Method for operating a measuring device and a measuring device

Abstract

A method for operating a measuring device having at least one measured value sensor for recording and forwarding measured values of a primary measured variable. To ensure a particularly high reliability and measuring accuracy, the recording of the measured value and/or the forwarding of the measured value is carried out in dependence on the operating state of the measuring device, recording of the measured value and/or the forwarding of the measured value being interrupted during a disturbance. The measuring device is wherein the measured value sensor is designed in such a manner that the recording of the measured value and/or the forwarding of the measured value is carried out in dependence on the operating state of the measuring device, wherein the recording of the measured value or the forwarding of the measured value is interrupted during a disturbance.

Claims

1. A method for operating a measuring device having at least one measured value sensor for recording measured values of a primary measured variable, comprising the steps of: measuring a primary variable with at least one measured value sensor and including emitting a signal beam in a direction of the medium, recording values of the primary variable measured in dependence on an operating state of the measuring device, and interrupting the recording of the values measured during a disturbance, wherein the primary variable measured is a fill level of a medium in a container, and wherein the disturbance during which recording of measurements is interrupted is an operating state during which the container is being filled with the medium and a fill stream of the medium being filled into the container crosses the signal beam.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recording of the measured values takes place continuously or periodically.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal beam is an electromagnetic signal, wherein the measured value sensor includes an antenna configured to emit the electromagnetic signal in a direction of the medium and to receive the electromagnetic signal reflected from the medium for measuring the primary variable, wherein the measured value sensor comprises a trigger and wherein the interrupting of recording of the measured value is produced in the event of at least one fulfilled trigger condition of the trigger, and wherein the at least one trigger condition is fulfilled in the case of a disturbance.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the trigger has a trigger input via which an external trigger signal is received, and wherein a trigger condition is fulfilled exactly when the external trigger signal is supplied to the trigger via the trigger input.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the external trigger signal is configured within a message according to a data protocol, wherein the measuring device is connected to a further device via an interface which allows communication based on the data protocol, and wherein the message containing the trigger signal is transmitted via the interface to the measured value sensor.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least one limit value is stored in the trigger and wherein the trigger condition comprises comparing at least one measured value with the limit value.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a limit value is a maximum measured value difference between two successive measured values of the measured variable.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one electrical characteristic is determined and wherein a limit value is a maximum change in the electrical characteristic.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one secondary measured variable is determined and wherein a limit value is a maximum change in the secondary measured variable.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device has a time unit for detecting real time, wherein the time unit assigns a time to a state of a disturbance and wherein the time unit determines the period of disturbances in the case of periodically occurring disturbances, and wherein the recording of the measured value is synchronized with the determined period of disturbances.

11. A measuring device, comprising: at least one measured value sensor for recording measured values of a measured variable comprised of a fill level of a medium in a container; an antenna for emitting a signal beam in a direction of the medium, and a rotating stirrer in the path of the signal beam that periodically disturbs the signal beam, wherein the at least one measured value sensor comprises a trigger configured to automatically interrupt the recording of the measured values at a time when recording of measurements is in an operating state during which a stirrer in the container is being operated based on a period of the disturbance determined by a time unit of the at least one measured value sensor so that the measured value is recorded only when there is no disturbance.

12. The measuring device according to claim 11, wherein the measured value sensor has a time unit that is operative for detecting real time and assigning a time to occurrence of the signal being disturbed.

13. A measuring device, comprising: at least one measured value sensor for recording measured values of a measured variable comprised of a fill level of a medium in a container; and an antenna for emitting a signal beam in a direction of the medium, wherein the at least one measured value sensor comprises a trigger configured to interrupt the recording of the measured values in response to a trigger condition being fulfilled at a time when recording of measurements is in an operating state during which the signal is disturbed by a fill stream of the medium being filled into the container crossing the signal beam, wherein a limit value for a measured value difference of two consecutive measured values of the primary measured variable is stored in the trigger, and wherein the trigger condition is fulfilled when a present measured value difference is greater than the limit value of the measured value difference due to an abrupt change in the primary measured value resulting from the fill stream of the medium being filled into the container crossing the signal beam.

14. A method for operating a measuring device having at least one measured value sensor for recording measured values of a primary measured variable, comprising the steps of: measuring the primary variable with the at least one measured value sensor, recording values of the primary variable measured in dependence on an operating state of the measuring device, and interrupting the recording of the values measured during a disturbance, wherein the primary variable measured is a fill level of a medium in a container, and wherein the disturbance during which recording of measurements is periodically interrupted in an operating state by a stirrer being operated in the container based on a period of the disturbance determined by a time unit of the measuring device so that the measured value is recorded only when there is no disturbance, wherein the measuring of the primary variable includes emitting a signal beam in a direction of the medium, and wherein the disturbance is a disturbance of the signal beam by a blade of the stirrer passing through the signal beam.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a method according to the invention,

(2) FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a method according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 3 is a first embodiment of a measuring device according to the invention, in operation, and

(4) FIG. 4 is a second embodiment of a measuring device according to the invention, in operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a method 1 according to the invention for operating a measuring device 2, wherein the measuring device 2 has at least one measured value sensor 3 for recording and forwarding measured values of a primary measured variable, and wherein the measured value sensor 3 has a trigger 4, wherein the trigger 4 interrupts the recording of the measured value in the event of a fulfilled trigger condition, wherein the trigger condition is fulfilled in the event of a disturbance.

