The present invention relates to a method for ascertaining a physical parameter of a liquid by means of a sensor having at least one measuring tube for conducting the liquid, wherein the measuring tube comprises an inlet-side end section and an outlet-side end section, wherein the sensor has at least one inlet-side fastening device and an outlet-side fastening device with which the measuring tube is respectively fastened in one of the end sections, wherein the measuring tube can be excited to vibrate between the two fastening devices, wherein the mass flow rate and density of the liquid can be determined from the vibration behavior of the measuring tube. However, the measurement values for mass flow rate and density have cross-sensitivities with respect to the sound velocity or compressibility of the liquid. Compensation of these cross-sensitivities is therefore desired.
The first publication of patent application DE 10 2015 122 661 A1 discloses a method for determining the density or the mass flow rate of a gas-charged liquid by means of a sensor which has a measuring tube with a plurality of flexural vibration modes of different natural frequencies. On the basis of the natural frequencies of two flexural vibration modes, preliminary density values are determined which, assuming resonance vibrations of the gas-charged liquid relative to the measuring tube, enable the determination of the sound velocity and, following this, the determination of a corrected density and mass flow value.
The above approach on the basis of what is known as multi-frequency technology provides satisfactory results where measurements of gas-charged liquids are concerned that have a considerably reduced sound velocity compared to the pure liquid phase. When sound velocities are too high, multi-frequency technology is not feasible.
As requirements for measurement accuracy increase, the resonator effect becomes more important even in the case of media with high sound velocities; it is therefore to be taken into account in measurement value determination for pure liquids as well. It is the object of the present invention to provide a method and a measuring device that correct the effect of the resonator effect also for such media.
The method according to the invention is a method for determining a measurement value of a physical parameter of a liquid by means of a sensor having at least one measuring tube for conducting the liquid, wherein the measuring tube in each case has an inlet-side end section and an outlet-side end section, wherein the sensor has at least one inlet-side fastening device and an outlet-side fastening device, with which the measuring tube is respectively fastened in one of the end sections, wherein the measuring tube can be excited to vibrate between the two fastening devices in at least one flexural vibration mode, wherein the method comprises the following steps: determining at least one current value of a vibration parameter of the flexural vibration mode; determining a measurement value of the physical parameter as a function of the current value of the vibration parameter, wherein the measurement value is compensated in respect of the resonator effect as a function of a current value for the natural frequency of the flexural vibration mode and of the sound velocity of the liquid conducted in the measuring tube, wherein the value for the sound velocity is provided independently of vibrations of the measuring tube.
In a development of the invention, the vibration parameter comprises the natural frequency of the flexural vibration mode, wherein the physical parameter comprises a density of the liquid conducted in the measuring tube.
In a development of the invention, the vibration parameter comprises a time delay proportional to the mass flow rate between the signals of two vibration sensors arranged offset from one another in the longitudinal direction of the measuring tube, wherein the physical parameter comprises a mass flow rate of the liquid conducted in the measuring tube.
In a development of the invention, a current measurement value for the sound velocity of the liquid is provided by an external sensor, in particular by an ultrasonic sensor.
In a development of the invention, an externally determined value for the sound velocity of the liquid is stored in a data memory and is read out from the data memory in order to calculate the physical parameter.
In a further development of the invention, a measurement value of the physical parameter is determined as a function of the current value of the vibration parameter on the assumption that device parameters that are included in the calculation of the physical parameter are valid, wherein the device parameters were ascertained in particular taking the resonator effect into account.
In a development of the invention, a measurement value of the physical parameter is determined as a function of the current value of the vibration parameter on the assumption that device parameters that are included in the calculation of the physical parameter were determined while disregarding the resonator effect, wherein a correction for the effect of the resonator effect on determining the device parameters takes place.
The relationship of a preliminary density value ρi of a fluid on the basis of the natural frequency fi of an fi-mode is described as:
wherein c0i, c1i, and c2i are device parameters, here in the form of mode-dependent coefficients.
