Flow sensor and coriolis flow meter

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of flow measurement, and disclosed are a flow sensor and a Coriolis flowmeter. The flow sensor comprises flow tube families, drivers, and vibration signal detectors. The drivers and the vibration signal detectors are provided on the flow tube families. The flow tube families comprise at least one straight flow tube family and at least one bent flow tube family, and measurement regions of the straight flow tube family and the bent flow tube family are oppositely and independently arranged. Flow tubes in the straight flow tube family are straight flow tubes, and flow tubes in the bent flow tube family are bent flow tubes. Each flow tube family comprises at least two flow tube groups, and, among all of the flow tube groups, at least one group of flow tubes having the same size and geometry are arranged. Two ends of the flow tubes having the same size and geometry are connected by means of node plates. The Coriolis flow meter comprises a flow transmitter and the described flow sensor. According to the present invention, the overall size can be reduced, mounting is convenient, and the characteristics of both bent flow tubes and straight flow tubes can be considered.

Description

Flow sensors and Coriolis flowmeters Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of flow measurement, and in particular to a flow sensor and a Coriolis flowmeter. Background Art

[0002] At present, the flow rate requirements in large-flow conditions such as loading and unloading trade are increasing, so it is necessary to design sensors with larger flow ranges. However, the overall size of existing large-flow range sensors is generally large, which makes installation difficult. Therefore, it is urgent to solve the problem of the overall size of the sensor being too large, especially the problem of the sensor installation length or height being too large.

[0003] Existing multi-tube Coriolis flowmeters have, to a certain extent, solved the problem of the large overall size of the sensor. However, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, existing multi-tube Coriolis flowmeters either use all curved flow tubes or all straight flow tubes. Although this can reduce the length of the flow tubes to a certain extent and adopt a relatively ideal aspect ratio, it still does not achieve maximum space utilization and does not take into account the characteristics of both curved and straight tube types.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a flow sensor and a Coriolis flowmeter to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, which can reduce the overall size, facilitate installation, and take into account the characteristics of both curved flow tubes and straight flow tubes.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0007] The present invention provides a flow sensor, comprising a flow tube family, a driver and a vibration signal detector, wherein the driver and the vibration signal detector are provided on the flow tube family; the flow tube family comprises at least one straight tube flow tube family and at least one curved tube flow tube family, and the measurement areas of the straight tube flow tube family and the curved tube flow tube family are relatively independently arranged, wherein the flow tubes in the straight tube flow tube family are straight tube flow tubes, and the flow tubes in the curved tube flow tube family are curved tube flow tubes; any one of the straight tube flow tube family and the curved tube flow tube family comprises at least two flow tube groups, and there is at least one group of flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape between all the flow tube groups, and the two ends of the flow tubes in the same group with the same size and geometric shape are connected by a node plate.

[0008] Preferably, the measurement zone driving frequencies of the straight flow tube cluster and the curved flow tube cluster differ by at least 5 Hz.

[0009] Preferably, the ratio of the measurement area length of any one of the curved flow tube families to the diameter of the corresponding curved flow tube itself is greater than 10; the ratio of the measurement area length of any one of the straight flow tube families to the diameter of the corresponding straight flow tube itself is greater than 10.

[0010] Preferably, the diameter of the straight flow tube is smaller than the diameter of the curved flow tube, and the wall thicknesses of the straight flow tube and the curved flow tube are different.

[0011] Preferably, a plurality of node plates are provided along the extension direction of the flow tube cluster, wherein the portion of the flow tube cluster located between the two innermost node plates constitutes the measurement area of ​​the flow tube cluster.

[0012] Preferably, each of the flow tube groups includes a plurality of the flow tubes, and all the flow tubes of each flow tube group are rigidly connected via a fixing plate.

[0013] Preferably, the inlets and outlets of all the flow tubes are connected and fixed via a connecting plate.

[0014] Preferably, the inlets of all the flow tubes are connected to a diverter, and the outlets of all the flow tubes are connected to another diverter.

[0015] Preferably, the flow sensor further includes a sensor housing, and the flow tube family is disposed in the sensor housing.

