MAGNETICALLY INDUCTIVE FLOW MEASURING PROBE, MEASURING ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING A FLOW RATE AND/OR AN INSTALLATION ANGLE

Abstract

Disclosed is a magnetically inductive flow measuring probe for determining flow rate and/or flow velocity of a medium, which includes a front part with a front end having a center, a housing, a magnetic field producing means arranged in the housing for producing a magnetic field passing through the front end, and a measuring- and evaluation unit, and characterized in that there are arranged on the front end and forming galvanic contact with the medium three measuring electrodes, which form three measuring electrode pairs, and in that the measuring- and evaluation unit is adapted to register induced measured voltages between at least two measuring electrode pairs, especially three measuring electrode pairs, and to ascertain flow rate and/or flow velocity of the medium as a function of the registered voltages.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A magnetically inductive flow measuring probe for determining a flow rate and/or a flow velocity of a medium, comprising: a front part having a front end having a center; a housing; a magnetic field producing means arranged in the housing for producing a magnetic field passing through the front end; a measuring and evaluation unit; and three measuring electrodes arranged on the front end and forming galvanic contacts with the medium, wherein the three measuring electrodes form pairs, wherein the measuring and evaluation unit is adapted to measure, in each case, voltage induced between at least two measuring electrode pairs and to ascertain the flow rate and/or the flow velocity of the medium as a function of the registered voltages.

17. The magnetically inductive flow measuring probe as claimed in claim 16, wherein the three measuring electrodes are arranged rotation symmetrically about a center of rotation, and wherein the center of the front end forms the center of rotation.

18. The magnetically inductive flow measuring probe as claimed in claim 16, wherein the housing is cylindrical having a rotational axis extending through the center of the front end perpendicularly to the front end.

19. The magnetically inductive flow measuring probe as claimed in claim 16, wherein the magnetic field producing means includes a coil arrangement, a coil core, and at least one field guideback, wherein the coil core ends at or in proximity of the front end, wherein the coil core is embodied cylindrically, and wherein the coil arrangement surrounds the coil core.

20. The magnetically inductive flow measuring probe as claimed in claim 19, wherein the at least one field guideback is embodied hollow cylindrically and at least partially surrounds the coil core and the coil arrangement.

21. The magnetically inductive flow measuring probe as claimed in claim 19, wherein the magnetic field producing means includes three field guidebacks, wherein each field guideback is arranged, in each case, between the measuring electrode pairs, wherein the field guidebacks have, in each case, a longitudinal axis extending between a measuring electrode pair perpendicularly from the front end.

22. The magnetically inductive flow measuring probe as claimed in claim 16, wherein the measuring and evaluation unit is further adapted to determine the greater measured induced voltage between the at least two measuring electrode pairs and based on the greater measured voltage to ascertain the flow rate, the volume flow rate, and/or the flow velocity, and to assign to a measuring electrode, which is not used for determining flow rate and/or flow velocity, the function of a reference electrode or a fill level monitoring electrode or an electrode for determining conductivity of the medium.

23. The magnetically inductive flow measuring probe as claimed in claim 16, further comprising: a fourth measuring electrode arranged in the center of the front end and forming with the three rotationally symmetrically arranged measuring electrodes fourth, fifth, and sixth measuring electrode pairs.

24. The magnetically inductive flow measuring probe as claimed in claim 23, wherein the fourth measuring electrode is adapted to undertake a function of a reference electrode, or wherein the measuring and evaluation unit is further adapted to ascertain each of the voltages lying between the fourth, fifth, and sixth measuring electrode pairs.

