APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING AND ANALYSING A MEASUREMENT FLUID FOR MEASUREMENT IN A MEASURING DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for processing and analyzing a measurement fluid for measurement in a measurement device, comprising a fluid chamber which is filled by the measurement fluid or through which the measurement fluid flows during operation, an electrically driven ultrasound driver which causes the measurement fluid to vibrate during operation by applying an electrical operating voltage, wherein the measurement fluid, the ultrasound driver, a reflector as applicable and additional layers as applicable are parts of a resonator and of a common mechanical vibration system during operation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing and analysing a measurement fluid for measurement in a measuring device, comprising: a fluid chamber (12), which is filled by the measurement fluid or through which the measurement fluid flows during operation, an electrically driven ultrasonic driver (11) which causes the measurement fluid to oscillate during operation by applying an electrical operating voltage, wherein the measurement fluid, the ultrasonic driver (11), optionally a reflector and optionally additional layers, are parts of a resonator and of a common mechanical oscillation system during operation, characterised in that a measuring device (5) is provided which determines the oscillation state of the mechanical oscillation system during operation by detecting current and/or voltage and/or phase shift at the ultrasonic driver (11) operated under operating voltage.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the measuring device (5) calculates the complex impedance or the complex admittance from the variables current, voltage and phase shift in order to determine the oscillation state of the mechanical oscillation system.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the measuring device (5) detects the current and/or the voltage and/or the phase shift on the electrodes of the resonator, in particular on the electrodes of the ultrasonic driver (11).

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that a shunt (10) is provided for detecting the current and/or the voltage and/or the phase shift, wherein the shunt (10) is arranged according to a first circuit configuration between an electrical signal amplification for the ultrasonic driver (11) and an electrode of the ultrasonic driver (11), or wherein the shunt (10) is arranged according to a second circuit configuration between an electrode of the ultrasonic driver (11) and a ground line.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the measuring device (5) is configured for indirect measurement of the acousto-mechanical state via the measurement of the electromechanically coupled signal parameters of the electrical excitation in operation, in particular under electrical operating current.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the ultrasonic driver (11) comprises one or more ultrasonic driver units, and/or in that the ultrasonic driver (11) comprises one or more piezoelectric ultrasonic drivers (11), and/or that the ultrasonic driver (11) is formed by one or more piezoelectric ultrasonic drivers (11), wherein the ultrasonic driver units may optionally be arranged at different positions along the fluid chamber (12).

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, in that the operating voltage of the operating current of the ultrasonic driver (11) is greater than 5 V.sub.SS, in particular is greater than 10 V.sub.SS or is greater than 30 V.sub.SS and is preferably about 15 V.sub.SS, wherein the voltage specifications are in each case the voltage difference between the voltage peak value and the voltage valley value of the AC voltage.

8. A measuring device comprising an apparatus according to claim 1 and, optionally, an additional sensor arrangement which is configured to analyse the measurement fluid arranged or flowing in the fluid chamber (12) and set in oscillation.

9. A method for processing and analysing a measurement fluid for measurement in a measuring device, wherein the measurement fluid is arranged in a fluid chamber (12) or flows through the fluid chamber (12) during operation, wherein the measurement fluid is set in oscillation by applying an operating current to an electrically driven ultrasonic driver (11), wherein the measurement fluid, the ultrasonic driver (11) and optionally a reflector are parts of a resonator and of a common mechanical oscillation system during operation, characterised in that the oscillation state of the mechanical oscillation system during operation is determined by detecting the current and/or the voltage and/or the phase shift at the ultrasonic driver (11) operated under operating voltage.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that the complex impedance or the complex admittance is calculated from the variables current, voltage and phase shift in order to determine the oscillation state of the mechanical oscillation system.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that the current and/or the voltage and/or the phase shift is or are detected on the electrodes of the resonator, in particular on the electrodes of the ultrasonic driver (11).

12. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that the current and/or the voltage and/or the phase shift is or are detected according to a first circuit configuration via a shunt (10) arranged between the output of the electrical signal amplification and an electrode of the ultrasonic driver (11), or in that the current and/or the voltage and/or the phase shift is or are detected according to a second circuit configuration via a shunt (10) arranged between the output of the electrical signal amplification and an electrode of the ultrasonic driver (11).

13. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that the acousto-mechanical state is indirectly measured via a measurement of the electromechanically coupled signal parameters of the electrical excitation in operation, in particular under operating current.

14. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that one or more of the following parameters are detected: Particle presence in the measurement fluid, change in particle presence in the measurement fluid, particle concentration in the measurement fluid, change in particle concentration in the measurement fluid, total mass of the particles (14) located in the fluid chamber (12), change in total mass of the particles (14) located in the fluid chamber (12), temperature of the measurement fluid, change in the temperature of the measurement fluid, density of the measurement fluid, change in the density of the measurement fluid, attenuation by the measurement fluid, change in the attenuation by the measurement fluid, contamination of the ultrasonic driver (11) and/or the reflector.

15. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that one or more parameters for regulating compensation of a change in speed of sound in the measurement fluid are acquired, wherein the change in speed of sound is caused in particular by a change in temperature, a change in density and/or a change in compressibility.

16. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that one or more parameters for regulating a temperature compensation are detected.

17. The method according to claim 9, characterised—in that one or more parameters for determining the resonance state are detected, in particular by determining a conductance value, an admittance value or a susceptance value, for example the conductance maximum, the admittance maximum or the susceptance zero crossing.

18. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that a change in speed of sound in the measurement fluid, in particular a change in the temperature of the measurement fluid, the density of the measurement fluid and/or the compressibility of the measurement fluid is detected in that the change alters the resonance frequency.

19. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that a resonance state is set by roughly setting the resonance frequency in a first step, and by precisely setting this frequency in a second step by changing it until a specific conductance value, a specific admittance value, a specific susceptance value, in particular a conductance maximum, a conductance minimum, an admittance maximum, an admittance minimum, a susceptance maximum, a susceptance minimum or a susceptance zero crossing, are determined through the measurement of current, voltage and phase shift.

20. The method according to claim 9, wherein the resonance state is maintained in that the set frequency follows a change of the resonance frequency, e.g. by a temperature change, in that it is changed until a specific conductance value, a specific admittance value, a specific susceptance value, in particular a conductance maximum, a conductance minimum, an admittance maximum, an admittance minimum, a susceptance maximum, a susceptance minimum or a susceptance zero-crossing is determined through the measurement of current, voltage and phase shift.

21. The method according to claim 9, characterised in that a property of the resonator, such as the power dissipation in the ultrasonic driver (11), is adjusted to a certain value by inferring in a first step the temperature of the ultrasonic driver (11) from the change of the resonance frequency, and by limiting, in a second step, the adjusted electrical power of the ultrasonic driver (11) so that the temperature does not exceed a certain value.

Description

[0104] The invention will now be further described with reference to exemplary embodiments, illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0105] FIG. 1 shows decisive components of a circuit for regulating a resonance state.

[0106] FIG. 2 shows decisive components of a circuit of a measuring device.

[0107] FIG. 3 shows decisive components of a circuit of a measuring device.

[0108] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of components of a measuring device.

[0109] Unless otherwise indicated, the reference numbers correspond to the following properties:

[0110] Signal source 1, controller 2, control device 3, controlled system 4, measuring device 5, attenuation 6, current measurement 7, phase measurement 8, instrumentation block 9, shunt 10, ultrasonic driver 11, fluid chamber 12, amplifier 13, particle 14, sensor 15.

[0111] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a control circuit with a controller 2, at least one signal source 1, a control device 3, a controlled system 4 and the measuring device 5.

[0112] FIG. 2 shows a circuit in the configuration of a high-side measurement with an attenuation 6, a voltage measurement or a voltage-proportional current measurement 7, a phase measurement 8 between voltage and current and a measuring impedance and/or a shunt 10. For an arrangement of the circuit as a high-side measurement, an instrumentation block 9 is provided for current measurement 7.

[0113] For the high-side measurement, the electrical amplifier 13 for the ultrasonic driver 11 is provided at the output of the controlled system 4, the shunt 10 being connected in front of the load, in particular in front of the ultrasonic driver 11.

[0114] FIG. 3 shows a circuit in the configuration of a low-side measurement. Here, no instrumentation block 9 is required. Here, the electrical amplifier 13 for the ultrasonic driver 11 is arranged in front of the load, i.e. in front of the ultrasonic driver 11. The shunt 10 is arranged after the ultrasonic driver 11, the shunt 10 being connected to ground.

[0115] FIG. 4 shows a schematic arrangement of components of a possible embodiment of a measuring device. This comprises a fluid chamber 12 which is filled with a measurement fluid during operation. The fluid chamber 12 may be a closed chamber or an open chamber and optionally a chamber through which the measurement fluid flows.

[0116] During operation, an ultrasonic driver 11, which is preferably designed as a sound generator, such as a piezoelectric sound generator, acts on the measurement fluid located in the fluid chamber 12. The ultrasonic driver 11 is connected to an amplifier 13, wherein the amplifier 13 is designed in particular as an electrical signal amplifier for operating the ultrasonic driver 11.

[0117] During operation, the measurement fluid, the ultrasonic driver 11, a reflector and optionally other layers form parts of a resonator and a common mechanical oscillation system. The oscillation system may produce a desired resonance state. In the present embodiment of FIG. 4, a resonance state is created in which separation and agglomeration of the particles 14 occurs in several areas. According to the invention, a measuring device 5 is provided which detects the current, the voltage and the phase shift at the ultrasonic driver 11 in order to determine the oscillation state of the mechanical oscillation system during operation. In all embodiments, the measuring device 5 is preferably part of a circuit comprising the ultrasonic driver 11 and the amplifier 13. Preferably, the measuring device 5 is part of the circuit according to FIG. 2 or FIG. 3.

[0118] In addition, in this embodiment, a sensor 15 is also provided for analysing the measurement fluid. This sensor 15 or its surface may also act as a reflector, as in the present case. The sensor 15 may, for example, be an optical sensor such as an infrared sensor. In case the parameters of the measurement fluid to be determined can be detected by the measuring device 5 itself, such a sensor 15 may also be omitted.