[0016] The present invention also provides a Coriolis flowmeter, comprising a flow transmitter and the above-mentioned flow sensor, wherein the flow transmitter is signal-connected to the driver and the vibration signal detector in the flow sensor.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects:

[0018] The flow tube family of the present invention includes at least one straight tube flow tube family and at least one curved tube flow tube family, and the measurement areas of the straight tube flow tube family and the curved tube flow tube family are relatively independently arranged. At the same time, straight tube flow tubes and curved tube flow tubes are arranged, which can take into account the characteristics of the two types of flow tubes, correct measurement errors, and ensure measurement accuracy; moreover, it can reduce the overall size of the flow sensor and facilitate installation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0020] FIG1 is an example diagram of a four-straight-tube Coriolis flowmeter in the prior art;

[0021] In Figure 1, 61 is flange 1, 62 is flange 2, 201 is a flow divider, 71 is a sensor housing, 19 is a detection assembly, 5 is a drive assembly, 11 is a straight flow tube, 72 is a transmitter housing, 1 is a sensor, and 12 is a transmitter;

[0022] FIG2 is an example diagram of a four-elbow Coriolis flowmeter in the prior art;

[0023] In Figure 2, 61 is flange 1, 62 is flange 2, 71 is the sensor housing, 19 is the detection assembly, 5 is the drive assembly, 181 is flow tube 1, 182 is flow tube 2, 183 is flow tube 3, 184 is flow tube 4, and 72 is the transmitter housing;

[0024] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a flow sensor without a sensor housing in a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of FIG3 after removing the diverter and the connecting flange;

[0026] FIG5 is an overall schematic diagram of a Coriolis flowmeter in a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the composition of the flow tube group in the third embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the composition of the flow tube group in the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG8 is a front view of FIG7;

[0030] FIG9 is a front view of a flow sensor according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] FIG10 is a side view of a flow sensor according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of the composition of the flow tube group in the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the composition of the flow tube group in the sixth embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] FIG13 is a front view of a flow sensor according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] FIG14 is a side view of the flow sensor in the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] In the figure: 100 is a flow sensor, 101 is a curved flow tube, 102 is a straight flow tube, 103 is a node plate, 104 is a diverter, 105 is a connecting flange, 106 is a driver, 107 is a vibration signal detector, 108 is a main shell, 109 is a sleeve, 110 is a connecting plate, 111 is a fixing plate, and 200 is a flow transmitter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0038] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a flow sensor and a Coriolis flowmeter to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, which can reduce the overall size, facilitate installation, and take into account the characteristics of both curved flow tubes and straight flow tubes.

[0039] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0040] Example 1

[0041] As shown in Figures 3 to 14, this embodiment provides a flow sensor 100, which is suitable for a Coriolis flowmeter and mainly includes a flow tube family. The flow tube family is provided with a driver 106 and a vibration signal detector 107. The driver 106 and the vibration signal detector 107 are both commonly used components in existing Coriolis flowmeters and can be selected according to specific work needs. They will not be described in detail in this embodiment.

[0042] In this embodiment, the flow tube family includes at least one straight tube flow tube family and at least one curved tube flow tube family, and the measurement areas of the straight tube flow tube family and the curved tube flow tube family are relatively independently arranged without any connection, so the straight tube flow tube family and the curved tube flow tube family each have their own separate driving frequency; wherein, the flow tube in the straight tube flow tube family is the straight tube flow tube 102, and the flow tube in the curved tube flow tube family is the curved tube flow tube 101.

[0043] In this embodiment, any of the straight tube flow tube families and any of the curved tube flow tube families include at least two flow tube groups, each flow tube group includes at least one flow tube, forming a flow sensor 100 having at least four flow tubes; all of the flow tube groups in the same straight tube flow tube family or the same curved tube flow tube family have at least one group of flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape, and the number of flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape in this group matches the number of flow tube groups, that is, each flow tube group has one of the above-mentioned flow tubes, thereby forming a group of flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape; and the two ends of the flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape in this group are connected by a node plate 103, that is, one end of the flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape is connected by a node plate 103, and the other end is connected by another node plate 103.

[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, any one of the straight tube flow tube families and any one of the curved tube flow tube families includes two flow tube groups for specific description; there is at least one pair of flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape between the two flow tube groups of the same family (the two flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape in each pair belong to the two flow tube groups respectively), which can vibrate relative to each other to realize the measurement of the mass flow rate and density of the fluid medium using the Coriolis principle, and both ends of the pair of flow tubes are connected by a node plate 103, and the measurement area of ​​the flow tube is defined by the node plate 103, that is, the part between the node plates 103 at both ends of the flow tube is the measurement area.

[0045] In this embodiment, a straight tube flow tube 102 and a curved tube flow tube 101 are provided at the same time, which can take into account the characteristics of the two types of tube flow tubes, correct the measurement error, and ensure the measurement accuracy; moreover, it can reduce the overall size of the flow sensor and facilitate its installation.

