Patents Assigned to Flowtec AG
  • Patent number: 7191667
    Abstract: A vibration meter and a method of measuring a viscosity of a fluid flowing through a pipe are disclosed. The vibration meter comprises meter electronics and a transducer assembly with an electromechanical excitation arrangement and with a flow tube which oscillates in operation. A sensor arrangement produces sensor signals representative of inlet-side and outlet-side deflections of the flow tube. An evaluation circuit derives from said sensor signals and from an excitation current generated by an excitation circuit for the excitation arrangement a viscosity value representative of the viscosity of the fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Wenger, Michael Fuchs, Christian Matt, Wolfgang Drahm
  • Patent number: 7188035
    Abstract: In a Coriolis mass flow meter for determining the concentration of a flowing fluid, a concentration function is stored in a concentration evaluating unit. This enables the user to produce a concentration value at given temperature and density of the medium appropriate for a given application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventor: Christian Matt
  • Patent number: 7181982
    Abstract: A Coriolis mass-flow/density meter includes at least one measuring tube through which a two, or more, phase medium during operation. A support means of the Coriolis mass-flow/density meter is fixed to an inlet end and an outlet end of the measuring tube and thus holds the tube such that it can oscillate. During operation, the measuring tube is made to oscillate with mechanical oscillations, especially bending oscillations, by means of an exciter arrangement. Additionally, the Coriolis mass-flow/density meter includes means for producing measurement signals (xs1, xs2) representing inlet end and outlet end oscillations of the measuring tube. An evaluation electronics produces an intermediate value (X?m) derived from the measurement signals (x1, xs2) and representing a provisionally determined mass flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Matt Christian, Ida Wenger, legal representative, Michael Fuchs, Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Wenger, deceased
  • Patent number: 7178407
    Abstract: A flow sensor includes a measuring tube, made of essentially non-ferromagnetic material, for guiding the fluid, a magnetic circuit arrangement arranged on the measuring tube for producing and guiding a magnetic field, which induces in the flowing fluid an electric field, and measuring electrodes for sensing a voltage of the electric field. Additionally, the flow sensor includes an essentially rigid support frame for holding the measuring tube and for holding an electronics housing connected to the flow sensor, wherein measuring tube and support frame are mechanically coupled together on the inlet and outlet ends. For holding the measuring tube in the support frame, at least one connecting element is provided, which is attached to a first end of the measuring tube and to a first end of the support frame corresponding to such end of the measuring tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Fred Kappertz, Frank Voigt, Daniel Wild
  • Patent number: 7171859
    Abstract: A process meter for measuring at least one physical process variable of a medium stored in a container or flowing in a line, comprising: a transducer including a sensor arrangement providing measurement signals (s1, s2), the sensor arrangement having: at least a first sensor providing at least a first measurement signal (s1) in response to the physical process variable being measured, particularly to changes in the process variable, and at least a first temperature sensor mounted in the transducer for locally sensing a first temperature, T1, in the transducer, and by means of the at least one temperature sensor, at least a first temperature measurement signal (?1) representing the first temperature, T1, in the transducer; and meter electronics which, using at least the first measurement signal (s1) and a first correction value (K1) for the at least first measurement signal (s1), derive at least one measured value (X) currently representing the physical variable, wherein: during operation, the meter electronic
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder
  • Patent number: 7162915
    Abstract: The viscometer provides a viscosity value (X?) which represents the viscosity of a fluid flowing in a pipe connected thereto. It comprises a vibratory transducer with at least one flow tube for conducting the fluid, which communicates with the pipe. Driven by an excitation assembly, the flow tube is vibrated so that friction forces are produced in the fluid. The viscometer further includes meter electronics which feed an excitation current (iexc) into the excitation assembly. By means of the meter electronics, a first internal intermediate value (X1) is formed, which corresponds with the excitation current (iexc) and thus represents the friction forces acting in the fluid. According to the invention, a second internal intermediate value (X2), representing inhomogeneities in the fluid, is generated in the meter electronics, which then determine the viscosity value (X?) using the two intermediate values (X1, X2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder
  • Patent number: 7162931
