Two-Wire Field Equipment Insulation and Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Field equipment of two-wire systems, such as electromagnetic flowmeters, face challenges in achieving size reduction, low cost, and low power consumption due to the complexity and number of insulating sections required, which increases manufacturing costs and power consumption.
Innovation Solution
Reducing the number of insulating sections and implementing a low power consumption mode for the calculation control section, allowing for a more compact and cost-effective design while minimizing power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple insulating sections are used to ensure electrical isolation and signal integrity, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple insulating sections into a single integrated insulating structure that provides electrical isolation between the first and second power supply lines. This merging approach maintains the reliability benefits of multiple isolation points while reducing the overall complexity and component count of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electrical isolation, signals ground potential, and enables communication between different power supply domains. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
2Reliability
If multiple insulating sections are used to maintain electrical isolation, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating multiple isolation functions into a single insulating structure, the patent reduces the number of components that need to be manufactured, assembled, and tested. This merging directly reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the required reliability.
3Productivity
If the calculation control section operates continuously at full power, then processing capability is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The calculation control section dynamically adjusts its operating mode based on system requirements. It can switch between full-power processing mode and low-power mode, allowing the system to optimize the balance between processing capability and power consumption according to actual operational needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic wake-up cycles where the calculation control section operates at full power for brief periods to process data, then enters low-power mode. This periodic operation maintains necessary processing functionality while significantly reducing average power consumption.
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 the development of field equipment that is smaller in size, lower in cost, and consumes less power, meeting the requirements for intrinsically safe explosion-proof standards.
Implementation Method 1
The electromagnetic flowmeter applies a magnetic field to a measured fluid that flows through a pipe of the detecting section 4, then detects an electric signal generated in the measured fluid based on the magnetic field
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3
AI summary
A field equipment includes: a signal processing section; a first calculation control section for generating a first control signal which controls a start of a signal processing of the signal processing section; first and second insulating sections coupled to the first calculation control section; and a second calculation control section coupled to the first and second insulating sections and the signal processing section, the second calculation control section receiving the first control signal and then transmitting a second control signal corresponding to the first control signal to the signal processing section. The signal processing section generates a processed signal based on the second control signal. The second calculation control section receives the processed signal, then transmits data related to the first signal to the first calculation control section via the second insulating section, and then shifts to a low power consumption mode.