25. A method for determining a flow rate of a medium in a pipeline, comprising: providing a magnetically inductive flow measuring probe, including: a front part having a front end having a center; a housing; a magnetic field producing means arranged in the housing for producing a magnetic field passing through the front end; a measuring and evaluation unit; and three measuring electrodes arranged on the front end and forming galvanic contacts with the medium, wherein the three measuring electrodes form pairs, wherein the measuring and evaluation unit is adapted to measure, in each case, voltage induced between at least two measuring electrode pairs and to ascertain the flow rate and/or the flow velocity of the medium as a function of the registered voltages; measuring first and second measured voltages, wherein the first measured voltage lies between a first measuring electrode pair and the second measured voltage lies between a second measuring electrode pair; determining an installation angle α as a function of the first and second measured voltages, wherein the installation angle α is defined by a line intersecting a measuring electrode pair and a flow direction of the medium flowing through the pipeline; and determining the flow rate and/or a flow velocity as a function of the measured voltage lying between a measuring electrode pair and of the determined installation angle α.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising: measuring a third measured voltage, wherein the third measured voltage lies between a third measuring electrode pair; and determining the installation angle α as a function of the first, second, and third measured voltages.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising: outputting the installation angle α and/or the flow rate and/or flow velocity by means of an output unit.

28. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising: measuring voltage lying between the measuring electrode pairs; summing the measured voltages; outputting the ascertained sum of the measured voltages; and/or creating an error report, when the sum of the measured voltage deviates from a predefined desired value.

29. The method as claimed in claim 25, further comprising: determining the flow rate and/or flow velocity of the medium based on the measuring electrode pair having the greatest measured voltage of the ascertained measured voltage and based on the ascertained installation angle α; providing a measuring electrode, which is not used for determining flow rate and/or flow velocity, but rather for monitoring fill level; and/or providing a measuring electrode, which is not used for determining flow rate and/or flow velocity, but rather for determining conductivity of the medium; and/or providing a measuring electrode, which is not used for determining flow rate and/or flow velocity, but rather as a reference electrode.

30. A measuring point for determining a flow, a volume flow rate, and/or a flow velocity of a medium, comprising: a pipeline which conveys the medium in a longitudinal direction defined by a pipe axis; an opening in a wall of the pipeline; and a magnetically inductive flow measuring probe, including: a front part having a front end having a center; a housing; a magnetic field producing means arranged in the housing for producing a magnetic field passing through the front end; a measuring and evaluation unit; and three measuring electrodes arranged on the front end and forming galvanic contacts with the medium, wherein the three measuring electrodes form pairs, wherein the measuring and evaluation unit is adapted to measure, in each case, voltage induced between at least two measuring electrode pairs and to ascertain the flow rate and/or the flow velocity of the medium as a function of the registered voltages, wherein the magnetically inductive flow measuring probe is introduced through the opening into the pipeline, and wherein an installed angle α is defined by a line intersecting a first measuring electrode pair an a flow direction of the medium flowing through the pipeline.

Description

[0066] The invention will now be explained in greater detail based on the appended drawing, the figures of which show as follows:

[0067] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a magnetically inductive flow measuring probe of the state of the art;

[0068] FIG. 2 a cross section of a first embodiment of the magnetically inductive flow measuring probe of the invention;

[0069] FIG. 3 a longitudinal section of a first embodiment of the magnetically inductive flow measuring probe of the invention in a measuring point;

[0070] FIG. 4 a front view of the magnetically inductive flow measuring probe of the invention in installed position;

[0071] FIG. 5 a front view of a second embodiment of the magnetically inductive flow measuring probe of the invention having a fourth measuring electrode in the center of the front end; and

[0072] FIG. 6 two embodiments of field guidebacks of the magnetic field producing means.

[0073] Using the perspective and partially sectioned FIG. 1, firstly, the measuring principle underlying the invention will be explained. A flow measuring probe (1) includes a generally circularly cylindrical housing (3) having a predetermined outer diameter. This is matched to the diameter of a bore, which is located in a wall of a pipeline (13) (not shown in FIG. 1 but in FIG. 3) and into which the flow measuring probe (1) is introduced fluid-tightly. Flowing in the pipeline (13) is a fluid to be measured, in which the flow measuring probe (1) extends practically perpendicularly to the flow direction of the fluid, as shown by the wavy arrows (12). A front end (2) of the housing (3) protruding into the fluid is sealed fluid-tightly with a front part of insulating material. By means of a coil arrangement (9) arranged in the housing (3), a magnetic field (8) reaching through the front end and into the fluid can be produced. A coil core (7) composed at least partially of a soft magnetic material and arranged in the housing (3) ends at or in the proximity of the front end. A field guideback (10), which surrounds the coil arrangement (9) and the coil core (7), is adapted to guide the magnetic field (8) passing through the front end back into the housing (3). First and second galvanic measuring electrodes (4, 5) are arranged in the front part and contact the fluid. Induced between the measuring electrodes (4, 5) because of Faradays law of induction can be an electrical voltage, which is tapped by means of a measuring- and/or evaluation unit (11). This voltage is maximum, when the flow measuring probe is so installed in the pipeline (13) that a plane defined by a line intersecting the two measuring electrodes and a longitudinal axis of the flow measuring probe extends perpendicularly to the flow direction (12), or to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline (21).