However, the above approach does not take into account the influences of the resonator effect, i.e., the influence of the vibrating liquid in the measuring tube. The closer the resonance frequency of the vibrating liquid is to the natural frequency of a flexural vibration mode, the stronger will be the influence of the natural frequency. The resonance frequency of the liquid depends on its sound velocity. In a development of the invention, a mode-specific correction term Ki for a preliminary density value is therefore a function of a quotient of the sound velocity of the liquid and the natural frequency of the mode with which the preliminary density measuring value was ascertained.
In a development of the invention, the correction term Ki for the preliminary density values ρi has the following form on the basis of the natural frequency of the fi-mode:
where r and g are media-independent constants, fi is the natural frequency of the fi-mode, ρcorr is the corrected density, and b is a scaling constant, wherein in particular: r/b<1, in particular r/b<0.9, and/or b=1. In the above equation, g is in particular a proportionality factor, which is a function of the diameter of the measuring tube, between a resonance frequency fres of the liquid and the sound velocity of the liquid, wherein the following applies:
f
res
=g·C
For example, for a twin-tube measuring device with DN 50 or DN 100, g has a value of approximately 21 or 8.5.
The sound velocity c of the liquid can, for example, be stored as a predetermined value, optionally with temperature correction, in a data memory and read out therefrom, or it can be provided by an external sensor, for example an ultrasonic sensor.
In a development of the invention, the following applies to a density error Eρi of a preliminary density value on the basis of the natural frequency of the fi-mode:
E
ρi
:=K
i−1,
wherein a mass flow rate error Em of a preliminary mass flow value is proportional to the density error Ep1 of the preliminary density value based on the flexural vibration mode f1, that is to say:
E
m
:=k·E
ρ1,
wherein the proportionality factor k is not less than 1.5 and not more than 3. In a currently preferred embodiment of the invention, the proportionality factor is k=2.
The following applies to a correction term Km for the mass flow rate:
wherein the corrected mass flow rate {dot over (m)}corr is obtained as
wherein {dot over (m)}v of the preliminary mass flow value is determined in a known manner by multiplying a time delay Δt between the signals of two vibration sensors by a calibration factor calf.
Determination of the correction term for the mass flow rate as described here also follows the procedure in multi-frequency technology whereby the mass flow correction term is expediently estimated via the density correction term since the latter has to be determined anyway in order to ascertain the value for the sound velocity of the liquid. However, if the value for the sound velocity is provided externally, the mass flow correction term Km may also be estimated independently of the density correction term as:
In this case, at is a constant, fc is the vibration frequency at which the measurement was performed, rt is the radius of the measuring tube or of the measuring tubes, and c is the sound velocity of the medium under consideration.
The above explanations regarding the correction terms Ki and Km are only valid on the assumption that the resonator effect of the reference medium was taken into account when ascertaining the device parameters cji If this was not the case, the device parameters cji or calf will have been determined too low.
Accordingly, according to a development of the invention, the effect of the resonator effect in determining the device parameters has to be corrected subsequently. This can ideally be done using the data of the media used in determining the device parameters. The corresponding initial density correction term K0,i for the fi-mode is to be defined as:
In this case, c0 is the sound velocity of the medium used in determining the coefficients for measuring the density of the medium used and f0,i is the observed natural frequency of the fi-mode. In this case, the corrected density is to be calculated according to:
The same applies to the mass flow measurement for which a failure to take the resonator effect into consideration when determining the calibration factor calf is to be subsequently corrected.
Two alternatives are available for determining the initial mass flow correction term K0,m as well as for determining the current mass flow correction term Km. Firstly, on the basis of the initial density correction term:
wherein c0 is the sound velocity of the medium used in determining the coefficients for measuring the density of the medium used and f0,1 designates the observed natural frequency of the fi-mode.
Secondly, on the basis of the conditions in ascertaining the calibration factor calf:
In this case, a1 is a constant, f0,c is the oscillation frequency at which the measurement was carried out to determine the calibration factor calf, r1 is the radius of the measuring tube or of the measuring tubes, and c0 is the sound velocity of the liquid used in determining the calibration factor.
