Transducer with External Exciter for Flow Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vibronic measuring systems for fluid flow and substance parameters face challenges with complex mechanical structures, high sensitivity to pressures and Reynolds numbers, and low measuring accuracy, particularly due to the need for hermetically sealed line feed-throughs and immersion of vibration exciters and sensors in the fluid, which complicates their industrial application.
Innovation Solution
A transducer design with a simplified mechanical construction where the vibration exciter and sensor are placed outside the tube, using a partially plate-shaped displacer element and torsion spring connection elements to induce and detect vibrations, allowing for accurate measurement of flow and substance parameters with reduced measuring error.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If vibration exciters and sensors are placed inside the tube lumen, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to hermetically sealed line feed-throughs and immersion requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vibration exciter and sensor from the fluid environment inside the tube lumen and places them outside the tube wall. The exciter is mounted on the external surface of the tube, and the sensor detects vibrations through the tube wall, eliminating the need for hermetically sealed line feed-throughs and immersion sealing components.
Solution Approach 2:
The tube wall itself serves as an intermediary medium that transmits vibrations from the displacer element inside the lumen to the sensor outside the tube. This allows the sensor to detect vibrations without direct contact with the fluid, simplifying the overall device structure while maintaining measurement capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If converter unit is designed with thin-walled hollow cylinder, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to high sensitivity to pressures and Reynolds numbers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different wall thickness characteristics to different parts of the converter unit. The displacer element has a relatively thin wall to facilitate vibration and ease of manufacture, while the connection elements and tube integration portions have sufficient wall thickness to withstand high pressures and maintain structural reliability under operational conditions.
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
The solution enables high measuring accuracy of flow and substance parameters with a small measuring error, suitable for industrial applications, including high-temperature and high-pressure environments, without the need for complex line feed-throughs and immersion in the fluid.
Implementation Method 1
an electro-mechanical exciter arrangement for stimulating and sustaining induced mechanical vibrations of the converter unit, in particular resonance vibrations
Implementation Method 2
a sensor arrangement for detecting mechanical vibrations of the converter unit, namely mechanical vibrations of the displacer element and for generating vibration signals representing mechanical vibrations of the displacer element
Implementation Method 3
the displacer element at least partially executes radial vibrations (also bell or Hoope mode vibrations) about a respective imaginary radial vibration axis of the respective converter unit in the flow direction
Implementation Method 4
The usable vibrations in turn, in particular the radial vibrations of the respective displacer element in use mode, are particularly suitable for inducing Coriolis forces in the fluid flowing through the tube
Implementation Method 5
at least one, for example, partially sleeve-shaped and/or at least partially rod-shaped and/or at least partially shell-shaped and/or at least partially plate-shaped and/or at least partially circular-cylindrical and/or metallic first connection element serving as a torsion spring
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a transducer comprising a tube, a converter unit, an electromechanical exciter arrangement for stimulating and sustaining forced mechanical vibrations of the converter unit, and a sensor arrangement for detecting mechanical vibrations of the converter unit and for generating a vibration signal representing mechanical vibrations of the converter unit. The converter unit includes two connection elements connected to a displacer element and is inserted into the tube and connected thereto. The converter unit is configured as to be contacted by a fluid flowing through the tube and enabled to vibrate such that the connection elements and the displacer elements are proportionately elastically deformed. The transducer can be a constituent of a measuring system adapted to measure and/or monitor a flow parameter of the flowing fluid and further includes an electronic measuring and operating system coupled to the exciter arrangement and the sensor arrangement of the transducer.