Abb Schweiz Ag

Abb Technology Ag

Abb Ag

Abb Research Ltd.

Detlef Pape

Miklos Lenner

Urs E Meier

Frank Kassubek

Andreas Stelter

Tobias Kaufmann

Christof Bernhard

Axel Kramer

Kai Hencken

Wolfgang Scholz

Daniel Schrag

Thomas Kleegrewe

Peter Krippner

Ralf Huck

Thomas Alfred Paul

Maciej Orman

Armin Gasch

Julio Danin Lobo

Georg Mueller

Wolfgang Lasarzik

Philipp Nenninger

Stefan Engelke

A transducer for non-invasive measurement includes: a piezoelectric element; a base plate; and driver electronics. The piezoelectric element is mounted to a first face of the base plate. A second face of the base plate is mountable to a wall of a vessel that holds a liquid. The driver electronics drive the piezoelectric element at a plurality of activation frequencies. When the second face of the base plate is mounted to the wall of the vessel, the transducer when activated excites acoustic waves in the base plate and to launch an acoustic wave into the liquid. The transducer is designed such that an angular divergence of the acoustic wave launched into the liquid varies as a function of at least the activation frequency and a dimension of an emitter.

Transducer for non-invasive measurement

A method of determining a mixing state of a medium in a container includes: transmitting a plurality of acoustic signals at least partly through the medium and receiving the plurality of acoustic signals after at least partly traversing the medium; determining at least one propagation value of at least one propagation quantity for each of the plurality of received acoustic signals to provide determined propagation values, each at least one propagation quantity being indicative of an interaction of the acoustic signals with the medium; determining at least one fluctuation value of at least one fluctuation quantity based on the determined propagation values to provide a determined at least one fluctuation value, each at least one fluctuation quantity being indicative of and/or correlating with a variance of the determined propagation values and/or with a state of a mixture; and determining the mixing state of the medium.

Non-invasive monitoring of a mixing process in a container

A transducer for non-invasive measurement includes: at least one first piezoelectric element; a second piezoelectric element; and a base material mountable to a wall of a vessel that contains a liquid. The base material has a planar portion and an angular shaped portion. The angular shaped portion has a plurality of outer faces, a first face of the plurality of outer faces of the angular shaped portion being connected to (or part of) a first face of the planar portion, a second face of the planar portion opposite to the first face of the planar portion being mountable to the wall of the vessel, at least one second face of the plurality of outer faces of the angular shaped portion being angled to the first face of the angular shaped portion at an angle less than an angle of 90 degrees internal to the base material.

A transducer for non-invasive measurement includes: a shear-type piezoelectric element; and a host material. The shear-type piezoelectric element is mounted to a first face of the host material. A second face of the host material is mountable to a wall of a vessel that holds a liquid. When the second face of the host material is mounted to the wall of the vessel, the transducer when activated at an activation frequency launches a Lamb wave into the wall of the vessel. The transducer is designed such that a phase velocity of the Lamb wave in the wall of the vessel is greater than a speed of sound in the liquid held by the vessel.

An apparatus for measuring a flow velocity of a fluid in a pipe includes: a housing in which a first ultrasonic transducer and a second ultrasonic transducer are arranged at a predefined distance to each other, the first ultrasonic transducer including a first sound transmitting element and a transmitter/receiver unit mounted thereto which emit first ultrasonic pulses at different angles, the second ultrasonic transducer receiving the first ultrasonic pulses and generating a first electronic output signal, the second ultrasonic transducer including a second sound transmitting element and a transmitter/receiver unit mounted thereto which emit second ultrasonic pulses at different angles, the first ultrasonic transducer receiving the second ultrasonic pulses and generating a second electronic output signal; and a control and evaluation unit electrically coupled to the first and second transducers, the control and evaluation unit tuning the first transducer to generate a first electronic output signal of a maximum amplitude.

Apparatus and method for measuring the flow velocity of a fluid in a pipe

A method for operating an ore comminution circuit is provided. The method includes obtaining at least one sensor signal related to an ore feed to the comminution circuit; determining a first ore grindability parameter of the ore feed from the at least one sensor signal, using a model; determining a second ore grindability parameter using parameters of the comminution circuit and/or of at least one comminution device in the comminution circuit; and updating the model with the second ore grindability parameter and the at least one sensor signal.

Method for operating a comminution circuit and respective comminution circuit

A system and a method for measuring a speed of sound in a liquid contained in a vessel or in a gaseous medium contained in the same vessel above the surface of the liquid. The method comprises: transmitting a first acoustic signal into the vessel to travel inside a first travelling plane. Emitting a second acoustic signal into the wall of the vessel to travel inside the wall of the vessel along a perimeter of the first travelling plane until it is received and obtaining a first time of flight of the first acoustic signal and a second time of flight of the second acoustic signal and obtaining a speed of sound in the vessel wall from a data memory. Determining the speed of sound in the liquid or in the gaseous medium from the length of the travelling path of the first acoustic signal and from the first time of flight.