[0046] Specifically, in this embodiment, the flow sensor 100 is provided with both a straight flow tube 102 and a curved flow tube 101. The diameter of the flow tube can be set to be relatively small. Under the same measurement sensitivity, the length of the flow tube does not need to be too large, and the aspect ratio is relatively easy to control, thereby reducing the volume of the flow sensor 100 and facilitating installation. The diameter of the flow tube can be selected according to specific working requirements. For example, if the flow sensor 100 is provided with only two flow tubes (one straight flow tube 102 and one curved flow tube 101), the maximum diameter of the flow tube is approximately 150 mm, which is smaller than that of a flow sensor provided with only two straight flow tubes or only two curved flow tubes. If the flow sensor 100 is provided with two straight flow tubes 102 and two curved flow tubes 101, the diameter of the flow tube can be reduced to approximately 100 mm, which is smaller than that of a flow sensor provided with only four straight flow tubes or four curved flow tubes. Moreover, since the straight flow tube 102 and the curved flow tube 101 are combined in this embodiment, the characteristics of the straight flow tube 102 and the curved flow tube 101 are taken into consideration, and the following can be achieved:

[0047] 1. The measurement results of the elbow flow tube family can be used to correct the measurement results of the straight tube flow tube family;

[0048] In this embodiment, the bent flow tube family uses an elbow flow tube 101 with a relatively deep bending angle (the bending angle is generally between 50° and 90°, and preferably not less than 60°). The influence of stress on the elbow flow tube family is negligible. However, the measurement results of the straight flow tube family will be affected by stress, and the measurement results include the measurement of mass flow and density. Since the bent flow tube family and the straight flow tube family measure the same fluid medium, the difference between the density value measured by the straight flow tube family without stress correction and the density value measured by the bent flow tube family can be used to correct the measurement results of the straight flow tube family, thereby avoiding the need to set up additional detectors (such as strain gauges) to sense the stress of the straight flow tube family.

[0049] 2. The pressure effects of the elbow flow tube family and the straight flow tube family can offset each other;

[0050] Under the influence of pressure, if pressure correction is not performed, the mass flow measurement of the curved flow tube family will have a negative error, while the mass flow measurement of the straight flow tube family will have a positive error. By selecting the size and shape of the straight flow tube 102 and the curved flow tube 101, the positive and negative errors in the mass flow measurement can be offset to the greatest extent, thereby improving the measurement results.

[0051] In this embodiment, the measurement zone driving frequencies of the straight flow tube cluster and the curved flow tube cluster are different, and preferably differ by at least 5 Hz, so as to reduce the mutual influence between the measurement zones of the straight flow tube cluster and the curved flow tube cluster.

[0052] In this embodiment, in any one of the straight tube flow tube families and any one of the bent tube flow tube families, the ratio of the measurement area length of the flow tube to the diameter of the flow tube is preferably greater than 10, and further preferably not less than 15; wherein, the measurement area length of the bent tube flow tube 101 is the total arc length of its measurement area, and the measurement area length of the straight tube flow tube 102 is the straight length of its measurement area.

[0053] In this embodiment, the diameters and wall thicknesses of the curved flow tube 101 and the straight flow tube 102 may be different to achieve optimized measurement sensitivity and aspect ratio, and the space requirement of the straight flow tube 102 is limited to its length without excessively increasing the height and depth, thereby making very advantageous use of the overall space of the flow sensor. Specifically, the diameter of the straight flow tube 102 is preferably smaller than the diameter of the curved flow tube 101, and the wall thicknesses of the straight flow tube 102 and the curved flow tube 101 are different. Since the diameter of the straight flow tube 102 is smaller, in order to achieve a similar aspect ratio to the curved flow tube 101, the length of the straight flow tube 102 is also relatively short, thereby saving space.

[0054] It should be noted that the measurement sensitivity of the flow sensor 100 is related to the stiffness of the flow tube. The smaller the stiffness, the more sensitive it is. Under the same diameter, the thinner the wall thickness of the flow tube, the smaller the stiffness, and the higher the sensitivity of the flow sensor 100. Similarly, the larger the aspect ratio of the flow tube, the smaller the stiffness, and the greater the sensitivity of the flow sensor 100.

[0055] Regarding the selection of flow tube wall thickness, an important selection basis is pressure bearing. For conventional flow meters (pressure bearing does not exceed 10 MPa), the ratio of flow tube wall thickness to diameter needs to be greater than 5%.

