Micromotion Gmbh

David Frederick Normen

Curtis John Ollila

Ernest Dale Lister

Stuart James Shelley

Timothy J Cunningham

Mark James Bell

Craig Brainerd Van Cleve

Charles Paul Stack

Thomas Dean Sharp

Gary Edward Pawlas

Matthew Glen Wheeler

Matthew T Crisfield

Michael Leon Overfeldt

Stuart J Shelly

A method for validating a flow calibration factor of a flow meter is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The method for validating a flow calibration factor of a flow meter includes determining an initial flexural stiffness of a component of the flow meter. The method for validating a flow calibration factor of a flow meter includes determining a current flexural stiffness of the component. The method for validating a flow calibration factor of a flow meter further includes comparing the initial flexural stiffness to the current flexural stiffness. The method for validating a flow calibration factor of a flow meter further includes detecting a calibration error condition responsive to comparing the initial flexural stiffness to the current flexural stiffness.

Diagnostic apparatus and methods for a coriolis flow meter

A method and apparatus for periodically calculating the relative phase of the left eigenvector for a vibrating conduit is provided. During normal operation, two drivers are used in tandem to excite the main bending mode of the conduit (). Periodically, first one (), then the second (), of the two drivers is disabled, allowing measurements that enable the determination of the relative phase of the left eigenvector () for the vibrating conduit.

In-flow determination of left and right eigenvectors in a Coriolis flowmeter

A process is disclosed for determining properties of a flow tube and of a fluid flowing through the flow tube. One example of such a property is the density of the fluid flowing through the flow tube. To determine the properties, the process determines a measured mode shape based on pickoff signals received from a plurality of pickoffs. The process selects values for flow tube and fluid parameters. The process determines an estimated mode shape based on the values for the flow tube and fluid parameters. The process compares the measured mode shape and the estimated mode shape to determine an error for the values for the flow tube and fluid parameters. If the error for the values is within an error range, then the process determines the properties of the flow tube and of the fluid based on the estimated values. If the error for the values is not within the error range, then the process selects new values for the flow tube and fluid parameters.

Determining properties of a flow tube and of a fluid flowing through a flow tube of a coriolis flowmeter

A calibration factor for a sensor including a material-containing conduit and a plurality of motion transducers operative to generate motion signals representing motion of the conduit is determined from a normal modal dynamic characterization of motion of the conduit. The calibration factor may be generated by generating a solution to a modal differential equation of motion in a modal domain including a plurality of normal modes of motion of the conduit, and by generating the calibration factor from this solution. The normal modal dynamic characterization may characterize motion of the conduit as a function of a modal Coriolis term that describes coupling among a plurality of normal modes of the conduit responsive to mass flow in the conduit. The modal Coriolis term may be determined from a mode shape function that describes modal motion of the conduit as a function of location on the conduit. The invention may be embodied as methods, apparatus and computer program products.

Apparatus, methods and computer program products for generating mass flow calibration factors using a normal modal dynamic characterization of a material-containing conduit

A process parameter associated with a material contained in a vibrating structure is estimated. A plurality of motion signals representing motion at a plurality of locations of the vibrating structure are received. The received plurality of motion signals are force filtered with a force filter to produce a force-filtered motion signal that discriminates motion attributable to a force of interest among a plurality of forces acting on the vibrating structure. A process parameter associated with the material contained in the vibrating structure is estimated from the force filtered motion signal. Preferably, a plurality of motion signal values is generated from the received plurality of motion signals, and force filtering includes the step of applying a force filter matrix to the plurality of motion signal values to produce a force filtered motion signal value. A process parameter, such as mass flow, density or the like, is then estimated from the force filtered motion signal value. According to an aspect of the present invention, the force filter matrix represents a product of a frequency response function matrix for the vibrating structure, a force selectivity matrix and an inverse of the frequency response function matrix. Methods for estimating structural motion, along with related apparatus and computer program products, are also discussed.

Process parameter sensor apparatus, methods and computer program products using force filtering

An apparatus for measuring the flow rate of a fluid flowing through a minimal flow pipeline with a Coriolis effect mass flowmeter. The flowmeter has a single flow tube with two loops. The loops are connected by a cross-over section and are adapted to be vibrated in phase opposition by a driver. The phase difference between the ends of the vibrating loops is measured. The measured phase difference is used to find the flow rate of the fluid. The flow tube is fixably attached to an anchor which is, in turn, attached to a housing. The anchor separates the vibrating dynamic portion of the flowmeter from the non-vibrating portion of the flowmeter.

