MEASURING DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE DENSITY, THE MASS FLOW RATE AND/OR THE VISCOSITY OF A FLOWABLE MEDIUM, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING SAME

Abstract

A measuring device for determining density, mass flow rate and/or viscosity of a flowable medium includes: an oscillator including at least one oscillatable measuring tube for conveying the medium, and having at least one oscillatory mode, whose eigenfrequency depends on density of the medium; an exciter for exciting the oscillatory mode; at least one oscillation sensor for registering oscillations of the oscillator; and an operating-evaluating circuit, which is adapted to supply the exciter with an excitation signal, to register signals of the oscillation sensor, based on the signals of the oscillation sensor to ascertain current values of the eigenfrequency of the oscillator as well as variations of the eigenfrequency, and to determine a value characterizing density variations of the medium, wherein the value depends on a function, which is proportional to the variation of the eigenfrequency and has an eigenfrequency dependent normalization.

Claims

1-18. (canceled)

19. A measuring device for determining density, mass flow rate and/or viscosity of a flowable medium, the device comprising: an oscillator including at least one oscillatable measuring tube configured to convey the medium and to have at least one oscillatory mode, whose eigenfrequency depends on a density of the medium; an exciter configured to excite the at least one oscillatory mode; at least one oscillation sensor configured to detect oscillations of the oscillator and to generate signals representing the detected oscillations; and an operating-evaluating circuit configured to supply the exciter with an excitation signal, to register the signals of the oscillation sensor, to ascertain current values of the eigenfrequency of the oscillator and variations of the eigenfrequency based on the signals of the oscillation sensor, and to determine a value characterizing density variations of the medium, wherein the value depends on a function which is proportional to the variations of the eigenfrequency and has an eigenfrequency dependent normalization.

20. The measuring device of claim 19, wherein the function is proportional to the variations of the eigenfrequency and to the third power of the reciprocal of the eigenfrequency.

21. The measuring device of claim 20, wherein the function is further proportional to a modal stiffness of the oscillator at an oscillatory mode of the oscillator belonging to the eigenfrequency.

22. The measuring device of claim 19, wherein the function is proportional to the variations of the eigenfrequency and to the reciprocal of the eigenfrequency.

23. The measuring device of claim 22, wherein the function is proportional to an inertial term, which includes a sum of the density and a term proportional to the modally effective mass of the oscillator in the oscillatory mode belonging to the eigenfrequency.

24. The measuring device of claim 19, wherein the at least one measuring tube is bent and has a mirror symmetry or a rotational symmetry perpendicular to a measuring tube plane defined by a centerline of the at least one measuring tube.

25. The measuring device of claim 24, wherein the operating-evaluating circuit is configured to excite the at least one measuring tube to oscillate in different oscillation modes with different mode-specific eigenfrequencies.

26. The measuring device of claim 22, wherein the at least one measuring tube of the oscillator includes at least one pair of oscillatable measuring tubes, each configured to convey the medium.

27. The measuring device of claim 19, wherein the measuring device comprises two mutually independent oscillators, each including a pair of oscillatable measuring tubes, wherein the two oscillators have different excitation mode eigenfrequencies for a bending oscillation, excitation mode.

28. The measuring device of claim 19, wherein the value characterizing the medium comprises an index for classifying the medium with respect to a gas load of the medium.

29. The measuring device of claim 19, wherein the operating-evaluating circuit is configured to associate an evaluation with a density measured value, a mass flow measured value and/or a viscosity measured value, which evaluation depends on the value characterizing the density variation.

30. The measuring device of claim 29, wherein the evaluation indicates a degree of inhomogeneity of the medium.

31. A method for determining density, mass flow rate and/or viscosity of a flowable medium, the method comprising: exciting and detecting oscillations of at least one oscillatory mode of an oscillator, which is supplied with the medium, wherein the at least one oscillatory mode has an eigenfrequency which depends on a density of the medium; ascertaining a sequence of current values of the eigenfrequency of the oscillator and variations of the eigenfrequency; and determining a value characterizing density variations of the medium, wherein the value depends on a function which is proportional to the variations of the eigenfrequency and has an eigenfrequency dependent normalization.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the function is proportional to the variations of the eigenfrequency and to the third power of the reciprocal of the eigenfrequency.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the function is further proportional to a modal stiffness of the oscillator at an oscillatory mode of the oscillator belonging to the eigenfrequency.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the function is proportional to the variations of the eigenfrequency and to the reciprocal of the eigenfrequency.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the function is proportional to the variations of the eigenfrequency, wherein the function is proportional to an inertial term, which includes a sum of density and a term proportional to the modal effective mass of the oscillator in the oscillatory mode belonging to the eigenfrequency.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein an evaluation is associated with a density measured value, a mass flow, measured value and/or a viscosity measured value, which evaluation depends on the value characterizing density variations of the medium.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the evaluation indicates a degree of inhomogeneity of the medium.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the value characterizing density variations of the medium comprises an index for classifying the medium with respect to a gas load of the medium.

