Coriolis Flowmeter Thermal Barrier for Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coriolis mass flowmeters with the sensor arrangement and transducer adjacent to each other in a common housing face challenges in achieving high measurement accuracy due to physical interaction, particularly at high temperatures, where thermal and electromagnetic coupling can affect measurement precision.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a thermal barrier between the sensor arrangement and transducer, a thermal bridge between the transducer and housing, and an electric and/or magnetic shield to reduce thermal and electromagnetic interference, while also providing mechanical reinforcement by linking these components with the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the sensor arrangement and transducer are arranged adjacent to each other in a common housing volume, then the device becomes more compact and mechanically reinforced, but thermal and electromagnetic interaction between components increases, degrading measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The housing internal volume is segmented into separate thermal zones using a thermal barrier that divides the space between the sensor arrangement and transducer. This segmentation allows the components to remain physically adjacent for compactness while thermally isolating them to prevent measurement accuracy degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermal barrier is introduced as an intermediary element between the sensor arrangement and transducer. This barrier selectively blocks thermal energy transfer while allowing the components to maintain their adjacent positioning within the common housing volume, thus resolving the contradiction between compactness and measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If the sensor arrangement and transducer are spatially separated in different housing volumes, then thermal and electromagnetic de-coupling is achieved, but the device becomes less compact and mechanically more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensor arrangement and transducer into a single common housing volume, eliminating the need for separate housings. This consolidation achieves the compactness benefit while the thermal barrier maintains the necessary thermal de-coupling for measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The common housing volume serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical protection for both components, enables compact positioning, and when combined with the thermal barrier, facilitates thermal management. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by achieving compactness without sacrificing measurement precision.
3Measurement precision
If a thermal barrier is introduced between sensor arrangement and transducer, then thermal transfer is reduced improving measurement accuracy, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal barrier is implemented as a thin-walled structure that divides the housing internal volume. This thin-film approach provides effective thermal isolation while minimizing the added structural complexity and maintaining device compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal barrier utilizes the spatial dimension within the common housing volume to create thermal separation. By partitioning the available space rather than adding external components, the solution reduces measurement errors without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
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 configuration reduces thermal transfer between the sensor and transducer, allows for effective temperature compensation, enhances measurement accuracy, and increases the resonance frequency of the housing, thereby improving the mechanical stability and accuracy of the Coriolis mass flowmeter.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal barrier is arranged at least in the space between the sensor arrangement and the transducer, wherein the thermal barrier serves to reduce the thermal transport between the sensor arrangement and the transducer
Implementation Method 2
at least in the space between the transducer and the housing, a thermal bridge for transferring heat from the transducer to the housing is arranged
Implementation Method 3
an electric and/or magnetic shield around the transducer, at least in the space between the transducer and the sensor arrangement
Data Source
AI summary
A Coriolis mass flowmeter (1) having at least one sensor arrangement (2), at least one transducer (3) and at least one housing (4), wherein the sensor arrangement (2) has at least one measuring tube (5) that can be excited to oscillation, at least one oscillation generator (6) and at least one oscillation sensor (7), wherein the transducer (3) at least in part has evaluation and power electronics for controlling and measurement evaluation of the sensor arrangement, wherein the sensor arrangement (2) and the transducer (3) are arranged adjacent to one another in a common volume defined by the housing (4). A Coriolis mass flowmeter of the described type, in which the physical interaction between the sensor arrangement and transducer is reduced, is realized by the provision of a thermal barrier (8) arranged at least in a space between the sensor arrangement (2) and the transducer (3).