and smaller than 10 and a contraction ratio, defined by a ratio of the cross section bounded by the first inner edge to the flow cross section of said measuring tube, is kept greater than 1.2 and smaller than 5; and

a difference between said cross section ratio and said contraction ratio is kept greater than 0.2 and smaller than 10.

7. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the measuring tube shows a smaller caliber than a supply segment of the process line attached to the inlet end of the measuring system, and

the inlet end of said flow conditioner facing the supply segment of the process line shows a caliber greater than a caliber of said measuring tube, and the outlet end of said flow conditioner facing said measuring tube shows a caliber smaller than the caliber of the inlet end of said flow conditioner.

8. The measuring system as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

the first inner edge protruding into the lumen of said flow conditioner is formed by keeping the inner diameter of the inlet end of said flow conditioner smaller than the caliber of the supply segment of the process line; and

a cross section of the lumen of said flow conditioner bounded by the first inner edge protruding into the lumen of said flow conditioner shows a diameter, which is smaller than the caliber of the supply segment of the process line; and

a caliber ratio, defined by a ratio of the caliber of the supply segment of the process line to the caliber of said measuring tube, is kept greater than 1.1 and smaller than 5.

9. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the at least one sensor element is subjected during operation repeatedly to mechanical deformations influenced by the medium flowing in said measuring tube; and

the at least one sensor element is moved during operation repeatedly relative to a static rest position under the influence of medium flowing in said measuring tube.

10. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said measuring tube shows a smaller caliber than a supply segment of the process line attached to the inlet end of the measuring system, and wherein a caliber ratio, defined by a ratio of the caliber of the supply segment of the process line to the caliber of said measuring tube, corresponds to at least 10% of said installed length ratio.

11. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said measuring tube shows a smaller caliber than a supply segment of the process line attached to the inlet end of the measuring system; and

said at least one sensor element is arranged at a distance from the inlet end of said measuring tube in and/or on said measuring tube that a ratio of the distance to the caliber of said measuring measuring tube is kept greater than one.

12. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first inner edge of said flow conditioner limits an impingement surface of said flow conditioner arranged in a border region of said flow conditioner.

13. The measuring system as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the impingement surface shows a height in the radial direction of at least 1 mm; and

the impingement surface is at least sectionally essentially planar.

14. The measuring system as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the impingement surface is at least sectionally essentially conical; and

/or

the impingement surface tapers toward said measuring tube; and

/or

the impingement surface widens towards the inlet end of said flow conditioner.

15. The measuring system as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the impingement surface and the first inner edge are formed at least partially by an inner cone formed into the inlet in said flow conditioner; and

the inner cone forming the impingement surface shows a flank angle greater than 45° and

smaller than 90°

.

16. The measuring system as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the impingement surface is formed by a first inner cone formed into the inlet of said flow conditioner and extending toward its inlet end, and the second guide surface is formed by a second inner cone formed into the inlet of said flow conditioner and extending toward its outlet end.

17. The measuring system as claimed in claim 16,

wherein:

the first inner cone forming the impingement surface of said flow conditioner shows a flank angle greater than 45° and

smaller than 90°

; and

the second inner cone forming the second guide surface of said flow conditioner shows a flank angle greater than 2° and

smaller than 45°

.

18. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein:

the second guide surface of said flow conditioner is formed convexly, at least sectionally, with reference to a longitudinal axis of said flow conditioner; and

/or

the second guide surface of said flow conditioner is, at least sectionally, concavely formed; and

/or

the second guide surface of said flow conditioner tapers toward said measuring tube; and

/or

the second guide surface of said flow conditioner is formed essentially conically.

19. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second guide surface and the second inner edge are formed, at least in part, by an inner cone formed in the inlet of said flow conditioner.

20. The measuring system as claimed in claim 19, wherein:

the inner cone forming the second guide surface of said flow conditioner shows a flank angle greater than 2°

, and smaller than 45°

.

21. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said at least one sensor element is selected from a group consisting of;

a sensor element including at least one piezoelectric element, a sensor element including at least one piezoresistive element, a sensor element including at least one solenoidal coil corresponding with an armature, a sensor element including at least one measuring electrode contacting medium flowing in said measuring tube and sensing electric potentials, a sensor element including at least one measuring capacitor reacting to changes of the measured variable and, a sensor element including at least one electrical resistor.

22. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the measuring transducer comprises at least one bluff body arranged in said measuring tube, and the at least one sensor element of the sensor arrangement is arranged downstream from the at least one bluff body.