Description

[0023] The invention will now be described based on examples of embodiments illustrated in the drawing, the figures of which show as follows:

[0024] FIG. 1a a schematic view of a first example of an embodiment of a densimeter of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 1b a schematic view of a second example of an embodiment of a densimeter of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 1c a schematic view of a third example of an embodiment of a densimeter of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 1d a schematic view of a fourth example of an embodiment of a densimeter of the invention; and

[0028] FIG. 2 a flow diagram of a first example of an embodiment of the method of the invention.

[0029] The mass flow meters illustrated in FIGS. 1a to 1d operate according to the Coriolis principle and are all known as regards the structure of their measuring transducers. The oscillators of these measuring transducers have different eigenfrequencies at given media density. By further development to become densimeters of the invention, these devices can characterize density variations of a medium in comparable manner.

[0030] The first example of an embodiment of a measuring device 1 of the invention shown in FIG. 1a has an oscillator 10, which includes a pair of parallel, oscillatable, measuring tubes 14, which extend between an inlet end flange 11 and an outlet end flange 12, wherein each flange includes a manifold serving as a flow divider, or flow collector, as the case may be. Thus, the measuring tubes 14 are connected with the manifolds. The manifolds are connected together by a rigid housing 15, so that oscillations of the manifolds connected with the measuring tubes are effectively suppressed in the range of oscillation frequencies of bending oscillation, excitation modes of the oscillator. The measuring tubes 10 are connected rigidly with an inlet-side node plate 20 and an outlet-side node plate 21, wherein the node plates define oscillation nodes of the oscillator 10 formed by the two measuring tubes 14, and therewith largely establish the frequencies of the bending oscillation, excitation modes. The oscillator 10 is excited to oscillate by an electrodynamic exciter 17 acting between the two measuring tubes 14, wherein the oscillations are detected by means of two oscillation sensors 18, 19 registering movements of the measuring tubes 14 relative to one another. The exciter 17 is operated by an operating-evaluating circuit 30, which also registers and evaluates the signals of the oscillation sensors, in order to ascertain a density measured value and, in given cases, a mass flow, measured value. The operating-evaluating circuit 30 of the invention is likewise adapted to ascertain and to signal density variations based on frequency variations.

[0031] The second example of an embodiment of a measuring device 100 of the invention shown in FIG. 1b has an oscillator 110, which includes a pair of parallel, oscillatable, measuring tubes 114, which extend between inlet-side and outlet-side manifolds 120. The measuring tubes 14 are connected with the manifolds. Adjoining each manifold is a flange 122 for mounting the measuring device 100 into a pipeline. The manifolds 120 are connected together by a rigid support tube 124, so that oscillations of the manifolds connected with the measuring tubes 114 are effectively suppressed in the range of oscillation frequencies of bending oscillation, excitation modes of the oscillator 110. The measuring tubes 114 are connected rigidly together on the inlet- and outlet-sides, in each case, by means of two node plates 132, 134, wherein the node plates define oscillation nodes of the oscillator 110 formed by the two measuring tubes 114, and therewith largely establish the frequencies of the bending oscillation, excitation modes. The measuring tubes 114 have relative to a longitudinal distance w between the inner the node plates 132 a significantly higher measuring tube bend with a height h, than is the case in the first example of an embodiment. For this, the measuring tubes have at inlet end and outlet end, in each case, adjoining the manifold 120, an upwardly directed, arc shaped section 118, which emerges from a cavity 126 of the support tube 124. Following on the arc shaped sections 118, in each case, is a straight section 116, wherein the straight sections are connected by an arc shaped central section 115. The central sections 115 of the two measuring tubes have, in each case, annular stiffening elements 151, 152, 153, in order to minimize a cross-sensitivity of the measuring device to pressure variations. The shape of the measuring tubes 114 of the second example of an embodiment is optimized to maximize accuracy of density measurement. The higher bend of the measuring tubes 114 leads compared with the first example of an embodiment in the case of comparable bending oscillation modes, however, to significantly lower eigenfrequencies.

[0032] Oscillator 110 is excited to oscillate using an electrodynamic exciter 140 acting between the two measuring tubes 114, wherein the oscillations are detected by means of two oscillation sensors 142 registering relative movements of the measuring tubes 114. Exciter 140 is operated by an operating-evaluating circuit 130, which also registers and evaluates the signals of the oscillation sensors, in order to ascertain a density measured value and, in given cases, a mass flow, measured value. The operating-evaluating circuit 130 of the invention is likewise adapted to ascertain and to signal density variations based on frequency variations.