The following then applies to the corrected mass flow rate:
where Km is the current mass flow correction term, K0,m is one of the two initial mass flow correction terms and {dot over (m)}v is the preliminary mass flow measurement value.
The apparatus according to the invention serves to ascertain a measurement value of a physical parameter of a liquid, especially by means of the method according to the invention, wherein the apparatus comprises a sensor having at least one measuring tube for conducting the liquid, wherein the measuring tube in each case has an inlet-side end section and an outlet-side end section, wherein the sensor has at least one inlet-side fastening device and one outlet-side fastening device with which the measuring tube is in each case fastened in one of the end sections, wherein the measuring tube can be excited to vibrate between the two fastening devices in at least one flexural vibration mode, at least one exciter for exciting vibrations in at least one flexural vibration mode, at least one vibration sensor for detecting vibrations in at least one flexural vibration mode, wherein the measuring device further comprises an operating and evaluation circuit configured to: drive the exciter; acquire signals of the at least one vibration sensor; determine at least one current value of a vibration parameter of the flexural vibration mode on the basis of the sensor signals; and determine a measurement value of the physical parameter as a function of the current value of the vibration parameter, wherein an operating and evaluation circuit, which is configured to compensate the measurement value in respect of the resonator effect as a function of a current value for the natural frequency of the flexural vibration mode and of the sound velocity of the liquid conducted in the measuring tube, wherein the value for the sound velocity is provided independently of vibrations of the measuring tube.
The invention will now be described in greater detail on the basis of the exemplary embodiment shown in the figures. The following are shown:
The exemplary embodiment of a measuring device 1 according to the invention shown in
The effect of the resonator effect will now be explained in more detail on the basis of the density measurement for two media, namely water and carbon tetrachloride.
The relationship of a preliminary density value ρi of a fluid on the basis of the natural frequency fi of an fi-mode is described as:
where c0i, c1i, and c2i are device-specific mode-dependent coefficients. The above coefficients are usually initially determined immediately following production of the measuring devices, wherein the vibration frequencies of the flexural vibration modes, in particular for the f1 mode, are determined for media of known density. Air at normal pressure and 20° C. and water at 20° C. are frequently used as the media.
Table 1 shows the observed frequencies of the f1 mode of an exemplary measuring device for these media and for carbon tetrachloride.
Table 1 also indicates the density, the sound velocity c, and the resulting resonance frequency for the medium vibrating against the measuring tube. An apparent density value is given In the “f1 apparent density” column, which density value would result due to the f1 frequency in a measuring device for which the resonator effect had been taken into account in the initial determination of the coefficients if the resonator effect is disregarded in the current density measurement. The contribution of the resonator effect to the apparent density is specified in the “resonator effect” column.
The “density error” column summarizes the situation of the prior art, according to which the resonator effect is disregarded not only in the initial determination of the coefficients c0i, c1i, and c2i but also in the density measurement. The coefficients are rather selected such that the target density of 1.2 kg/m{circumflex over ( )}3 for air and the target density of 1000 kg/m{circumflex over ( )}3 for water are obtained. The measurement error for these two media is thus zero, while for carbon tetrachloride it is 1.3 kg/m{circumflex over ( )}3.
Table 2 shows the coefficients c0i to c2i for determining the density obtained on the basis of the natural frequency of the first flexural vibration mode without taking into account the resonator effect, wherein the relationship of a preliminary density value ρi of a liquid based on the natural frequency fi of an fi-mode is given here as:
Insofar as the density values of air and water were prespecified as reference densities during the calibration, the values of a measured apparent or preliminary density match the target value for density for these two media. However, for carbon tetrachloride, there is a deviation of 1.3 kg/m{circumflex over ( )}3. If the influence of the resonator effect on the initial calibration is taken into account and used for subsequent correction by means of an initial density correction term K0i and additionally included in the correction of the current density measurement by means of a density correction term Ki, it will be possible to determine a correct media density, as indicated in the last column of Table 2.
