Vortex Flow Signal Validation Using Clipped Amplitude Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vortex flow meters, clipping of input signal voltages to prevent damage to electronics can result in loss of true amplitude information, leading to increased errors due to non-optimal filter settings in the presence of noise patterns, affecting the accuracy of fluid flow measurement.
Innovation Solution
The method involves estimating the true amplitude of the sinusoidal vortex signal from a clipped signal, using it as a secondary means to determine fluid velocity, and adjusting adaptive filters to improve accuracy by comparing the estimated velocity with the velocity determined from the vortex velocity frequency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the vortex signal voltage is clipped to be within the limits of sensor electronics, then the signal-to-noise ratio is improved, but the true amplitude information of the original signal is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a mathematical model that copies the relationship between the clipped signal and the original true amplitude. By establishing the functional relationship y = f(x) where y is the clipped signal and x is the original amplitude, the system can estimate the true amplitude from the clipped signal without needing the original unclipped signal directly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the direct measurement of true amplitude (which would require unclipped signals) with a computational estimation approach. Instead of mechanically preserving the original amplitude through unclipped signal paths, the system uses mathematical algorithms to substitute and recover amplitude information from the clipped domain.
2Measurement precision
If adaptive filters are adjusted to improve signal processing, then measurement accuracy is enhanced, but filter algorithms may move to non-optimal settings in the presence of noise patterns, resulting in increased errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the estimated true amplitude is continuously compared with the measured amplitude from the clipped signal. This feedback loop allows the system to detect when filter settings become non-optimal and adjust them accordingly, preventing drift into erroneous filter configurations while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Vortex sensor amplitude information may be used to validate that a vortex signal being measured corresponds to an actual fluid flow and is not noise. The estimated amplitude of a sinusoidal vortex signal is used as a secondary means to determine the fluid flow based on vortex sensor characteristics. The original amplitude of the sinusoidal vortex signal is determined from a clipped voltage amplitude sinusoidal signal. The estimated velocity of the fluid in a pipe based on the original amplitude of the sinusoidal vortex signal is compared to the measured velocity of the fluid based on vortex velocity frequency. If the two determined velocities do not reasonably agree, the measured vortex signal is not a valid flow signal and adaptive filters are adjusted to reduce the effects of noise.