Convective Attenuation Flowmeter

In recent years, the mass flow measurement technology measuring mass flow rates without relying on a side effect of the mass flow such as the convective heat transfer or the absorption of radiation has been developed. The mass flowmeter called Coriolis force flowmeter measures mass flow rate based on a mechanical effect directly associated with the mass flow rate. While the Coriolis force flowmeter represents a land mark progress in the mass flow measurement technology, it has many short comings such as its inability to measure low mass flow rates and the far too high cost. The present invention teaches a new and powerful principle in the mass flow measurement technology, which provides an economic mass flowmeter capable of measuring low mass flow rates.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a mass flowmeter comprising at least one vibrating conduit connected to an inlet and outlet leg, an electromagnetic vibrator generating flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit, and a motion detector detecting the flexural vibrations, wherein the amplitude of the flexural vibrations increases from one extremity to the other extremity of the vibrating conduit.

Another object is to provide a mass flowmeter that determines mass flow rate through the vibrating conduit from the convective portion of the attenuation of the intermittently imposed flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit, which convective portion caused by the media moving through the vibrating conduit occurs in addition to the vicous portion responsible for the attenuation of the intermittently imposed flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit containing stationary media.

A further object is to provide a mass flowmeter that determines mass flow through the vibrating conduit from the convective portion of the decrease in the kinetic energy of the continuously imposed flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit, which convective portion caused by media moving through the vibrating conduit occurs in addition to the viscous portion responsible for the damping of the continuously imposed flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit containing stationary media.

Yet another object is to provide a mass flowmeter wherein the convective portion of the attenuation of the intermittently imposed flexural vibrations or the convective portion of the dissipation of the continuously imposed flexural vibrations is determined by taking off the viscous portion thereof stored in a data processor from the measured value thereof.

Yet a further object is to provide a mass flowmeter comprising a pair of the vibrating conduits disposed in a parallel arrangement, wherein mass flow rate is determined from the convective portion of the attenuation or the convective portion of the dissipation obtained by comparing the attenuations or dissipations of the flexural vibrations of the pair of vibrating conduits to one another.

Still another object is to provide a mass flowmeter comprising two vibrating conduits disposed in a series arrangement, wherein mass flow rate is determined from the convective portion of the attenuation or the convective portion of the dissipation obtained by comparing the attenuations or the dissipations of the flexural vibrations of the two vibrating conduits to one another.

Still a further object is to provide a mass flowmeter comprising a pair of parallel vibrating conduits connected to a third vibrating conduit in series, wherein mass flow rate is determined by comparing the attenuations or the dissipations of the flexural vibrations of at least one of the pair of parallel vibrating conduits and the third vibrating conduit to one another.

Yet still another object is to provide a mass flowmeter comprising a pair of parallel vibrating conduits connected to a third vibrating conduit in series, wherein mass flow rate is determined by analizing the attenuations or the dissipations of the flexural vibrations of the three vibrating conduits.

Yet still a further object is to provide a mass flowmeter of superb sensivity and high reliability, which is economic and practical.

These and other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description thereof progresses.

The present invention may be described with a great clarity and specificity by referring to the following figures:

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the mass flowmeter of the present invention employing a single vibrating conduit.

FIG. 2 illustrates typical attenuation of the flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit containing stationary media and moving media therein.

FIG. 3 illustrates typical dissipation of the flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit containing stationary media and moving media.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising two parallel vibrating conduits arranged in a symmetric relationship, wherein media flow through only one of the two vibrating conduits.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising two parallel vibrating conduits arranged in a symmetric relationship, wherein net flow of media occurs in only one of the two vibrating conduits, while the media is circulated through the other vibrating conduit without a net flow therethrough.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates a further embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising a pair of parallel vibrating conduits connected to a third vibrating conduit in series.

FIG. 9 illustrates another embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising two parallel vibrating conduits arranged in a symmetric relationship, wherein one of the two vibrating conduit includes a by-pass loop with zero net flow therethrough.

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising two parallel vibrating conduits arranged in a symmetric relationship, which includes a by-pass loop constituting one half of both vibrating conduits.

FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising two parallel vibrating conduits arranged in an antisymmetric relationship.

FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising two vibrating conduits arranged in series in a symmetric arrangement about a plane intermediate the two vibrating conduits.

FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment similar to that shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment of the nozzle type mass flowmeter.

FIG. 16 illustrates an orthogonal coil loop employed in place of the bellow type flexible coupling connecting one extremity of the vibrating conduit to a port leg in a laterally flexible arrangement.

FIG. 17 illustrates an overhanging loop employed in place of the bellow type flexible coupling connecting one extremity of the vibrating conduit to a port leg in a laterally flexible arrangement.

FIG. 18 illustrates a parallel coil loop employed in place of the bellow type flexible coupling connecting one extremity of the vibrating conduit to a port leg in a laterally flexible arrangement.

FIG. 19 illustrates a tapered conduit without a flexible coupling section employed as the vibrating conduit.

In FIG. 1 there is illustrated a fundamental embodiment employing the mass flowmeter principles of the present invention, which embodiment includes a vibrating conduit 1 with one extremity 2 fixedly connected to a first port leg 3 and the other extremity 4 connected to a Y-shaped second port leg 5 in a laterally flexible arrangement by a T-shaped coupling including a pair of flexible bellow couplings 6 and 7. The extremity 2 of the vibrating conduit 1 and the Y-shaped port leg 5 are rigidly anchored to a rigid frame 8. The vibrating means or electromagnetic vibrator 9 secured to the frame 8 generates flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit 1, which flexural vibrations have amplitude increasing from the fixed extremity 2 to the flexible extremity 4, while a motion detector 10 secured to the frame 8 detects the flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit 1. The motion detector 10 may be an acceleration detector secured to the vibrating conduit 1 instead of a motion detector secured to the frame 8. The oscillator power supply 11 provides electric currents energizing the electromagnetic vibrator 9 in the form of pulses or continuous alternating currents, which intermittently induces the flexural vibrations or continuously excites the flexural vibrations. The electro-motive forces from the motion detector 10 generated by the flexural vibrations are conditioned by a filter-amplifier 12 and processed by a data processor 13 that provides information related to the mass flow rate of media moving through the vibrating conduit.

The convective attenuation or convective dissipation flowmeter of the present invention operates in the following principles: The kinetic energy influx carried in by the fluid entering the fixed extremity 2 of the vibrating conduit 1 is equal to ##EQU1## while the kinetic energy flux carried away by the fluid leaving the flexible extremity 4 of the vibrating conduit 1 is equal to ##EQU2## where .rho. is the density of the fluid, U is the flow velocity, A is the cross section area of the flow passage through the vibrating conduits and v is the peak value of velocity of the flexural vibrations. The constant C.sub.1 is a coefficient of proportionality that quantifies the amount of the kinetic energy associated with flexural vibrations transported away by the fluid leaving the vibrating conduit. The net amount of the kinetic energy carried away from the vibrating conduit 1 by the fluid flowing therethrough per unit time is equal to the difference between equations (1) and (2) ##EQU3## The energy loss per unit time from the vibrating conduit 1 due to frictions associated with the viscoelasticity of the vibrating conduit 1 and the viscosity of the fluids contained therein and that surrounding thereof is proportional to the square of the velocity of the flexural vibrations and can be expressed in the form, ##EQU4## where C.sub.2 is a constant of proportionality and .mu. is the total dynamic viscosity representing the total viscous energy dissipation. The kinetic energy belonging to the flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit 1 is equal to ##EQU5## where C.sub.3 is a constant or proportionality and M is the mass of the vibrating conduit and that of the fluid contained therein. The time rate of the decrease in the kinetic energy given by equation (5) is equal to the the total time rate of energy loss that is equal to the sum of equations (3) and (4), which kinetic energy balance provides relationship ##EQU6## The differential equation (6) has a solution

where v.sub.0 is the initial peak value, ##EQU7## and t is time. It should be mentioned that equation (7) represents the attenuation of the flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit with fluid flowing from the first extremity 2 to the second extremity 3. When the flow direction is reversed, the equation governing the attenuation can be written in the form

where K.sub.3 is another constant that is different from K.sub.2 because the numerical value of the coefficient C.sub.1 appearing in equations (2) and (3) has different value depending on the direction of the fluid flow.