System and method for measuring a speed of sound in a liquid or gaseous medium

A system and a method for measuring a signal propagation speed in a liquid contained in a vessel or in a gaseous medium contained in the same vessel above the surface of the liquid are proposed. A transmitter transmits a first signal in a first direction which is at an acute or right angle to a first reflective surface, wherein the first reflective surface reflects the first signal so that it travels in a second direction is received by a first acoustic or electromagnetic receiver. The transmitter transmits a second signal in a predetermined third direction which is at an acute angle to the first direction, where the first or a second reflective surface reflects the second signal so that it travels in a predetermined and angular fourth direction with respect to the first or second reflective surface and is received by the first or a second acoustic or electromagnetic receiver. The speed of sound is then determined under the assumption that both the first and the second signals travel at the same average speed.

System and method for measuring a signal propagation speed in a liquid or gaseous medium

An application relates to a system and a method for non-intrusive and continuous level measurement in a cylindrical vessel. The system comprises an ultrasonic transducer for generating an ultrasound wave and for emitting it into the vessel wall, and an electronic control and data processing unit (ECDP) for controlling operation of the transducer and for determining the liquid level from a time of flight of the ultrasound wave. The transducer emits the ultrasound wave as a primary Lamb wave into the vessel wall so that a part of the primary Lamb wave leaks into the liquid. The ECDP changes the ultrasonic frequency of the transducer until the transducer receives a reflection of the emitted ultrasound wave in form of a reflection of the pressure wave, determine the corresponding time of flight, and determine the liquid level from the time of flight and from parameters of the ultrasound waves.

System and method for non-intrusive and continuous level measurement in a cylindrical vessel

A system and a method for non-intrusive and continuous level measurement of a liquid enclosed by a solid wall of a vessel. The system comprises an ultrasonic transmitter for generating an ultrasound wave and for emitting it into the vessel wall, an ultrasonic receiver for receiving the ultrasound wave, and an electronic control and data processing unit (ECDU) for controlling operation of the transmitter and of the receiver and for determining the liquid level. The transmitter is able to emit the ultrasound wave as a primary Lamb wave into the vessel wall so that a part of the primary Lamb wave leaks from the vessel wall into the liquid in form of a pressure wave. The ECDU is adapted to repeatedly determine the time of flight of the pressure wave, change the ultrasonic frequency of the transmitter until the determined time of flight reaches a minimum, and determine the liquid level.

System and method for non-intrusive and continuous level measurement of a liquid

It is provided a system for localizing a sound source and a method therefor. The system includes a movable unit, being adapted for free movement and being integrated with a microphone; a motion tracking unit; and a processing unit, being adapted for receiving microphone signal and motion tracking unit signal and obtaining information on a direction from which sound from the sound source arrives using the microphone signal and motion tracking unit signal obtained during movement of the movable unit. By having the system and the method therefor, it is helpful for solving at least one of the technical problems: the complexity and a large volume of an acoustic camera for localization of a sound source; the restriction of the movement of the microphone in a sound source localization system.

System for localizing sound source and the method therefor

A thermal mass flowmeter with a metal-encapsulated sensor system is provided. The sensor system included at least one heating resistor having a platelet geometry, and a sensor cap surrounding the at least one heating resistor. At least one distal end area of the sensor cap is formed with a flat rectangular cross section corresponding to the platelet geometry of the heating resistor, such that the distal end area of the sensor cap surrounds the heating resistor closely with an accurate fit (e.g., with a predetermined gap therebetween).

Thermal mass flowmeter with a metal-encapsulated sensor system

A method and an apparatus for diagnosis of a flowmeter are disclosed. The method includes thermally coupling a first sensor unit of the flowmeter to a fluid and thermally coupling a second sensor unit of the flowmeter to the fluid. The method also includes actively heating or cooling the first sensor unit by applying power to the first sensor unit such that its temperature is different from the temperature of the fluid, and simultaneously actively heating or cooling the second sensor unit by applying power to the second sensor unit such that its temperature is different from the temperature of the fluid, and typically from the temperature of the first sensor. The method can include determining a temperature TMof the fluid, and determining at least two independent quantities related to the heat transfer of the sensor units, each of the at least two independent heat transfer related quantities being determined from at least one element selected from the group including TM, TM, TM, PM, and PM, and determining a diagnosis result by setting into relation the at least two independent heat transfer related quantities.

Flowmeters and methods for diagnosis of sensor units

A method and valve arrangement are provided for controlling the flow of a process medium through a pipeline. A pneumatic actuator moves a valve element, which is accommodated in a valve housing, and switches the flow of the process medium, in accordance with a positioning control system by means of a control piston, to at least one side of which control pressure is applied in a drive chamber. An electronic evaluation unit connected to the positioning control system monitors the operating state. A pressure sensor measures the pressure in the drive chamber, and the evaluation unit analyzes the measured pressure value with respect to a pressure p and the pressure change dp(t) over time to determine the flow into/from the drive chamber and/or the ratio (V/A) of the drive chamber volume to the effective opening cross section of the valve arrangement as a measure of the operating state of the valve arrangement.

Method for diagnosing the state of wear of a valve arrangement for controlling the flow of a process medium

A method and a valve arrangement are provided for electronic wear state determination of the valve arrangement for controlling a process medium flow. A valve element, which is arranged so as to move axially within a valve housing, is moved via electrically drivable linear drive means on the basis of positioning regulation. The valve element has an essentially constant drive force applied to it, and a position speed profile over the switching travel of the valve element is determined by detecting the speed as a function of the current position of the valve element. A change profile is created by comparing the determined speed profile with previous position speed profiles, as a measure of the position-dependent wear state of the valve mechanism.

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Nussbaumen, Switzerland

Detlef Pape