[0074] The cross section displayed in FIG. 2 shows the coil core (7) arranged in the center (6), the coil arrangement (9), the field guideback (10), which in this embodiment is embodied hollow cylindrically, and the first, second and third measuring electrodes (4, 5, 16), which are arranged rotationally symmetrically to the center of rotation, here the center (6) of the front end. The arrangement and embodiment of the field guideback (10) is so optimized that the symmetry axis of the magnetic field lines (8) intersects the front end (2) perpendicularly between the measuring electrode pairs and the magnetic field strength is maximum. The installed angle α and the flow rate is output by means of an output unit (20).

[0075] FIG. 3 shows the flow measuring probe (1) in longitudinal section. Flow measuring probe (1) is secured fluid-tightly in the pipeline (13) by means of a screw in connection (14), which is mounted on the wall of the pipeline (13) and e.g. welded with it. This construction of the measuring point is especially helpful, since, firstly, the screw in connection (14) can be placed on the pipeline (13) and secured thereto and then the flow measuring probe (1) introduced, or screwed, into the screw in connection (14) to fix it therein and to seal it by means of a seal (15). The first, second and third measuring electrodes (4, 5, 16) are arranged on the front end (2) symmetrically with respect to a center (6) of the front end.

[0076] In the example of an embodiment in FIG. 4, arrows indicate the measuring electrode pairs, at each of which measured voltage is tapped by means of the measuring- and/or evaluation unit. A dashed line shows an ideally oriented line (18). This defines together with a reference line (19), shown here as a dotted line, the installed angle α. The ideal line (18) extends perpendicularly to the flow direction (12). The reference line (19) can be any measuring electrode pair. In such case, the reference line (19) extends through the second and third measuring electrodes (5, 16).

[0077] In the example of an embodiment of FIG. 5, a fourth measuring electrode (17) is provided in the center (6) of the front end. Arrows display the measuring electrode pairs, for each of which the measured voltage is tapped by means of the measuring- and/or evaluation unit. Supplementing the example of an embodiment shown in FIG. 4, there are three other measuring electrode pairs, on each of which measured voltage is present in the case of flowing medium.

[0078] FIG. 6 presents two forms of embodiment of the magnetic field producing means schematically. The basic principle is presented using the first form of embodiment. A platform (22) serves as a connector of the coil core (7) with the field guidebacks (10). The platform is polygonal here, but can also be embodied circularly cylindrically. The field guidebacks are prismatic in FIG. 6. They can, however, have any form, especially forms matched to the measuring electrode arrangement. In the second form of embodiment, the coil core (7) is circularly cylindrical and the field guidebacks (10) are formed as circular ring segments. Furthermore, the base (22) and the field guidebacks (10) are embodied as one piece. The number of field guidebacks (10) depends on the arrangement of the measuring electrodes (4, 5, 16, 17).

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0079] 1 flow measuring probe

[0080] 2 front end

[0081] 3 housing

[0082] 4 first measuring electrode

[0083] 5 second measuring electrode

[0084] 6 center

[0085] 7 coil core

[0086] 8 magnetic field lines

[0087] 9 coil arrangement

[0088] 10 field guideback

[0089] 11 measuring- and/or evaluation unit

[0090] 12 flow direction

[0091] 13 pipeline

[0092] 14 screw in connection

[0093] 15 seal

[0094] 16 third measuring electrode

[0095] 17 fourth measuring electrode

[0096] 18 ideal line

[0097] 19 reference line

[0098] 20 output unit

[0099] 21 longitudinal axis of the pipeline

[0100] 22 platform, base

[0101] 25 front part