[0033] The third example of an embodiment of a measuring device 200 of the invention shown in FIG. 1c has a first oscillator, which includes a first pair of parallel, oscillatable, measuring tubes 210a and 210 b, and a second oscillator, which includes a second pair of parallel, oscillatable, measuring tubes 210c and 210 d. All measuring tubes extend between inlet-side and outlet-side manifolds 220, to which they are connected, wherein there adjoins the manifolds 220, in each case, a flange 222 for insertion of the measuring device 200 into a pipeline. Manifolds 220 are connected together by a rigid support tube 224, so that oscillations of the manifolds connected to the measuring tubes are effectively suppressed in the range of oscillation frequencies of bending oscillation, excitation modes of the oscillators. The measuring tubes of the first oscillator have compared with the measuring tubes of the second oscillator a significantly higher measuring tube bend, so that the eigenfrequencies of the bending oscillation modes of the first oscillator are significantly lower than the eigenfrequencies of the corresponding bending oscillation modes of the second oscillator. The oscillators are, in each case, excited to oscillate using an electrodynamic exciter acting between the two measuring tubes of the oscillator, wherein the oscillations are, in each case, detected by means of two oscillation sensors registering relative movements of the measuring tubes. The exciters (not shown) are fed with excitation signals by an operating-evaluating circuit 230, wherein the operating-evaluating circuit 230 is also equipped to register and to evaluate signals of oscillation sensors (likewise not shown), in order to ascertain a density measured value and, in given cases, a mass flow, measured value. The operating-evaluating circuit 230 of the invention is likewise adapted to ascertain and to signal density variations based on frequency variations.

[0034] The third example of an embodiment of a measuring device 300 of the invention shown in FIG. 1d has an oscillator, which has an s-shaped, oscillatable, measuring tube 310 with a C2 symmetry perpendicular to the measuring tube plane. The measuring tube 310 is held inlet end and outlet end in rigid bearing blocks 321, 322, which on their part are anchored on a rigid support plate 335, so that oscillations of the bearing blocks 321, 322 in the range of oscillation frequencies of bending oscillation, excitation modes of the oscillator are effectively suppressed. Support plate 335 is connected via helical springs 331, 332, 333, 334 to a housing base 340 and decoupled from oscillations of the housing base in the range of oscillation frequencies of bending oscillation, excitation modes of the oscillator. Arranged on the bearing blocks 321, 322, in each case, is an integrated piezoelectric exciter- and sensor unit 351, 352, with which the oscillator can be excited in bending oscillation modes within the measuring tube plane and perpendicular thereto. The bending oscillations of the oscillator can likewise be registered by means of the integrated piezoelectric exciter- and sensor units 351, 352, which are connected with an operating-evaluating circuit 330. The operating-evaluating circuit 330 feeds the integrated piezoelectric exciter- and sensor units 351, 352 with excitation signals and registers sensor signals dependent on its oscillation, in order in this way to ascertain a density measured value and, in given cases, a mass flow, measured value. The operating-evaluating circuit 330 of the invention is likewise adapted to ascertain and to signal density variations based on frequency variations. This measuring device type is described in detail in DE 10 2017 012 058.7, which was unpublished as of the earliest filing date of this application. The bending oscillation modes have eigenfrequencies between a number of hundred Hz and a number of kHz. Instead of the measuring tube illustrated here with C2 symmetry, the oscillator can also have a measuring tube with a mirror symmetry perpendicular to the measuring tube plane, for example, be a U-shaped measuring tube, which likewise is provided with integrated piezoelectric exciter- and sensor units. Also, such an oscillator has bending oscillation modes with eigenfrequencies between a number of hundred Hz and a number of kHz, such as is described in DE 10 2017 012 058.7, which was unpublished as of the earliest filing date of this application.

[0035] Common to all described forms of embodiment is that either different oscillation frequencies can occur within a measuring device, or that, in the case of comparison between different implementations of a device type, different eigenfrequencies of the oscillator would make an analysis of density variations based on frequency variations difficult without implementation of the present invention.

