Patent classifications
G01F25/00
WATER MONITORING AND ISOLATION APPARATUS
A fluid supply monitoring system includes a fluid sensor configured to identify a flow rate of a fluid through a supply line. The system comprises a valve configured to control the flow rate through the supply line and a pressure sensor configured to detect a fluid pressure. A controller is configured to receive the flow rate data and identify fluid consumption from the supply line based on the flow rate. The controller is further configured to compare the fluid consumption of a usage event to one of a time limit and a volume limit. In response to the fluid consumption exceeding the time limit or the volume limit, the controller controls the valve to a closed position and identifies a potential fluid leak. With the valve in the closed position, the controller processes a verification procedure that identifies whether the potential fluid leak is an actual fluid leak.
PRODUCTION OF HYDROCARBONS WITH METRIC COUNTER
An improved solution for estimating the flow rate of a fluid in a line of a hydrocarbon production installation, during production. Systems and methods for producing hydrocarbons on a line of a hydrocarbon production installation can include at least two devices adapted each for providing an estimate of the flow rate of a fluid in the line based on respective data. The devices include at least one metric counter, and the data relative to the provision of an estimate of the flow rate by the metric counter include a measurement done by at least one sensor of the metric counter on the fluid. Further, data can be determined relative to the provision of an estimate of the flow rate by the devices, and a DVR process involving the determined data, the reconciliation being conditioned by at least a substantial equality between the estimates of the flow rate of the fluid.
METHOD FOR DETERMINING AN INNER DIAMETER OF A SOUNDING TUBE BY A FILL-LEVEL MEASURING DEVICE
A method for determining an inner diameter of a sounding tube, which, for measuring the fill level of a fill substance located in a process space of a container, extends in the process space, or is placed alongside the container and connected with the process space. The method can be implemented in the case of a fill-level measuring device working according to the FMCW-principle. Besides the intermediate frequency of the difference signal, also its phase shift is ascertained, wherein the exact tube inner diameter can be determined based on the phase shift. An advantage of the method is that the fill-level measuring device with the help of the then exactly known tube diameter can be recalibrated and accordingly the fill level determined more exactly. The exact tube inner diameter does not have to have been previously known.
RATE-OF-CHANGE FLOW MEASUREMENT DEVICE
A rate-of-change flow measurement device is provided including first pressure sensor, a position control valve with a valve position sensor, a second sensor position and a chamber comprising a part of the flow path of the device, and an isolation valve, arranged in this order along the flow path of the device. The device receives valve position data from the valve position sensor and pressure data from the pressure sensors, and calculates a volume of the chamber at least in part using the valve position data when a calibration of a device-under-test is performed by decreasing a pressure of the chamber or increasing the pressure of the chamber while opening the position control valve to maintain the pressure reading of the first pressure sensor constant to stay at a pressure set point.
Ultrasonic flow meter with subsampling of ultrasonic transducer signals
An ultrasonic flow meter is disclosed, including a switching unit for switching electrical transmission signals between a signal generator and at least two ultrasonic transducers and for switching electrical reception signal between the transducers and a receiver circuit, wherein the switching unit is coupled to an output terminal of an operational amplifier of the signal generator and to an inverting input terminal of an operational amplifier of the receiver circuit. Furthermore, a method for characterizing an ultrasonic transducer is disclosed, including the step of determining directly from one or more supply current signals for an active component of a signal generator one or more quantities useful for characterizing the transducer. Furthermore, a method for determining the time delay of an ultrasonic signal in a flow path of an ultrasonic flow meter is disclosed, including the step of comparing physically transmitted, delayed and received signals with simulated non-delayed signals.
Flow meter configuration and calibration
Methods and systems for configuring a fluid flow meter include a processor obtaining a measurement signal recorded by the fluid flow meter. The processor can determine a whitening frequency band. The processor can then construct a whitening filter based on the measurement signal and the whitening frequency band. The processor can then generate a reference signal based on the whitening filter and the measurement signal. The processor can provide the whitening filter and the reference signal for use by the fluid flow meter to measure a time shift between the reference signal and another measurement signal.
Nonintrusive performance measurement of a gas turbine engine in real time
Performance of a gas turbine engine is monitored by computing a mass flow rate through the engine. Acoustic time-of-flight measurements are taken between acoustic transmitters and receivers in the flow path of the engine. The measurements are processed to determine average speeds of sound and gas flow velocities along those lines-of-sound. A volumetric flow rate in the flow path is computed using the gas flow velocities together with a representation of the flow path geometry. A gas density in the flow path is computed using the speeds of sound and a measured static pressure. The mass flow rate is calculated from the gas density and the volumetric flow rate.
METHOD FOR OPERATING A CORIOLIS MASS FLOWMETER
A method for operating a Coriolis mass flowmeter that has at least one measuring tube with medium flowing through it involves exciting the measuring tube excited to oscillation, detecting the oscillations of the measuring tube and determining the density of the medium. Detection of the state and a change in the state of a Coriolis mass flowmeter is achieved by determining a calibration temperature and a calibration density sensitivity of the Coriolis mass flowmeter using the detected oscillations, at a temperature differing from the calibration temperature, and a density sensitivity of the flowmeter determined using the detected oscillations. A measurement rate of change of the density sensitivity is determined and a forecast rate of change of the density sensitivity is calculated using a forecast algorithm, and at a given deviation of the measurement rate of change from the forecast rate of change r.sub.p, a deviation signal is generated.
MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD
A system, method and device for mass airflow sensor signal processing includes a microcontroller, a mass airflow sensor and an engine PCM. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts a first output signal from the mass airflow sensor to a first V.sub.DC value. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) converts a second V.sub.DC value to a second output signal associated with the mass airflow sensor. Transfer functions are obtained from a flow bench using the mass airflow sensor, performance air intake components, and stock air intake components. The microcontroller determines, from the first V.sub.DC value, a corresponding actual flow rate. From the actual flow rate, a corresponding stock V.sub.DC value is determined. The stock V.sub.DC value is then output to the DAC for conversion to the output second signal associated with the mass airflow sensor for communication to the engine PCM.
System and method for using a rate of decay measurement for real time measurement and correction of zero offset and zero drift of a mass flow controller or mass flow meter
The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for providing a self-validating mass flow controller or mass flow meter. For example, in one embodiment, a self-validating mass flow controller is disclosed that does not require any software modification to a tool/tool controller in which the mass flow controller is being utilized. In other embodiments, a self-validating mass flow controller is disclosed that does not require any hardware or mechanical changes to an existing mass flow controller. Still, the disclosed embodiments further include a self-validating mass flow controller that is configured to determine valve leak and sensor offset simultaneously for performing real time in-situ correction of a mass flow controller's output for zero offset or zero drift in the presence of valve leak.