Density Measuring Device Phase Control Vibration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vibronic density measuring devices have accuracy issues due to dependence on damping and viscosity of the medium, leading to significant deviations in density measurements.

Innovation Solution

The device excites mechanical vibrations at a frequency offset from the resonance frequency, maintaining a phase shift angle between -30° and -70° to minimize dependence on damping and viscosity, allowing for accurate density measurement without resonance conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional vibronic density measuring devices use resonance vibrations for measurement, then the measurement process is simple and efficient, but the measurement accuracy deteriorates due to dependence on damping and viscosity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedensity measurement accuracyVSAvoidmeasurement process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the operating parameter from resonance frequency to a frequency offset from resonance, specifically maintaining a phase shift angle between -30° and -70°. This parameter change eliminates the dependence on damping and viscosity that plagues resonance-based measurements, thereby improving density measurement accuracy without requiring fundamental changes to the device structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes mechanical vibrations of the measuring tube but operates them outside the resonance condition. By exciting the measuring tube at a frequency that produces a controlled phase shift between velocity response and driving force, the system achieves accurate density measurements that are independent of the medium's damping and viscosity characteristics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #18Mechanical vibration

2Measurement precision

If the measuring tube is excited at resonance frequency, then the vibration amplitude is maximized for easy detection, but the measurement accuracy deteriorates due to viscosity dependence

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedensity measurement accuracyVSAvoidvibration amplitude
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the operating frequency parameter to be offset from resonance by a specific phase shift angle (-30° to -70°). This optimization achieves a balance where sufficient vibration amplitude is maintained for detection while eliminating the harmful dependence on viscosity and damping, thereby improving measurement accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If resonance vibrations are used for density measurement, then the measurement process is straightforward, but significant deviations occur due to damping and viscosity effects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement operation simplicityVSAvoiddensity measurement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs feedback control to maintain the phase shift angle between the velocity response and driving force within the optimal range of -30° to -70°. The measuring electronics continuously monitor the vibration characteristics and adjust the excitation frequency to maintain the desired phase relationship, ensuring accurate measurements while keeping the operation automated and straightforward

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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 approach significantly reduces the impact of damping and viscosity on measurement accuracy, enabling high precision density measurements with maintained vibration amplitude and frequency control.

Implementation Method 1

a vibration exciter (41) which serves to convert electrical excitation power into a driving force causing useful vibrations of the at least one measuring tube (10)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromechanical conversion:

Implementation Method 2

the at least one measuring tube (10) performs useful vibrations, namely mechanical vibrations around a rest position with a useful frequency that is also determined by the density of the medium

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical vibration: Vibration

Implementation Method 3

a phase shift angle (φN) between the velocity response and the useful force component of the driving force (FN)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase shift:

Data Source

PatentEP3080560B1Device for measuring density
Publication Date: 2021.07.14 ENDRESS HAUSER FLOWTEC AG
  • EP3080560B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3080560B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3080560B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a density measuring device which is used to measure a density, ρ, of a flowable medium and comprises measuring-device electronics (ME) and a measuring transducer (MW) electrically connected to the measuring-device electronics. The measuring transducer comprises a measuring tube (10), a vibration exciter (41) for exciting and maintaining vibrations, and a vibration sensor (51) for sensing vibrations of the at least one measuring tube. The measuring device electronics are designed to adjust, by means of a vibration measurement signal (s1) and an exciter signal (e1), a driving force that causes useful vibrations, namely vibrations having a specified useful frequency, fN, of the measuring tube, in such a way that a phase shift angle, φΝ, by which a velocity response, VN, of the measuring tube is phase-shifted with respect to a useful force component, FN, of the driving force is less than -20° and greater than -80° during a specified phase control interval, and/or the useful frequency has a frequency value that is more than 1.00001-times but less than 1.001-times a frequency value of an instantaneous resonance frequency of the measuring tube. Furthermore, the measuring device electronics are designed both to determine at least one frequency measured value, Xf, representing the useful frequency for said phase control interval on the basis of the vibration measurement signal (s1) present during the phase control interval and to generate a density measured value, Xρ, representing the density, ρ, by using the frequency measured value, Xf.