Flowmeter Heartbeat Signal for Liquid Volume Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flowmeter systems face challenges in accurately measuring the flow rate and volume of fluid flows, particularly when dealing with composite fluids containing both liquids and gases, as the presence of gas complicates differentiation and leads to inaccurate liquid volume calculations.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a flowmeter, such as a vortex flowmeter, that generates a signal responsive to fluid flow, determines a threshold indicative of the liquid-gas boundary, and uses a heartbeat value to adjust the flow rate calculation, minimizing the impact of gas surges and allowing for accurate liquid volume measurement by selectively generating an alarm for prolonged gas presence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a flowmeter is used to monitor fluid flow volume, then the flow rate can be measured, but the presence of gas in the fluid flow complicates the measurement and reduces accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fluid flow measurement by identifying and separating gas regions from liquid regions using threshold comparison. The heartbeat value isolates true liquid flow signals from gas surge interference, effectively dividing the measurement into distinct phases that can be evaluated independently for accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing step between raw flowmeter signal and final volume calculation. The heartbeat value acts as a mediator that filters out gas-induced false readings while preserving true liquid flow information, enabling accurate measurement despite gas presence.
2Productivity
If the flowmeter measures composite fluid flow including gas and liquid, then the overall flow can be monitored, but the liquid volume calculation becomes inaccurate due to gas interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful gas surge component from the composite fluid flow signal by comparing against a threshold and identifying regions exceeding it. By taking out the gas interference portion, the system isolates the true liquid flow heartbeat value for accurate volume calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from raw flowmeter output to a processed heartbeat value derived through threshold comparison. This parameter transformation converts a signal contaminated by gas into a purified representation of liquid flow, enabling accurate volume measurement while maintaining productivity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the system uses raw flowmeter signals for volume calculation, then the calculation is simple, but the presence of gas surges leads to inaccurate measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary signal processing by comparing flowmeter signals against a threshold and generating heartbeat values before volume calculation. This advance processing eliminates gas surge interference in advance, ensuring accurate measurements without complicating the overall system design.
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 enables precise measurement of liquid volume by compensating for gas surges and detecting potential system failures, ensuring accurate flow rate and volume calculations while alerting operators to potential issues like stuck valves.
Implementation Method 1
the flowmeter includes a vortex flowmeter
Data Source
AI summary
A flowmeter method and system. In an implementation, a signal is received from a flowmeter and a value is determined based on the signal. The value is compared to a threshold. A heartbeat value is provided when the value is greater than a threshold value. In some implementations, a flow rate of a fluid is based on the heartbeat value. In some implementations, the heartbeat value is monitored and an alarm is selectively generated based on the monitoring.