Systems and methods to initiate a verification test within a flow meter via a flow computer

• US 9,658,097 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bristol (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Bristol (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Berndt, Justin Mickael, Abens, Mary Barbara
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Huan
• Application Number:
  US13/868,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/10 of flowmeters

Abstract

Systems and methods to initiate a verification test within a flow meter via a flow computer are disclosed. An example method includes communicating, via a flow computer, a request to a flow meter to initiate a verification test of the flow meter. The example method also includes retrieving diagnostic data from the flow meter. The example method further includes logging a result of the verification test in a log of the flow computer, the result based on the diagnostic data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

communicating, via a flow computer, a request to a flow meter to initiate a verification test of the flow meter, the verification test being performed while fluid flows through the flow meter;

retrieving, via the flow computer, diagnostic data from the flow meter; and

logging a report of the verification test in a log of the flow computer, the report including a result and a timestamp of the verification test based on the diagnostic data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging a start event in the log corresponding to the request to initiate the verification test.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to abort the verification test; and

logging an abort event corresponding to the request to abort the verification test.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data comprises an indication of at least one of an operational state of the verification test, a value of a secondary parameter associated with the flow meter, a progress of the verification test, or a completion of the verification test.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the result is based on a comparison of the value of the secondary parameter and a boundary limit associated with the secondary parameter, the value of the secondary parameter determined based on the verification test, the boundary limit defined by a factory specification.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting feedback data associated with the verification test via at least one of a supervisory control and data acquisition host system associated with the flow meter, an operator display of the flow computer, or an external device, the feedback data comprising the result of the verification test.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, if the result corresponds to a failure of the flow meter to pass the verification test, the feedback data comprises at least one of an alarm associated with the failure, a progress of the verification test corresponding to when the failure was determined, or a reason for the failure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the result corresponds to one of a success event or a failure event, the success event corresponding to the flow meter passing the verification test, the failure event corresponding to the flow meter failing the verification test.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the log corresponds to at least one of an event log, an alarm log, or an audit trail.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow meter is a coriolis flow meter.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to initiate the verification test is triggered based on a schedule defined by an operator.

12. A flow computer comprising:

a flow meter interface to communicatively couple the flow computer to a flow meter, the flow meter interface to communicate a request to the flow meter to initiate a verification test of the flow meter and to retrieve diagnostic data from the flow meter, the verification test to be performed while fluid flows through the flow meter; and

a memory to log a report of the verification test, the report including a timestamp and a result of the verification test based on the diagnostic data.

13. The flow computer of claim 12, wherein the memory is to log a start event in the log corresponding to the request to initiate the verification test.

14. The flow computer of claim 12, wherein the flow meter interface is to receive a request to abort the verification test, the memory is to log an abort event corresponding to the request to abort the verification test.

15. The flow computer of claim 12, further comprising an external interface to communicatively couple the flow computer to at least one of a supervisory control and data acquisition host system associated with the flow meter, an operator display of the flow computer, or an external device, the external interface to output the result of the verification test.

16. The flow computer of claim 15, wherein, if the result corresponds to a failure of the flow meter to pass the verification test, the external interface is to output at least one of an alarm associated with the failure, a progress of the verification test corresponding to when the failure was determined, or a reason for the failure.

17. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed, cause a machine to at least:

communicate a request to a flow meter to initiate a verification test of a flow meter, the verification test to be performed while fluid flows through the flow meter;

retrieve diagnostic data from the flow meter; and

log a report of the verification test in a log of the flow computer, the report including a result and a timestamp of the verification test based on the diagnostic data.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to log a start event in the log corresponding to the request to initiate the verification test.

19. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to

receive a request to abort the verification test;

and

log an abort event corresponding to the request to abort the verification test.

20. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to output feedback data associated with the verification test via at least one of a supervisory control and data acquisition host system associated with the flow meter, an operator display of the flow computer, or an external device, the feedback data comprising the result of the verification test.

21. The storage medium of claim 18, wherein, if the report corresponds to a failure of the flow meter to pass the verification test, the feedback data comprises at least one of an alarm associated with the failure, a progress of the verification test corresponding to when the failure was determined, or a reason for the failure.