(6) In the illustrated embodiment, the trigger 4 has a physical trigger input 5, via which the trigger 4 is connected to a device causing a disturbance. This device sends a trigger signal via the trigger input 5 to the trigger 4, as soon as a process disturbing measurement takes place.

(7) In a first step 6 of the method, the trigger 4 evaluates whether the trigger condition is fulfilled. This is the case when a trigger signal is present at the trigger input 5. If the trigger condition is fulfilled, the trigger interrupts the recording of the measured value in a next step 7 and then checks again whether the trigger condition is still fulfilled.

(8) If the trigger condition is not fulfilled, the recording of the measured value and the forwarding of the measured value are carried out in a next step 8.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a method 1 according to the invention for operating a measuring device, wherein the measuring device 2 has at least one measured value sensor 3 for recording and forwarding measured values of a primary measured variable, and wherein the measured value sensor 3 has a trigger 4, wherein the trigger 4 interrupts the recording of the measured value in the event of a fulfilled trigger condition, wherein the trigger condition is fulfilled in the event of a disturbance.

(10) According to the illustrated embodiment, the trigger condition is dependent on the measured values determined by the measured value sensor 3.

(11) For this purpose, a limit value for the measured value difference of two consecutive measured values of the primary measured variable is stored in the trigger 4. The trigger condition is fulfilled exactly when the present measured value difference is greater than the limit value of the measured value difference. In this respect, a disturbance is present when the primary measured value changes abruptly.

(12) In a first step 9, the measured value sensor 3 determines at least two measured values of the primary measured variable and transfers these to the trigger 4. In a subsequent step 10, the trigger 4 determines the present measured value difference between two successive measured values and compares the present measured value difference or differences with the stored limit value. If at least one measured value difference is greater than the stored limit value, then the trigger interrupts the forwarding of the measured value in a next step 11. If the present measured value differences or difference is lower than the stored limit value, then the trigger condition is not fulfilled and the measured values are forwarded in a next step 12.

(13) FIG. 3 schematically shows a first embodiment of a measuring device 2 according to the invention with a measured value sensor 3 for recording and forwarding measured values of a primary measured variable, wherein the measured value sensor 3 has a trigger 4, wherein the trigger 4 interrupts the recording of the measured value in the event of a fulfilled trigger condition, wherein the trigger condition is fulfilled in the event of a disturbance.

(14) Presently, the measuring device 2 is designed as a fill level measuring device 2. The level measuring device 2 has an antenna 15, which emits an electromagnetic signal in the direction of the medium 13, for measuring the fill level of a medium 13 in a container 14. During operation, the fill level of the medium 13 in the container 14 is determined from the transit time of the part of the signal reflected on the medium 13.

(15) During the filling process of the container 14, the situation may arise that the filling stream 16 crosses the electromagnetic signal and thus falsifies the measured values of the filling level.

(16) In order to counter this situation, the measured value sensor 3 has a trigger 4 with a trigger input 5, via which the measuring device 2 is connected to the electronic unit 17 controlling the filling process. During operation, the electronic unit transmits a trigger signal to the trigger 4 when a filling process takes place. In response to the trigger signal, the trigger 4 interrupts the recording of the measured value of the measuring device. This has the advantage that erroneous measured values can be avoided, whereby the reliability and the measuring accuracy of the measuring device are improved.

(17) FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of a measuring device 2 according to the invention with a measured value sensor 3 for recording and forwarding measured values of a primary measured variable, wherein the measured value sensor 3 has a trigger 4, wherein the trigger 4 interrupts the recording of the measured value in the event of a fulfilled trigger condition, wherein the trigger condition is fulfilled in the event of a disturbance. The measuring device is also designed as a fill level measuring device 2 and, like the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, has an antenna 15 that emits an electromagnetic signal in the direction of the medium 13 for measuring the fill level of a medium 13 in a container 14.

(18) In contrast to the situation shown in FIG. 3, a stirrer 18 is additionally arranged in the container 14, which, during operation, intermittently crosses the signal for determining the fill level at regular time intervals, which in this respect falsifies the fill level measurement at regular intervals.

(19) In order to counteract this, the measured value sensor 3 has a time unit 19 which assigns a time to the state of a disturbance during operation and which determines the period of these disturbances from periodically occurring disturbances.

(20) In the illustrated embodiment, the recording of the measured value during operation is synchronized with the disturbance based on the period of the disturbance determined by the time unit 19 of the measuring device. This means that, during operation, the measured value is recording only if there is no disturbance. The recording of the measurement value is automatically interrupted with the period determined by the time unit 19.

(21) A measuring device 2 operated according to this method is thus capable of independently detecting disturbances and taking them into account correspondingly.