The density correction term Ki for the preliminary or apparent density values ρi on the basis of that of the natural frequency of the fi-mode has the following form:
where r and g are media-independent constants, fi is the natural frequency of the fi-mode, ρcorr is the corrected density, and b is a scaling constant, wherein in particular: r/b<1, in particular r/b<0.9, and/or b=1. In the above equation, g is a proportionality factor, which is in particular a function of the diameter of the measuring tube, between a resonance frequency fres of the liquid and the sound velocity of the liquid, wherein the following applies:
f
res
=g·C
The sound velocity c of the liquid can, for example, be stored as a prespecified value, optionally with temperature correction, in a data memory and read out therefrom.
The corresponding initial density correction term K0,i for the fi-mode is to be determined as:
In this case, c0 is the sound velocity of the medium used in determining the coefficients for measuring the density of the medium used and f0,1 is the observed natural frequency of the fi-mode.
In this case, the subsequently corrected density is to be calculated according to:
Finally Table 3 shows the coefficients c01_sos to c21_sos for determining the density obtained on the basis of the natural frequency of the first flexural vibration mode taking into account the resonator effect.
In this case, disregarding the resonator effect during measurement operation leads to considerable errors in the preliminary density ρi.
In this case, the corrected density ρcorr is to be determined according to:
wherein the density correction term Ki as previously given is as:
Agreement between the corrected density values and the values in the literature is very good.
A first exemplary embodiment 100 of the method according to the invention is described with reference to the flow diagrams in
In a first step 110, as shown in
In a second step 120, a density measurement value is determined as a function of the current value of the natural frequency vibration parameters.
The second step 120 comprises the sub-steps shown in
Firstly, in a first sub-step 122, a preliminary density measurement value ρi is determined on the basis of the current value of the natural frequency f1.
In the device used in this exemplary embodiment, the coefficients c01_sos to c21_sos were obtained taking into account the resonator effect. In measuring mode, therefore, corrections only need to be made for the resonator effect in the current measurement. For this purpose, in a second sub-step 124, a value for the sound velocity of the liquid currently conducted in the measuring tube is provided, for example from a data memory.
In a third sub-step 126, the density correction term K1 is determined on the basis of the value for the natural frequency f1 and the sound velocity c of the liquid.
Finally, in a fourth sub-step 128, a corrected density measurement value ρcorr is calculated by dividing the preliminary density measurement value ρ1 by K1.
If the coefficients c01, c11, c21 were not determined taking into account the resonator effect, then multiplication by an initial density correction term K0.1 will still need to be carried out in order to subsequently compensate for this error.
A second exemplary embodiment 200 of the method according to the invention is described with reference to the flow diagrams shown in
In a first step 210, as shown in
In a second step 220, the mass flow measurement value is determined as a function of the current value of the time delay.
The second step 220 comprises the sub-steps shown in
Firstly, in a first sub-step 222, on the basis of the current value of the time delay Δt a preliminary mass flow value {dot over (m)}v is determined by multiplying by a calibration factor calf. In the device used in this exemplary embodiment, the calibration coefficient calf was obtained taking into account the resonator effect.
In measuring mode, therefore, corrections only need to be made for the resonator effect in the current measurement.
For this purpose, in a second sub-step 224, a value for the sound velocity c of the liquid currently conducted in the measuring tube is provided, for example from a data memory.
In a third sub-step 226, the mass flow correction term Km is determined on the basis of the value for the natural frequency fc at which the flow measurement takes place and the sound velocity c of the liquid according to:
where a1 is a constant and rt is the radius of the measuring tube or of the measuring tubes.
Finally, in a fourth sub-step 228, a corrected mass flow value {dot over (m)}corr is calculated by dividing the preliminary mass flow value {dot over (m)}v by Km, i.e.:
If the calibration factor calf was not determined taking into account the resonator effect, then multiplication by an initial mass flow correction term K0,m will also need to take place in order to subsequently compensate for this error.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2019 117 101.6 | Jun 2019 | DE | national |
The present application is related to and claims the priority benefit of German Patent Application No. 10 2019 117 101.6, filed on Jun. 25, 2019, and International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2020/064591, filed on May 26, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2020/064591 | 5/26/2020 | WO |