Metering Device with a Communication Interface

Abstract

The present invention concerns a metering device having a metering chamber in which a displacement element is arrange moveably in such a way that it is reciprocable between two positions, wherein the volume of the metering chamber in the one position is greater than in the other position. The metering device further has an actuator for driving the displacement element, which has an actuator input for an electrical actuation signal and is so constructed that an electrical actuation signal at the actuator input is converted into a mechanical movement. In addition the metering device has a sensor for detecting a physical or chemical measurement value, which has a sensor output for an electrical measurement signal and is so adapted that it detects the physical or chemical measurement value, converts it into an electrical measurement signal and makes same available at the sensor output. Finally the metering device has a communication interface, by way of which the metering device can communicate with a remotely arranged server.

Claims

1. A metering device (1, 12) having a metering chamber in which a displacement element is arranged moveably in such a way that it is reciprocable between two positions, wherein the volume of the metering chamber in the one position is greater than in the other position, wherein the metering device (1, 12) further has: an actuator (2, 14) for driving the displacement element, which has an actuator input for an electrical actuation signal and is so constructed that an electrical actuation signal at the actuator input is converted into a mechanical movement, a sensor (3, 13) for detecting a physical or chemical measurement value, which has a sensor output for an electrical measurement signal and is so adapted that it detects the physical or chemical measurement value, converts it into an electrical measurement signal and makes same available at the sensor output, a communication interface, by way of which the metering device (1, 12) can communicate with a remotely arranged server (16), characterised in that the actuator (2, 14), the sensor (3, 13) and the communication interface are so adapted that an electrical measurement signal at the sensor output in operation of the metering device (1, 12) can be transmitted by way of the communication interface to the remote server (16) and an electrical actuation signal can be received by way of the communication interface and transmitted to the actuator input.

2. A metering device (1, 12) according to claim 1 characterised in that the sensor (3, 13) has a sensor operational input for the electrical operating signal, wherein there is provided an operating signal generating device which can generate an electrical operating signal and which is connected to the sensor operational input, wherein the operating signal generating device is so adapted that it can communicate by way of the communication interface with a remotely arranged server (16).

3. A metering device (1, 12) according to claim 1 characterised in that there is provided a further sensor (3, 13) for detecting a further physical or chemical measurement value, which has a sensor output for an electrical measurement signal and is so adapted that it detects the further chemical or physical measurement value, converts it into an electrical measurement signal, and makes same available at the sensor output, wherein the further sensor (3, 13) and the communication interface are so adapted that an electrical measurement signal at the sensor output of the further sensor (3, 13) can be transmitted by way of the communication interface to the remotely arranged server (16).

4. A metering device (1, 12) according to claim 1 characterised in that there is provided an emergency device for detecting whether the metering device (1, 12) is communicating by way of the communication interface with a remote server (16) and if no communication or no communication for longer than a predetermined time interval is detected it initiates an emergency shutdown or an emergency closed-loop control action.

5. A metering system comprising at least one metering device (1, 12) according to claim 1 and a remotely arranged server (16) having a metering device software which implements a closed-loop control device in which the electrical measurement signal transmitted by way of the communication interface is compared to a target value curve, a control variable is calculated therefrom and the control variable is transmitted as an electrical actuation signal by way of the communication interface to the actuator input.

6. A metering system according to claim 5 characterised in that the server (16) has a remote access interface, by way of which it is possible to communicate from an external device with the metering device software.

7. A metering system according to claim 5 characterised in that the metering device software has an alarm device capable of sending an alarm message to an external device.