There is illustrated the attenuation of the intermittently induced flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit 1 containing the stationary fluid of zero velocity in FIG. 2-(a), while FIG. 2-(b) illustrates the attenuation of the vibrating conduit 1 containing moving fluid at flow velocity U. It is readily recognized that the constant K.sub.1 in equation (7) can be determined emprically from the attenuation of flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit containing stationary fluid, while K.sub.2 is determined empirically from the attenuation of flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit containing fluid moving at a known velocity. Once those empirically determined values of K.sub.1 and K.sub.2 or K.sub.1 and K.sub.3 are substituted into equation (7) or (8), the mass flow rate .rho.UA is readily determined by analizing the attenuation of the flexural vibrations given by equation (7) or (8), which are analized by the data processor 13.

The time rate of total energy loss from the continuously excited flexural vibrations of the vibrating conduit 1 is equal to the sum of the equations (3) and (4), ##EQU8## The output electromotive force V.sub.OUT from the motion detector 10 is proportional to the vibration velocity v of the flexural vibrations and, consequently, equation (9) can be written in the form: ##EQU9## where .sqroot.C.sub.4 is conversion factor between the vibration velocity v and the output emf V.sub.OUT. The time rate of electrical energy converted to the mechanical energy of the vibrating conduit, which is supplied to the electromagnetic vibrator 9 in the form of continuous alternating currents, can be expressed in the form ##EQU10## where V.sub.IN is the peak value of the alternating emf supplied to the electromagnetic vibrator 9 and C.sub.5 is a constant of proportionality. The balance between the energy output and input respectively given by equations (10) and (11) yields relationship ##EQU11## It is easy to recognize that equation (12) can be written in the form ##EQU12## where ##EQU13## and the subscript U=0 stands for the values corresponding to zero fluid velocity. For the fluid flow moving in direction opposite to the case governed by equation (13), the mass flow rate is given by equation ##EQU14## Once the coefficient G.sub.1, G.sub.2 and the ratio of emf input to output corresponding to zero flow are determined empirically, the mass flow rate is determined from equation (13) or (14).

There is illustrated the input emf of constant amplitude supplied to the electromagnetic vibrator 9 in the form of continuous alternating currents in FIG. 3-(a). The output emf from the motion detector 10 that varies as a function of the mass flow rate is illustrated in FIG. 3-(b). The data processor 13 having equations (13) and/or (14) programmed and stored therein determines the mass flow rate by analizing the output emf generated by the motion detector.

In FIG. 4 there is illustrated am embodiment of the mass flowmeter of the present invention, which includes means for determining the numerical value of K.sub.1 appearing in equation (7) and (8), or the numerical value of (V.sub.IN /V.sub.OUT).sub.U=0 appearing in equation (13) and (14) on a real time basis. The mass flowmeter comprises a pair of identical vibrating conduits having the same construction as the vibrating conduit 1 described in conjunction with FIG. 1, which pair of the vibrating conduits 14 and 15 disposed in a parallel relationship are respectively connected to a first port leg 16 in a fixed arrangement and to a second port leg 17 in a laterally flexible arrangement. The first vibrating conduit 14 provides a flow passage connecting the two port legs 16 and 17 to one another, while the second vibrating conduit 15 is blocked by a plug 18 at a downstream of the flexible coupling 19. The electromagnetic vibrator and the motion detector are integrated into a dual function vibrator-detector 20 or 21. The flexural vibration of the first vibrating conduit 14 containing moving fluid provides information of total attenuation or dissipation resulting from the convective and viscous energy dissipation, while that of the second vibrating conduit 15 containing stationary fluid provides information on attenuation or dissipation resulting from the viscous energy dissipation only. The net convective attenuation or convective dissipation is determined by combining the attenuation data of the two vibrating conduits 14 and 15. The mass flow rate is determined from the net convective attenuation of the intermittently imposed flexural vibrations per equations (7) or (8), or from the net convective dissipation of the continuously excited flexural vibrations per equation (13) or (14).

