Magneto-Inductive and Acoustic Flow Meter for Cross-Section Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing throughflow measuring devices face challenges in accurately determining flow velocity and cross-sectional area, especially in media with few charged particles, and struggle to detect changes in the measuring tube's cross-section due to deposits or ablations.
Innovation Solution
A compact measuring device combining a magneto-inductive measuring device with a surface acoustic wave device, where the acoustic device uses a waveguide on the measuring tube to excite and receive surface acoustic waves, allowing for independent measurement of flow velocity and precise determination of the cross-sectional area, enabling the calculation of throughflow quantity and mass flow rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If magneto-inductive measuring device is used to measure flow velocity, then measurement can be performed, but measurement fails or is inaccurate in media with few charged particles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a magneto-inductive measuring device and an acoustic measuring device into a single integrated system. The magneto-inductive device measures flow velocity in media with charged particles, while the acoustic device measures flow velocity in media with few charged particles, providing complementary measurement capabilities that resolve the reliability issue across different media types.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated measuring system provides universal measurement capability across different media types. The acoustic measuring device specifically enables measurement in media where magneto-inductive methods fail (those with few charged particles), making the overall system adaptable to various media conditions while maintaining measurement reliability.
2Measurement precision
If acoustic measuring device is added to determine cross-sectional area, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the acoustic measuring device with the existing magneto-inductive measuring device, combining multiple measurement functions (flow velocity and cross-sectional area) into a single compact system. This merging approach improves measurement precision while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity through shared structural components.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This combination provides accurate and redundant measurements of flow velocity and cross-sectional area, improving measurement accuracy and enabling detection of changes in the measuring tube, even in media with few charged particles, and allows for fault diagnosis of the measuring device.
Implementation Method 1
two coils are arranged on the measuring tube, which in the interior of the measuring tube generate a magnetic field perpendicular to the throughflow direction, wherein parallel to the magnetic field at least two electrodes are placed, on which the charged particles deflected by the magnetic field generate a measuring voltage
Implementation Method 2
uses surface acoustic waves (SAW). For this measuring method the medium is in direct contact with an acoustic waveguide in which surface acoustic waves are excited
Implementation Method 3
The volumetric sound waves generated run through the medium and are reflected on a surface bordering the medium such that they again impinge on the waveguide
Data Source
AI summary
A measuring device has a measuring tube to be traversed by a medium in a throughflow direction as well as a magneto-inductive measuring device and an acoustic measuring device, which each are arranged on the measuring tube. The magneto-inductive measuring device comprises at least one coil that generates a magnetic field extending through the interior of the measuring tube as well as two electrodes arranged on the measuring tube, which can pick up a measurement signal. The acoustic measuring device comprises at least one portion of a wall of the measuring tube that serves as a waveguide for surface acoustic waves and forms a boundary surface to the medium, and at least one transmitter for exciting surface acoustic waves in the waveguide and at least one receiver for receiving surface acoustic waves from the waveguide, which at a distance from each other are acoustically coupled to the waveguide, wherein the distance between transmitter and receiver is chosen such that acoustic waves excited by the transmitter at least sectionally can propagate through the medium. The transmitter and receiver of the acoustic measuring device are arranged in series with respect to the throughflow direction.