8. A metering system according to claim 5 characterised in that there are provided a multiplicity of metering devices (1, 12); the metering devices (1, 12) each having a metering chamber in which a displacement element is arranged moveably in such a way that it is reciprocable between two positions, wherein the volume of the metering chamber in the one position is greater than in the other position, wherein the metering device (1, 12) further has: an actuator (2, 14) for driving the displacement element, which has an actuator input for an electrical actuation signal and is so constructed that an electrical actuation signal at the actuator input is converted into a mechanical movement, a sensor (3, 13) for detecting a physical or chemical measurement value, which has a sensor output for an electrical measurement signal and is so adapted that it detects the physical or chemical measurement value, converts it into an electrical measurement signal and makes same available at the sensor output, a communication interface, by way of which the metering device (1, 12) can communicate with a remotely arranged server (16), characterised in that the actuator (2, 14), the sensor (3, 13) and the communication interface are so adapted that an electrical measurement signal at the sensor output in operation of the metering device (1, 12) can be transmitted by way of the communication interface to the remote server (16) and an electrical actuation signal can be received by way of the communication interface and transmitted to the actuator input.

9. A metering system according to claim 5 characterised in that the server (16) has a data logger which can communicate with the metering device software.

10. A metering system according to claim 5 characterised in that the server (16) has a maintenance interface by way of which it is possible to access the server (16) from a maintenance server (26).

11. A metering installation system having a multiplicity of metering systems according to claim 5 and a maintenance server (26), by way of which the metering device software can be replaced and the content of the data logger can be read out.

12. A metering system according to claim 6 wherein the remote access interface is a web interface.

Description

[0029] Further advantages, features and possible uses of the present invention will be clearly apparent from the description hereinafter of a preferred embodiment. In the drawing:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows the diagrammatic structure of metering devices in the state of the art, and

[0031] FIG. 2 shows the diagrammatic structure of a metering system having a metering device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of a metering device 1 according to the state of the art. The metering device 1 includes at least one suitable actuator 2, by means of which the displacement element can be driven. In addition there can be one or more sensors 3. For example there can be a sensor for measuring a pH-value. The hardware and software must be provided within the metering device, for implementing the actuator control 4, the sensor data detection 5, the actual closed-loop control function 6, the computing power provision 7, the actuation of other inputs and outputs 8, the sequence control 9, and optionally further functions like for example data logging and data display 10, as well as a suitable user guide 11.

[0033] It is immediately apparent that the functionalities 4 to 11 can be modified if required. In that case the corresponding software has to be replaced, which however is not always possible depending on the hardware involved. Therefore in the case of the known metering devices, generally more processing power is afforded than is necessary in order to be prepared for future firmware updates. Nonetheless the expense and effort involved with firmware updating is high and it is not always possible to ensure that the computing power afforded upon manufacture of the metering device is actually also sufficient later.

[0034] According to the invention therefore the system shown in FIG. 2 is proposed. Here the metering device 12 according to the invention comprises a sensor 13 and an actuator 14 as well as optionally an emergency control 15. Both the sensor 13 and also the actuator 14 are networkable, that is to say can communicate by way of a communication interface with a server 16 which is arranged remotely. The server which for example can be virtualised is responsible for computing power provision 17, sequence control 18, closed-control loop function 19, it makes a webserver 20 available, it allows software updates 21, and can possibly unlock further functionalities 22 additionally acquired by the customer. The remotely arranged server 16 can include additional Internet services 23, and it can have a connection to a web-SPS system 24, a data logger 25. There can also be a maintenance server 26. Furthermore an alarm means 27 can be provided, and by way of a remote access interface 28 display of data for example by way of a PC, smartphone or a tablet computer.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0035] 1 metering device [0036] 2 actuator [0037] 3 sensor(s) [0038] 4 actuator actuation [0039] 5 sensor data detection [0040] 6 closed-loop control function [0041] 7 computing power provision [0042] 8 actuation of other inputs and outputs [0043] 9 sequence control [0044] 10 data logging and data display [0045] 11 user guide [0046] 12 metering device [0047] 13 sensor [0048] 14 actuator [0049] 15 emergency control [0050] 16 server [0051] 17 computing power provision [0052] 18 sequence control [0053] 19 closed-loop control function [0054] 20 webserver [0055] 21 software updates [0056] 22 further functionalities [0057] 23 additional Internet services [0058] 24 web-SPS system [0059] 25 data logger [0060] 26 maintenance server [0061] 27 alarm means [0062] 28 remote access interface