In FIG. 5 there is illustrated an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising a pair of parallel vibrating legs 22 and 23 having identical flexural vibration characteristics, wherein each of the two vibrating legs includes two separate and parallel conduits affixed to one another. Both conduits included in the first vibrating leg 22 are open for the fluid flow between the first and second port legs 24 and 25, while the two conduits included in the second vibrating leg 23 are open to one another by an opening 26 disposed at an upstream section of the flexible coupling 27 connecting the vibrating leg 23 to the second port leg 25. The downstream section of the flexible coupling 27 is blocked by a plug 28 and, consequently, there is no net flow through the second vibrating leg 23. While this embodiment of the mass flowmeter operates on the same principles as that shown in FIG. 4, it provides an advantage in view that the fluid circulated through the second vibrating leg 23 prevents the accumulation of the stale fluid therein and, consequently, the two vibrating legs are more closely matched in terms of dynamic characteristics.

In FIG. 6 there is illustrated an embodiment essentially the same as that shown in FIG. 5 with one exception being that the two separate conduits included in each of the two vibrating legs 29 and 30 are disposed on a plane including the two vibrating legs 29 and 30, while those included in the two vibrating legs of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 are disposed on a plane perpendicular to the plane including the two vibrating legs 22 and 23. For the brevity of the illustration, the electromagnetic vibrators and the motion detectors are not shown in this embodiment.

In FIG. 7 there is illustrated an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising a pair of parallel vibrating legs 31 and 32 having the same flexural vibration characteristics, wherein each of the two vibrating legs has two separate and parallel conduits affixed to one another. There is no net fluid flow through the second vibrating leg 32 as the fluid flowing through the first conduit included therein doubles back through the second conduit therein after moving through the 180 degree turn loop 33 with two extremities respectively connected to the two conduits included in the second vibrating leg 32 by a a pair of flexible couplings. The fluid flow leaving the second conduit of the second vibrating leg 32 bifurcates and flows through the two conduits included in the first vibrating leg 31 which is connected to a Y-shaped port leg 34 by a pair of flexible couplings. According to equations (7) and (8), the attenuation of the flexural vibrations of the two vibrating legs 31 and 32 are respectively given by equations ##EQU15## The mass flow rate is determined from equations (15) and (16) with empirically determined values of K.sub.2 and K.sub.3 after eliminating K.sub.1 therebetween.

In FIG. 8 there is illustrated an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising a first vibrating conduit 35 connected in series to a pair of parallel vibrating conduits 36 and 37, wherein those vibrating conduits have the same flexural vibration characteristics. The attenuations of the flexural vibrations of the three vibrating conduits 35, 36 and 37 are respectively given by equations

Since U=U.sub.2 +U.sub.3, equations (18) and (19) can be combined to obtain equation ##EQU16## Equations (17) and (20) provides equation ##EQU17## which equation determines the mass flow rate .rho.UA when the empirically determined values of K.sub.2 is substituted thereinto. If the fluid flow bifurcates equally into the two parallel vibrating conduits, .sqroot.v.sub.2 v.sub.3 appearing in equation (21) may be replaced by v.sub.2 or v.sub.3, and .sqroot.v.sub.20 v.sub.30 by v.sub.20 or v.sub.30.

In FIG. 9 there is illustrated another embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising a first vibrating conduit 38 connected in series to a pair of parallel vibrating conduits 39 and 40, which combination has construction similar to and operates on the same principles as that of FIG. 8.

In FIG. 10 there is illustrated an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising two parallel vibrating legs 41 and 42, each of which includes two separate parallel conduits affixed to one another. The fluid flow leaving the first port leg 43 bifurcates into two separate streams respectively joining the two first conduits respectively included in the two vibrating legs. The flow moving through the first conduit of the second vibrating leg 42 doubles back through the second conduit thereof and then flows through the second conduit of the first vibrating leg. The attenuation of flexural vibrations of the two vibrating legs 41 and 42 are respectively given by equations

If K.sub.2 and K.sub.3 are closely matched and U.sub.1 is much smaller than U, equation (23) is approximated by equation

The mass flow rate .rho.UA is determined from equation (22) with empirically determined value of K.sub.2 and value of K.sub.1 determined from equation (24).

In FIG. 11 there is illustrated another embodiment of the mass flowmeter with a pair of parallel vibrating legs 44 and 45 of identical flexural vibration characteristics, which has a construction similar to and operates on the same principles as that shown in FIG. 10.

