A method of making a sensor assembly for a vortex flowmeter includes securing a vortex sensor to a vortex sensor housing. The vortex sensor housing is secured to a sensor body that is configured to seal a process penetration opening to limit flow of process fluid out of the flowmeter through the process penetration opening. A pair of pressure-responsive diaphragms is secured to the vortex sensor housing such that the pressure-responsive diaphragms face outwardly from opposite sides of the housing and such that the vortex sensor is positioned to detect motion of at least one of the pressure-responsive diaphragms. A mounting hole is made in the sensor body spaced apart from the vortex sensor housing. A temperature sensor housing is secured to the sensor body through the mounting hole. A temperature sensor is inserted in the temperature sensor housing for sensing a temperature of the process fluid.

A sensor assembly comprises a deformation body with two oppositely lying surfaces and an outer edge segment as well as a sensor blade extending from the surface out to a distal end. Furthermore, the sensor assembly comprises a protective apparatus for protection of the deformation body from pressure surges exerted against its surface and/or for protection of the deformation body from abrupt changes of temperature on its surface, The protective apparatus includes, adjoining the edge segment of the deformation body, at least one plate, which extends radially inwardly in the direction of the sensor blade in such a manner that, between plate and deformation body, a cavity is formed, formed, which accommodates a region of the sensor blade adjoining the surface of the deformation body and remote from the distal end of the sensor blade, and that a gap is formed between the plate and sensor blade. A A sensor formed by means of such a sensor assembly as well as a transducer element coupled therewith and serving for generating a sensor signal representing movements of the sensor blade changing as a function of time and/or deformations of the membrane changing as a function of time, and a measuring system formed by means of the sensor and a measuring electronics connected therewith can be used for registering pressure fluctuations in a flowing fluid, such as, for instance, steam having, at least at times, a temperature of 400 C and/or, at least at times, a pressure of greater than 140 bar, for instance, in order to measure flow parameters of the fluid.

A system for determining fluid velocity of a fluid flow to which the system is exposed, the system comprising: an acoustic structure including a radiating element and an acoustic volume acoustically coupled to the radiating element, a microphone located inside the acoustic volume, and a wire coupled to the radiating element such that, when the wire is subject to the fluid flow, vibrations of the wire are transmitted to the radiating element, and resulting vibrations of the radiating element radiate corresponding vibrations into the acoustic volume, wherein the microphone is sensitive to said vibrations radiated into the acoustic volume, and the output of the microphone in response to said vibrations is related to the fluid velocity of the fluid flow to which the wire is subject.

A method for monitoring a measuring device of automation technology, wherein the measuring device has a capacitive sensor the sensor has at least one capacitor, and the at least one capacitor is applied for determining or monitoring a process variable. A loss resistance of the at least one capacitor is measured by determining the charge state of the at least one capacitor at a first point in time and at a subsequent, second point in time, and, based on a change of the charge state between the first point in time and the second point in time, information is won concerning disturbance of the ability of the measuring device to function.

A vortex flowmeter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid has a flowtube and a bluff body positioned in the flowtube for shedding vortices in the fluid when the fluid flows through the flowtube. A sensor is positioned to detect the vortices. A cleaning port is positioned to allow a stream of fluid to be directed into the flowtube through the cleaning port toward the sensor for cleaning material away from the sensor. A method of cleaning the vortex flowmeter includes injecting a fluid into the vortex flowmeter toward the sensor through the cleaning port.

A flowmeter for measuring the flow rate of a fluid has a measuring tube which forms a measurement space through which the fluid can flow. At least one disruptive body is arranged in the measurement space. The measurement space additionally has, downstream of the disruptive body, a pickup arranged in it that can be deflected based on a vortex formation at the disruptive body. In order to minimize the flow resistance for the fluid when flowing through the flowmeter, the measuring tube has an elliptical cross-section at least in the region of the arrangement of the disruptive body.

A vortex meter for measuring a flow rate of a fluid has a flowtube and a bluff body positioned in the flowtube for shedding vortices in the fluid when the fluid flows through the flowtube. The vortex meter has a sensor positioned to detect the vortices. The bluff body has a forward-facing surface and an abrasion-resistant cladding covering the forward facing surface. The bluff body suitably also has a projection extending downstream from the forward-facing surface. The bluff body suitably has an abrasion-resistant cladding covering at least a portion of the projection. In one embodiment, the entire bluff body is completely covered by the abrasion-resistant cladding. The inner surface of a segment of the flowtube can also have abrasion-resistant characteristics.

A measurement system includes: a pipe insertable into the course of a pipeline; a bluff body arranged in the pipe and configured to generate vortices having a shedding frequency dependent on an instantaneous flow velocity of a fluid such that a K?rm?n vortex street is formed in the fluid flowing downstream of the bluff body; a vortex sensor arranged downstream of the bluff body, having a resonance frequency and configured to effect mechanical oscillations as to provide a vortex sensor signal including a first component representing oscillations of the vortex sensor with the shedding frequency and a second component representing the mechanical resonance frequency of the vortex sensor; and converter electronics for evaluating the vortex sensor signal and configured to determine whether and/or to what extent the fluid contains foreign substances and/or is a single- or multi-phase substance based on the first and second components of the vortex sensor signal.

Flow meters may include a body defining a fluid channel therein. At least one structure may be positioned within the fluid channel, and fixed relative to the body, that is shaped and positioned to produce a flow-induced vibration that varies according to a rate of fluid flow through the fluid channel. A method of measuring a fluid flow rate may include directing a fluid over a first structure located in a first channel, and producing a first flow-induced vibration that varies according to a rate of fluid flow in a first channel with the first structure. The method may further include measuring the vibration of a remote structure coupled to the first channel, and determining the rate of fluid flow in the first channel from the measured vibration.

The design and structure of a vortex flow meter with large dynamic range utilizing a micro-machined thermal flow sensing device for simultaneously measurement of volumetric flowrate via vortex street frequency as well as mass flowrate is exhibited in this disclosure. The micro-machined thermal flow sensing device is placed at the central point of a channel inside the bluff body where the channel direction is not perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow in the conduit. The thermal flow sensing device is operating in a time-of-flight principle for acquiring the vortex street frequency such that any surface conditions of the device shall not have significant impact to the measured values. With a temperature thermistor on the same micro-machined thermal flow sensing device, the vortex flow meter shall be able to output the fluid temperature as well as the fluid pressure.