Dual loop coriolis effect mass flowmeter

An apparatus for measuring the flow rate of a fluid flowing through a minimal flow pipeline with a Coriolis effect mass flowmeter. The flowmeter has a single flow tube with two loops. The loops are connected by a cross-over section. A driver oscillates the loops and the phase difference between the ends of the loops is measured. The measured phase difference is then used to find the flow rate of the fluid. The flow tube is fixedly attached to an anchor which is, in turn, attached to a housing. The anchor separate the vibrating, dynamic portion of the flowmeter from the non-vibrating portion of the flowmeter.

Dual loop Coriolis effect mass flowmeter

An apparatus for enclosing a flow tube of a device for measuring properties of a material flowing through the flow tube having a casing and a veneer. The casing substantially encloses flow tube from inlet end to outlet end and withstands the structural load of the flow tube. The veneer encloses the casing and provides a sanitary surface for said casing.

Coriolis flowmeter having a casing enclosed in a veneer

An apparatus for measuring the flow rate of a fluid flowing through a minimal flow pipeline with a Coriolis effect mass flowmeter. The flowmeter has a single flow tube with two loops. The loops are connected by a cross-over section. A driver oscillates the loops and the phase difference between the ends of the loops is measured. The measured phase difference is then used to find the flow rate of the fluid. The flow tube is fixably attached to an anchor which is, in turn, attached to a housing. The anchor separates the vibrating, dynamic portion of the flowmeter from the non-vibrating portion of the flowmeter.

A process parameter associated with a material contained in a conduit is estimated by estimating a real normal modal residual flexibility component associated with a real normal mode of motion of the conduit. A plurality of motion signals representing motion of the conduit is received. A residual-flexibility-compensated estimate of mass flow is generated from the received plurality of motion signals and the estimated real normal modal residual flexibility component. Related apparatus and computer program products are also described.

Vibrating conduit parameter sensors, methods and computer program products for generating residual-flexibility-compensated mass flow estimates

A plurality of motion signals is received representing motion at a plurality of locations of a vibrating conduit containing material. The received plurality of motion signals is processed to resolve the motion into a plurality of real normal modal components. A process parameter is estimated from a real normal modal component of the plurality of real normal modal components. According to one aspect, the motion signals may be processed by applying a mode pass filter to produce an output that preferentially represents a component of the motion associated with a real normal mode of the vibrating conduit. A process parameter may be estimated from the filtered output using, for example, conventional phase difference techniques. According to another aspect, real normal modal motion is estimated from the received plurality of motion signals, and a process parameter is estimated from the estimated real normal modal motion. For example, motion may be estimated in respective first and second real normal modes, the second real normal mode being preferentially correlated with a Coriolis force. A process parameter may be estimated by normalizing the estimated motion in the second real normal mode with respect to the estimated motion in the first real normal mode to produce a normalized estimate of motion in the second real normal mode, and by estimating a process parameter from the normalized estimate of motion in the second real normal mode.

Vibrating conduit parameter sensors, operating methods and computer program productors utilizing real normal modal decomposition

Method for manufacturing a dual loop coriolis effect mass flowmeter

A Coriolis effect mass flow meter having a brace bar of improved flexibility which reduces the stress concentration in a brace bar as well as in areas of meter's flow tubes proximate the brace bar and flow tubes of the flow meter. A brace bar means is disclosed that has a void in an area between its holes that receive the flow tubes. This void increases the flexibility of the brace bar and shifts the concentration of operational and manufacturing induced stresses away from the braze joints between the brace bar and the flow tubes. The stresses are reduced and shifted away from the flow tubes to an area within the brace bar that is less critical to the overall life and reliability of the flow tubes. Meter sensitivity is improved due to enhanced flexibility of the present invention's brace bar in response to the motion induced by the Coriolis effect. Additional embodiments are disclosed which also provide increased flexibility of the brace bar while maintaining required rigidity to resist undesirable independent motion of the flow tubes.

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Louisville, CO, United States of America

David Frederick Normen