In FIG. 12 there is illustrated an embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising a pair of parallel vibrating conduits 46 and 47 wherein the first extremity of the first vibrating conduit 46 is fixedly connected to a first port leg 48 and the second extremity is flexibly connected to a second port leg 49, while the first extremity of the second vibrating conduit 47 is flexibly connected to the first port leg 48 and the second extremity is fixedly connected to the second port leg 49. The attenuation of the flexural vibration of the two vibrating legs 46 and 47 are respectively by equations

The mass flow rate is determined from equations (25) and (26) with empirically determined values of K.sub.2 and K.sub.3 after eliminating K.sub.1 there between.

In FIG. 13 there is illustrated an embodiment of the mass flowmeter including two vibrating conduits 50 and 51 connected to one another in series by a U-shaped conduit section 52 and respectively connected to two port legs 53 and 54 by a pair of flexible couplings 55 and 56. The equations governing the attenuation of the flexural vibrations of the two vibrating conduits 50 and 51 are the same as equations (25) and (26) with one exception being that 1/2K.sub.2 and 1/2K.sub.3 therein are now replaced by K.sub.2 and K.sub.3 respectively, from which equations the mass flow rate is obtained after eliminating K.sub.1 therebetween.

In FIG. 14 there is illustrated another embodiment of the mass flowmeter comprising two vibrating conduits 57 and 58 connected to one another by a coupling conduit 59 including two flexible couplings at the two extremities thereof, which embodiment operates on the same principles as that of FIG. 13.

In FIG. 15 there is illustrated an embodiment of the nozzle type mass flowmeter comprising two parallel vibrating cantilever legs 60 and 61, each of which two vibrating legs include two parallel conduits affixed to one another. There is no net fluid flow through the second vibrating leg 61 as described in conjunction with the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. This nozzle type mass flowmeter operates on the same principles as that described in conjunction with the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 or 5. It is readily recognized that a nozzle type mass flowmeter can be constructed in an arrangement which employs one open vibrating cantilever conduit and one closed vibrating cantilever conduit as suggested by the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

The mass flowmeter comprising a pair of parallel vibrating conduits or legs also determines the mass flow rate from the convective dissipations of the continuously excited flexural vibrations of the two vibrating conduits or legs respectively given by equations ##EQU18## In embodiments shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 15, U.sub.2 =0. Consequently, the mass flow rate .rho.UA is determined from equation (27) with empirically determined value of G.sub.1 and value of (V.sub.IN /V.sub.OUT).sub.U=0.sup.2 determined from equation (28) with empirically determined value of G.sub.2. In embodiments shown in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14, U.sub.1 =.sub.2 and G.sub.1 =G.sub.2. Consequently, equations (27) and (28) with empirically determined values of G.sub.1 and G.sub.2 can be simultaneously solved for U.sub.1 and .sub.2.

The mass flowmeter comprising a pair of parallel vibrating conduits connected to a third vibrating conduit in series as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 provides two equations respectively governing the convective dissipation of the flexural vibrations of one of the two parallel vibrating conduits and the third vibrating conduit ##EQU19## Simultaneous solution of equations (29) and (30) for .rho.UA determines mass flow rate.

The flexible coupling connecting one extremity of the vibrating conduit or leg to a port leg rigidly anchored to a rigid frame may be a flexible bellow couplings employed in embodiments shown in FIGS. 4-14 or other types of flexible coupling that provides a higher amplitude in the flexural vibrations at the extremity including the flexible coupling compared with the amplitude at sections adjacent to the fixedly coupled extremity. A few examples of the flexible coupling usable in conjunction with the mass flowmeter of the present invention in place of the flexible bellow coupling are shown in FIGS. 16, 17, 18 and 19, which respectively illustrates a coiled loop of conduit 62 with central axis perpendicular to the vibrating leg, a S-shaped loop of conduit 63 disposed on a plane perpendicular to the direction of the flexural vibration, a coiled loop of conduit 64 with central axis parallel to the vibrating leg, and a tapered conduit that provides a flexural vibrations of a higher amplitude at sections of smaller diameter 65.

While the principles of the present invention have now been made clear by the illustrative embodiments there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of the structures, arrangements, proportions, elements and materials which are particularly adapted to the specific working environments and operating conditions in the practice of the invention without departing from those principles. It is not desired to limit the inventions to the particular illustrated embodiments shown and described and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be restored to falling within the scope of the inventions as defined by the claims which follow.