RF Resonator Flowmeter for Non-Invasive Pipe Measurement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow measurement technologies face challenges in installing sensors along long or sized flow paths, require regular leakage checks, and are limited by the need for conductive fluids and additional signal processing when using electromagnetic methods, and can be contaminated by fluid contact.
Innovation Solution
A flowmeter utilizing an RF resonator in the form of a cylinder with a transmission and reception antenna, shielded from external magnetic fields, allows for non-invasive measurement of fluid flow by calculating permittivity based on response signals, enabling installation at any desired point on a pipe without cutting it, and avoiding fluid contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a measurement sensor is installed between pipes using differential pressure or mass measurement methods, then flow measurement is achieved, but the pipe must be cut and the sensor installed along the flow path, making installation difficult and requiring regular leakage checks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an RF resonator as an intermediary device that couples to the pipe externally through a coupling member. This resonator acts as a mediator between the measurement system and the fluid, allowing electromagnetic waves to interact with the fluid without requiring direct sensor installation inside the pipe or cutting the pipe. The coupling member enables energy transfer while maintaining pipe integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical/differential pressure measurement systems with an electromagnetic measurement system. Instead of using mechanical sensors that require physical installation along the flow path, the system uses RF electromagnetic waves that can penetrate the pipe wall and interact with the fluid, substituting mechanical measurement with field-based measurement.
2Ease of operation
If electromagnetic force is used for flow measurement, then non-contact measurement is possible, but the fluid itself must be a conductor and additional signal-processing is required when the pipe is made of metal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from direct electromagnetic force measurement (which requires conductive fluid) to RF resonant frequency measurement. By measuring the resonant frequency of the RF resonator that is coupled to the pipe, the system can detect flow-induced vibrations without requiring the fluid to be conductive. This parameter change makes the system adaptable to both conductive and non-conductive fluids.
3Measurement precision
If a measurement sensor is installed along the flow path, then flow measurement is achieved, but the sensor comes into contact with the fluid, causing contamination and impurity inflow
Solution Approach 1:
The RF resonator serves as an intermediary that allows measurement without direct contact between the sensing elements and the fluid. The resonator is coupled to the pipe externally, and the measurement is performed on the resonator itself rather than on sensors inside the pipe. This intermediary structure prevents contamination while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system measures the resonant characteristics of the RF resonator that is coupled to the pipe, effectively creating a copy of the flow information without direct fluid contact. The resonator vibrates in response to fluid flow, and these vibrations are measured externally, providing a non-contact measurement method that avoids contamination.
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
Enables accurate and non-invasive flow measurement at any desired point on a pipe, preventing contamination and addressing conductivity and signal processing issues, while allowing for easy installation and removal without cutting the pipe.
Implementation Method 1
a transmission antenna for generating an electromagnetic wave at a preset frequency and forming a magnetic field inside the RF resonator
Implementation Method 2
the liquid flowing in the pipe absorbs electromagnetic radiation, and a reception antenna measures a response signal
Implementation Method 3
an RF resonator in the form of a cylinder into which a transmission antenna for generating an electromagnetic wave at a preset frequency and forming a magnetic field inside the RF resonator and shielded from an external magnetic field
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for measuring flow using an electromagnetic resonance phenomenon. The flowmeter includes an RF resonator in the form of a cylinder into which a transmission antenna for forming a magnetic field in a preset frequency range and a reception antenna for measuring a response signal are inserted, the RF resonator being shielded from an external magnetic field; and a processor for measuring the flow in a pipe that passes through the RF resonator based on the response signal. The RF resonator includes circular holes in the two bases of the cylinder so as to enable the pipe to pass through the RF resonator, and is formed with a first body and a second body, which are split in the height direction of the cylinder and are coupled using a coupling member so as to wrap the outer circumferential surface of the pipe.