Described is a device for measuring fluid density. The device is a flow meter including a housing with one side configured to mount to a flow conduit and define an outlet flow orifice near one end of the housing. The other side defines an inlet flow orifice near another end of the housing. The housing permits fluid to be introduced into the inlet flow orifice, flow through a flow cavity, and pass from the outlet flow orifice. The flow meter also includes a sensor head near the outlet flow orifice. The sensor head vibrates at a frequency upon introduction of electrical power while in contact with a fluid, detects the vibration frequency of the sensor head, and transmits the detected vibration frequency, which is associated with a density of the fluid. A system and method for determining a fluid density of a fluid using the described device is also disclosed.

The method of the present disclosure for signaling a standard frequency of a density meter comprises: exciting bending vibrations of a measurement tube at an excitation mode working frequency, the working frequency depending on the density of a medium conducted in the measurement tube and on a disturbance variable; determining a characteristic value of the working frequency; determining a value representing the disturbance variable; calculating a corrected density value of the medium as a function of the characteristic value of the working frequency and of the value representing the disturbance variable; calculating a characteristic value of the standard frequency as a function of the corrected density value, the standard frequency being the frequency which produces the corrected density value in a calculation of the density using a frequency-dependent standard function which is not dependent on the disturbance variable; and providing a signal representing the standard frequency.

A densitometer in the present disclosure comprises a measurement module that is calibrated to estimate sample fluid density with high accuracy and minimized sensitivity to temperature of tube and clamp components in the densitometer. The densitometer measures sample fluid density by vibrating the sample fluid and measuring the resonant frequency of the sample fluid, then estimating the sample fluid density based on this resonant frequency. The measurement module is calibrated specific to dissimilar tube and clamp materials. The tube and the clamp of the densitometer have materials are chosen to be cost-effective based on the specifications of the densitometer system and to have coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) which reduce temperature dependence of the resonant frequency of the sample fluid inside of the densitometer.

A densitometer in the present disclosure comprises tension measuring devices that send tension measurements to a measurement module enabling the measurement module to estimate fluid density with increased accuracy. The densitometer measures sample fluid density by vibrating the sample fluid and measuring the resonant frequency of the sample fluid, then estimating the sample fluid density based on this resonant frequency. A set of tension measuring devices affixed to a tube of the densitometer measure external forces on the tube due to O-ring seals and other operational conditions. The sample fluid density estimate uses these tension measurements to take into account O-ring friction and other external forces applied to the densitometer to improve the accuracy of the calculated density.

A densitometer in the present disclosure comprises a measurement module that is calibrated to estimate sample fluid density with high accuracy and minimized sensitivity to temperature of tube and clamp components in the densitometer. The densitometer measures sample fluid density by vibrating the sample fluid and measuring the resonant frequency of the sample fluid, then estimating the sample fluid density based on this resonant frequency. The measurement module is calibrated specific to dissimilar tube and clamp materials. The tube and the clamp of the densitometer have materials are chosen to be cost-effective based on the specifications of the densitometer system and to have coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) which reduce temperature dependence of the resonant frequency of the sample fluid inside of the densitometer.

A densitometer in the present disclosure comprises tension measuring devices that send tension measurements to a measurement module enabling the measurement module to estimate fluid density with increased accuracy. The densitometer measures sample fluid density by vibrating the sample fluid and measuring the resonant frequency of the sample fluid, then estimating the sample fluid density based on this resonant frequency. A set of tension measuring devices affixed to a tube of the densitometer measure external forces on the tube due to O-ring seals and other operational conditions. The sample fluid density estimate uses these tension measurements to take into account O-ring friction and other external forces applied to the densitometer to improve the accuracy of the calculated density.

A method for determining a process anomaly in a fluid flow system, the system having a meter with immersed elements immersed in a fluid of a fluid flow is disclosed. The method includes determining, using a data processing circuit (132), a measured density of the fluid in the fluid flow system, determining, using the data processing circuit (132), whether the fluid flow system is experiencing a density anomaly based on a relationship between the measured density and an expected density of the fluid in the fluid flow system, determining, using the data processing circuit (132), a measured phase difference of vibrations of the immersed elements of the meter, determining, using the data processing circuit (132), whether the fluid flow system is experiencing a phase anomaly based on a relationship between the measured phase difference and a target phase difference of the vibrations of the immersed elements in the fluid flow, and identifying an anomaly of the fluid flow system based on the determination of whether there is a density anomaly and the determination of whether there is a phase anomaly.

Systems and Methods for controlling one or more mechanical resonators and determining information from resonant shift of the resonator(s) behavior, including at least one mechanical resonator, an excitation element for driving the resonator(s), a sensor for monitoring the motion of the resonator(s), at least one phase locked loop (PLL) in feedback between the excitation and monitoring elements, wherein each PLL is configured to operate at or near a different resonant mode of the resonator(s), and a processor for determining information from PLL internal signals indicative of a resonator frequency shift.

A vibratory cavity density meter (100-300) is provided. The vibratory cavity density meter (100-300) includes a pipe (110-310) extending from a first end (110a-310a) to a second end (110b-310b). The first end (110a-310a) includes an aperture (114-314) configured to receive a material from a container (10) and the second end (110b-310b) is self-enclosed so as to contain the material in the pipe (110-310). The vibratory cavity density meter (100-300) also includes at least one transducer (118, 218) coupled to the pipe (110-310), the at least one transducer (118, 218) configured to one of induce and sense a vibration in the pipe (110-310) to measure a property of the material.

The method of the present disclosure for signaling a standard frequency of a density meter comprises: exciting bending vibrations of a measurement tube at an excitation mode working frequency, the working frequency depending on the density of a medium conducted in the measurement tube and on a disturbance variable; determining a characteristic value of the working frequency; determining a value representing the disturbance variable; calculating a corrected density value of the medium as a function of the characteristic value of the working frequency and of the value representing the disturbance variable; calculating a characteristic value of the standard frequency as a function of the corrected density value, the standard frequency being the frequency which produces the corrected density value in a calculation of the density using a frequency-dependent standard function which is not dependent on the disturbance variable; and providing a signal representing the standard frequency.