[0036] The density ρ of a medium can be ascertained by means of a densimeter, which has an oscillator containing at least one oscillatable measuring tube for conveying the medium, based on a mode specific, density dependent eigenfrequency f.sub.i of the oscillator, according to the formula:

[00002]$\rho \left(f_i\right)=c_{0,i}+\frac{c_{1,i}}{f_i^2}$

[0037] The coefficients c.sub.0,i and c.sub.1,i are mode specific coefficients, which preferably are ascertained for each measuring device type, or each measuring device. The coefficient c.sub.0,i is influenced by the mass of the measuring tube conveying the medium, while the coefficient c.sub.1,i depends on a mode specific stiffness of the measuring tube. The derivative of the density with respect to time,

[00003]$\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t},$

is thus:

[00004]$\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t}=c_{1,i}.Math.\frac{-2}{f_i^3}.Math.\frac{\partial f_i}{\partial t}.$

[0038] The derivative of the density with respect to time,

[00005]$\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t},$

is a suitable measure for description of density variation. In order to ascertain this value, the observed frequency variation

[00006]$\frac{\partial f_i}{\partial t}$

of the oscillating measuring tube, or the oscillating measuring tubes, as the case may be, is according to the invention multiplied with a normalizing factor

[00007]$c_{1,i}.Math.\frac{2}{f_i^3}.$

In this way, the basis for an evaluation function is created, which can describe the degree of inhomogeneity of the medium in the form of density variations independently of the particular type of densimeter, or its size. The operating-evaluating circuits 30; 130; 230; 330 of the above examples of embodiments of a measuring device of the invention are in an embodiment of the invention equipped to provide density variation based on frequency variation by means of the above explained normalization with the reciprocal of the third power of the mode specific eigenfrequency:

[00008]$\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t}=c_{1,i}.Math.\frac{-2}{f_i^3}.Math.\frac{\partial f_i}{\partial t}.$

[0039] To illustrate the effect of the invention, data for two Coriolis mass flow measurement devices of the applicant, namely a Promass F50 and a Promass Q50, were used. Both of these have the function of a density measuring device. The observed eigenfrequency variations

[00009]$\frac{\partial f_i}{\partial t}$

differ in the case of an aqueous medium with a gas load from 1% or 2% by a factor of, for instance, 6.6. After normalizing with the normalizing factor

[00010]$c_{1,i}.Math.\frac{2}{f_i^3},$

there results in the case of both devices essentially the same value for the density variation

[00011]$\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t}$

[0040] An equivalent analysis of the density variation

[00012]$\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t}$

is implemented in a second embodiment of the invention. In such case, the operating-evaluating circuit is adapted to ascertain density variation according to the formula:

[00013]$\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t}=\frac{2.Math.\left(\rho -c_{0,i}\right)}{f_i}.Math.\frac{\partial f_i}{\partial t}.$

[0041] For providing the magnitude of the specific gravity variation

[00014]$\frac{\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t}}{\rho },$

the operating-evaluating circuit according to a third embodiment of the invention is adapted to ascertain such based on the relative frequency variation

[00015]$\frac{\frac{\partial f_i}{\partial t}}{f_i}$

according to the formula:

[00016]$.Math.\frac{\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t}}{\rho }.Math.=2.Math.\left(1+\frac{.Math.c_{0,i}.Math.}{\rho }\right).Math..Math.\frac{\frac{\partial f_i}{\partial t}}{f_i}.Math.$

[0042] When density of the medium at a measuring point varies by only a few percent around a known value and is known to lie within the value range, the specific gravity variation can be estimated as a function of relative frequency variation according to the formula:

[00017]$.Math.\frac{\frac{\partial \rho }{\partial t}}{\rho }.Math.\approx a_i.Math..Math.\frac{\frac{\partial f_i}{\partial t}}{f_i}.Math.,$

[0043] wherein a.sub.i is a measuring point-specific, or media specific and, in given cases, mode specific, constant, to the extent that more than one mode can be used for density measurement.

[0044] An example of an embodiment 400 of the method of the invention will now be explained based on FIG. 2.

[0045] In a first step 410, the exciting and registering of oscillations of at least one oscillatory mode of an oscillator supplied especially with a flowing medium occurs. The at least one oscillatory mode has an eigenfrequency, which depends on density of the medium. Thus, the exciting of the oscillations occurs in a control loop, in which the excitation frequency is controlled, for example, in order to maximize the oscillation amplitude, or in order to maintain a constant phase angle between 45° and 135° between excitation signal and deflection of the oscillator.

[0046] In the next step 420. the current excitation frequencies are registered, which correspond to the current values of the eigenfrequencies of the oscillator. Based on the registered current excitation frequencies, and eigenfrequencies, respectively, a sequence of these values is formed, based on which the variations of eigenfrequency are ascertained, for example, by suitable digital filters.

[0047] In a next step 430, there follows normalizing with one of the above factors, in order to ascertain a value for density variation for the measuring device.

[0048] In an optional step 440, the so ascertained value of density variation, or an index value I derived therefrom, can be output together with a measured value X, which can be a density measured value, a mass flow, measured value or viscosity measured value, for validation of the measured value X. From the index I, which describes, for example, the degree of inhomogeneity of the medium, it can be concluded, how valid the measured value X is.