23. The measuring system as claimed in claim 22, wherein:

said at least one sensor element of the sensor arrangement protrudes at least partially into said measuring tube.

24. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the measuring transducer is selected from a transducer group consisting of;

vortex flow transducer, a magneto-inductive flow transducer, a Coriolis mass flow transducer, a density transducer viscosity transducer, and an ultrasonic flow transducer.

25. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein:

the measured variable is selected from a group consisting of;

a mass flow, a volume flow, a flow velocity, a density, a viscosity, a pressure, and a temperature; and

/or

the at least one measured value produced by said measuring electronics is selected from a group consisting of;

a mass flow measured value, a volume flow measured value, a density measured value, a viscosity measured value, a pressure measured value, and a temperature measured value.

26. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a cross section of the lumen of said flow conditioner bounded by the first inner edge protruding into the lumen of said flow conditioner is greater than a cross section of the lumen of said flow conditioner bounded by the second inner edge protruding into the lumen of said flow conditioner;

a cross section of the lumen of said flow conditioner bounded by a second inner edge protruding into the lumen of said flow conditioner is smaller than the flow cross section of the supply segment of the process line,

a constriction ratio, defined by a cross section of the lumen of said flow conditioner bounded by the second inner edge to the flow cross section of the supply segment of the process line, is kept smaller than 0.9 and greater than 0.1, and

a contraction ratio, defined by a ratio of the cross section bounded by the second inner edge to the flow cross section of said measuring tube, is kept greater than 0.9 and smaller than 5.

27. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

a cross section ratio, defined by a ratio of the flow cross section of the supply segment of the process line to the flow cross section of said measuring tube, is kept greater than 1.5 and smaller than 10, a contraction ratio, defined by a ratio of the cross section bounded by the second inner edge to the flow cross section of said measuring tube, is kept greater than 0.9 and smaller than 5; and

a difference between said cross section ratio and said contraction ratio is kept greater than 0.2 and smaller than 10.

28. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein:

the first guide surface is essentially strongly concavely formed at least sectionally with respect to a longitudinal axis of said flow conditioner; and

/or

the second guide surface is essentially convex.

29. The measuring system as claimed in claim 1,

wherein:

the process line is embodied as a pipeline; and

/or

the first guide surface is formed, at least partially, by a furrow formed in said flow conditioner; and

/or

the first guide surface is formed by an annular groove formed in said flow conditioner.

30. The use of a measuring system as claimed in claim 1 for registering at least one measured variable, especially a mass flow, a volume flow, a flow velocity, a density, a viscosity, a pressure, a temperature of a medium flowing in the process line.

31. A method for registering at least one measured variable, of a medium flowing in a process line, by means of a measuring system inserted into the course of the process line, said measuring system including a flow conditioner connected to a supply segment of the process line, as well as a measuring transducer connected to the flow conditioner, said method comprising:

allowing medium to be measured to flow out of the supply segment into the flow conditioner;

accelerating the flowing medium in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the flow conditioner;

inducing at least one essentially stationary toroidal vortex within medium flowing in an inlet region of the flow conditioner in a manner such that a principal axis of greatest inertia of the at least one toroidal vortex essentially coincides with the longitudinal axis of the flow conditioner, and/or a longitudinal axis of the measuring tube;

allowing the medium being measured to flow past the at least one toroidal vortex; and

allowing the medium being measured to flow out of the flow conditioner into a measuring tube of the connected measuring transducer, as well as producing at least one measurement signal influenced by the measured variable to be registered, by application of at least one sensor element reacting primarily to the measured variable, especially also to changes in the same,

wherein the step of inducing the at least one, essentially stationary, toroidal vortex in the inlet region of the flow conditioner includes steps of;

allowing medium to flow past a first inner edge of the flow conditioner protruding into a lumen of the flow conditioner as well as allowing medium to flow past a second inner edge of the flow conditioner located downstream from the first inner edge and protruding into a lumen of the flow conditioner.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

inducing at least one further, essentially stationary, toroidal vortex in the inlet region of the flow conditioner in such a manner that a principal axis of greatest inertia of each of the at least two toroidal vortices extends essentially parallel with one another and, at least when imaginary axially extended, essentially coincides with the other.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

allowing medium to flow against an impingement surface of the flow conditioner opposing flowing medium in a boundary region of the flow conditioner, for inducing essentially stationary, toroidal vortices in the inlet region of the flow conditioner.