[0056] In this embodiment, multiple node plates 103 are provided along the extension direction of the flow tube, wherein the portion of the flow tube located between the two innermost node plates 103 is the measurement area of ​​the flow tube; it should be noted that, along the extension direction of the flow tube, the side close to the middle position of the flow tube is the inner side.

[0057] In this embodiment, each flow tube group may include multiple flow tubes, and all the flow tubes in each flow tube group are rigidly connected through a fixed plate 111, or the flow tubes in the same group may be connected through a fixed plate of the driver 106 or a fixed plate of the vibration signal detector 107.

[0058] In this embodiment, the outlets and inlets of all the flow tubes are connected and fixed by connecting plates 110 , which can better achieve vibration isolation for flow tubes with larger diameters.

[0059] In this embodiment, the inlets of all the flow tubes are connected to a diverter 105 so that the fluid is diverted into each flow tube, and the outlets of all the flow tubes are connected to another diverter 105 so that the fluid in all the flow tubes converges and flows out; wherein, the flow channels in all the flow tubes converge at the diverter 105.

[0060] In this embodiment, the flow sensor 100 also includes a sensor housing, and the flow tube family is arranged in the sensor housing; wherein, the sensor housing mainly includes a main shell 108 and a sleeve 109, the main shell 108 can protect the curved tube flow tube family, and the sleeve 109 can include the straight tube flow tube family, and the main shell 108 and the sleeve 109 can be snapped together to form a closed sensor housing.

[0061] This embodiment also provides a Coriolis flowmeter, which mainly includes a flow transmitter 200 and the above-mentioned flow sensor 100. The flow transmitter 200 and the flow sensor 100 are signal-connected. Specifically, the flow transmitter 200 can provide a drive signal to each flow tube family and process the vibration detection signal of each flow tube family to achieve mass flow and density measurement. The flow transmitter 200 and the flow sensor 100 can be set as an integral whole or separately.

[0062] Example 2

[0063] As shown in Figures 3-5, two flow tube families are provided in this embodiment, including one curved flow tube family and one straight flow tube family. The curved flow tube family consists of two curved flow tube groups, each of which has only one curved flow tube 101. The straight flow tube family consists of two straight flow tube groups, each of which has only one straight flow tube 102. All flow tubes are connected together at the inlet by a splitter 105, which divides the single inlet flow path into four flow tube flow paths. Similarly, all flow tubes are connected together at the outlet by another splitter 105, and the four flow tube flow paths are reunited into a single flow path.

[0064] In this embodiment, the measurement area of ​​the straight flow tube family is defined by the first pair of gusset plates 103 on the inner side of the straight flow tube 102. Vibration in the measurement area is generated by a driver 106 located in the middle of the measurement area of ​​the straight flow tube 102, and vibration signals are sensed by vibration signal detectors 107 at both ends of the measurement area. Correspondingly, the measurement area of ​​the bent flow tube family is defined by the first pair of gusset plates 103 on the inner side of the bent flow tube 101. Vibration in the measurement area is generated by a driver 106 located in the middle of the measurement area of ​​the bent flow tube 101, and vibration signals are sensed by vibration signal detectors 107 at both ends of the measurement area. The measurement areas of the bent and straight flow tube families are relatively independent and operate at different frequencies. To minimize mutual influence, the frequencies of the two measurement areas should be separated by a certain frequency difference, with a minimum of 5 Hz.

[0065] As shown in FIG5 , the flow sensor 100 and the flow transmitter 200 together constitute the Coriolis flowmeter in this embodiment, and the flow sensor 100 and the flow transmitter 200 are preferably in an integrated form; wherein the flow transmitter 200 processes signals from the flow sensor 100, including detection signals from the four vibration signal detectors 107 of the two flow tube clusters, and also provides drive signals for the two drivers 106.

[0066] Example 3

[0067] As shown in FIG6 , in this embodiment, two flow tube families are provided, including a bent flow tube family and a straight flow tube family. The bent flow tube family consists of two bent flow tube groups, each bent flow tube group has only one bent flow tube 101, and the straight flow tube family consists of four straight flow tube groups, each straight flow tube group also has only one straight flow tube 102.

[0068] Example 4

[0069] As shown in Figures 7 to 10, in this embodiment, two flow tube families are provided, including a bent flow tube family and a straight flow tube family. The bent flow tube family consists of two bent flow tube groups, each bent flow tube group has only one bent flow tube 101, and the straight flow tube family consists of four straight flow tube groups, each straight flow tube group also has only one straight flow tube 102.

