Flow Meter Slope Analysis for Instrument Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas flow meter devices struggle to accurately determine the specific gas instrument in use when multiple instruments have equal gas flow values, leading to difficulties in identification.
Innovation Solution
A flow meter device that measures fluid flow and calculates the slope of flow differences over time, determining whether the instrument in use is a particular one based on whether the slope falls within a predetermined range, and uses a history storage section to identify start and end times of fluid instrument usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional flow pattern comparison is used to identify gas instruments, then identification can be performed based on flow values, but accurate determination becomes difficult when multiple instruments have equal flow values
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional flow value comparison to two-dimensional analysis by introducing the temporal dimension. Instead of merely comparing flow values Q1 and Q2, the system analyzes the rate of change dQ/dt and its slope d(dQ/dt)/dt over time. This dimensional expansion allows differentiation between instruments with identical flow values by capturing their distinct temporal flow characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters used for identification from static flow values to dynamic temporal derivatives. By calculating the slope of flow difference per unit time and its rate of change, the system transforms the identification basis from constant flow parameters to time-varying derivative parameters, enabling discrimination between instruments that maintain equal flow values.
2Reliability
If only flow value comparison is performed, then the identification process is simple, but the system cannot distinguish between different instruments with equal flow characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calculations of flow derivatives before final comparison. The system pre-calculates dQ/dt and d(dQ/dt)/dt from measured flow values, storing these derived parameters for subsequent identification. This preliminary processing prepares the data in advance, enabling reliable differentiation without adding complex real-time processing during identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical flow measurement comparison with mathematical derivative analysis. Instead of relying on mechanical flow pattern matching, the system uses computational calculus (differentiation) to extract temporal characteristics, substituting mechanical identification methods with mathematical transformation and comparison.
Data Source
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AI summary
A flow meter device comprises a flow measuring section (2) for measuring a flow of a fluid in a fluid passage through which the fluid is supplied to a fluid instrument in use; and a measurement data processing section (3) which calculates a slope of a change in a flow difference per unit time which change occurs with time, at a time point when a sign of the flow difference per unit time is inverted, based on the flow of the fluid measured by the flow measuring section, and determines whether or not the fluid instrument in use is a particular fluid instrument based on whether or not the slope falls within a predetermined range.