[0070] In this embodiment, the diameters and wall thicknesses of the curved flow tube 101 and the straight flow tube 102 are different; specifically, the diameter of the straight flow tube 102 is smaller than the diameter of the curved flow tube 101. While the overall length remains unchanged, this is beneficial for improving the aspect ratio of the straight flow tube 102, thereby improving the measurement performance of the straight flow tube family.

[0071] In this embodiment, the outlets of all the flow tubes are connected and fixed by a connecting plate 110 , and the inlets are connected and fixed by another connecting plate 110 , which can achieve a better vibration isolation effect.

[0072] Example 5

[0073] As shown in FIG11 , in this embodiment, two flow tube families are provided, including a bent flow tube family and a straight flow tube family. The bent flow tube family consists of four bent flow tube groups, and each bent flow tube group has only one bent flow tube 101. The straight flow tube family consists of two straight flow tube groups, and each straight flow tube group also has only one straight flow tube 102.

[0074] Example 6

[0075] As shown in Figures 12 to 14, in this embodiment, two flow tube families are provided, including a bent flow tube family and a straight flow tube family. The bent flow tube family consists of two bent flow tube groups, each bent flow tube group is provided with two bent flow tubes 101, and the straight flow tube family consists of two straight flow tube groups, each straight flow tube group is also provided with two straight flow tubes 102.

[0076] Two flow tubes in the same group can be connected through an independent fixed plate 111, or the flow tubes in the same group can be coupled through the fixed plate of the driver 106 or the fixed plate of the vibration signal detector 107; as a preferred embodiment, in this embodiment, the flow tubes in the same group are connected together through the fixed plate 111, the fixed plate of the driver 106 and the fixed plate of the vibration signal detector 107.

[0077] In this embodiment, the outlets of all the flow tubes are connected and fixed by a connecting plate 110 , and the inlets are connected and fixed by another connecting plate 110 , which can achieve a better vibration isolation effect.

[0078] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present invention. At the same time, those skilled in the art will find that the specific implementation methods and application scopes may vary based on the concept of the present invention. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A flow sensor, comprising a flow tube assembly, a driver, and a vibration signal detector, wherein the driver and the vibration signal detector are arranged on the flow tube assembly; characterized in that: The flow tube family includes at least one straight tube flow tube family and at least one bent tube flow tube family, and the measurement areas of the straight tube flow tube family and the bent tube flow tube family are relatively independently arranged. Among them, the flow tubes in the straight tube flow tube family are straight tube flow tubes, and the flow tubes in the bent tube flow tube family are bent tube flow tubes; any one of the straight tube flow tube family and the bent tube flow tube family includes at least two flow tube groups, and there is at least one group of flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape among all the flow tube groups, and both ends of the group of flow tubes with the same size and geometric shape are connected by a node plate.

2. The flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving frequencies of the measurement areas of the straight tube flow tube family and the bent tube flow tube family differ by at least 5 Hz.

3. The flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: For any one of the bent tube flow tube families, the ratio of the length of the measurement area to the diameter of the corresponding bent tube flow tube itself is greater than 10; for any one of the straight tube flow tube families, the ratio of the length of the measurement area to the diameter of the corresponding straight tube flow tube itself is greater than 10.

4. The flow sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The diameter of the straight tube flow tube is smaller than that of the bent tube flow tube, and the wall thicknesses of the straight tube flow tube and the bent tube flow tube are different.

5. The flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of node plates are arranged along the extending direction of the flow tube family. Among them, the part between the two innermost node plates on the flow tube family constitutes the measurement area of the flow tube family.

6. The flow sensor according to claim 1, wherein: Each flow tube group includes a plurality of the flow tubes, and all the flow tubes in each flow tube group are rigidly connected by a fixing plate.

7. The flow sensor according to claim 1, wherein: The inlets and outlets of all the flow tubes are connected and fixed by a connecting plate.

8. The flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlets of all the flow tubes are connected to a flow divider, and the outlets of all the flow tubes are connected to another flow divider.

9. The flow sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow sensor further includes a sensor housing, and the flow tube family is arranged in the sensor housing.

10. A Coriolis flowmeter, characterized in that: It includes a flow transmitter and the flow sensor according to any one of claims 1-9, and the flow transmitter is signal-connected to the driver and the vibration signal detector in the flow sensor.

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