    Abstract: The apparatus includes at least one heat exchanger secured on an inline measuring device. Temperature-control fluid flows through a heat exchanger, at least at times during operation, for the purpose of transporting heat. The apparatus additionally includes securement structure for the, especially releasable, fixing of the heat exchanger externally on the inline measuring device. The heat exchanger has an inner wall especially a trough- or dish-shaped inner wall, contacting the inline measuring device externally at least partially flushly, as well as an outer wall fixed to the inner wall. The outer wall is connected with the inner wall via a connecting seam running along an edge region and sealing against escape of the temperature-control fluid, and via a plurality of, especially point, or ring, shaped, inner connection locations, which are arranged spaced from one another in an inner region at least partially enclosed by the edge connection seam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Thiérry Moser, Roland Unterseh, Michael Fuchs, Patrick Oudoire
  • Publication number: 20070000334
    Abstract: A mount for electrical leads to a vibration-type sensor and/or for coils on a vibration-type sensor. The mount includes at least one resilient first arm attached to a first sensing tube of the sensor and at least one resilient arm attached to a second sensing tube of the sensor The two sensing tubes, which are caused to vibrate during operation of the sensor, form a double-tube arrangement having a longitudinal gravity line, which lies in an imaginary central plane extending between the two, preferably parallel, sensing tubes. The two arms of the mount are essentially rigidly connected to one another at a connecting location remote from the two sensing tubes, and the mount exhibits a first eigenmode of predeterminable mechanical resonance frequency, f1, at which the first arm attached to the first sensing tube and the second arm attached to the second sensing tube oscillate pendularly essentially perpendicular to the central plane of the double-tube arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Ennio Bitto, Gerhard Eckert
  • Publication number: 20060278020
    Abstract: A Coriolis flow meter, which includes: at least one measuring tube, which is excited to oscillate during measurement operation, and through which a medium flows, whose flow is to be measured; first and second sensors for registering a flow-dependent oscillation of the measuring tube and for producing first and second sensor signals; and two separated, signal-processing branches. A method of flow measurement is also contemplated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Daniel Kuttler, Christian Matt
  • Publication number: 20060278016
    Abstract: An ultrasonic flow measuring device, which determines volume and/or mass flow of a medium in a pipeline, or in a measuring tube. The flow measuring device includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensors, which emit and/or receive ultrasonic measurement signals along defined sound paths. The control/evaluation electronics of the flow measuring device is divided into an on-site electronics, in which at least one switch is provided, via which the ultrasonic sensors, arranged in different sound paths, can be driven and/or queried, and at least one remote, control/evaluation unit, wherein the control/evaluation unit so switches the at least one switch, that the driven and/or queried, ultrasonic sensor, or the driven and/or queried pair of ultrasonic sensors, is activated and provides measured values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Thomas Froehlich, Achim Wiest, Andreas Berger, Harald Stocker, Torsten Strunz, Aurele Fleury, Klaus Bussinger, Patrick Oudoire, Saul Jacobson, Oliver Berberig, Frank Wandeler, Oliver Brumberg
  • Publication number: 20060278019
    Abstract: A Coriolis mass-flow/density meter includes at least one measuring tube through which a two, or more, phase medium during operation. A support means of the Coriolis mass-flow/density meter is fixed to an inlet end and an outlet end of the measuring tube and thus holds the tube such that it can oscillate. During operation, the measuring tube is made to oscillate with mechanical oscillations, especially bending oscillations, by means of an exciter arrangement. Additionally, the Coriolis mass-flow/density meter includes means for producing measurement signals (xs1, xs2) representing inlet end and outlet end oscillations of the measuring tube. An evaluation electronics produces an intermediate value (X?m) derived from the measurement signals (xs1, xs2) and representing a provisionally determined mass flow rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Matt Christian, Alfred Wenger, Michael Fuchs, Wolfgang Drahm, Ida Wenger
  • Publication number: 20060278021
    Abstract: A Coriolis mass flow meter and method for compensation of transmission errors of its input circuit, wherein a high accuracy of measurement is achievable by determining the transmission error of the input circuit of at least two input branches on the basis of at least one reference signal, which travels simultaneously through all input branches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Matthias Roost, Robert Lalla
  • Publication number: 20060278015
    Abstract: A clamp-on ultrasonic flow measuring device for determining volume and/or mass flow rate of a medium in a containment. The clamp-on ultrasonic measuring device is of low temperature sensitivity. To this end, the coupling element, through which the ultrasonic measuring signals are coupled into, and/or out of, the containment, has at least two element portions, which are embodied and/or arranged in such a manner that the predetermined in-coupling angle into the containment and/or the predetermined out-coupling angle out of the containment are/is approximately constant over an extended temperature range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Achim Wiest, Andreas Berger, Torsten Strunz
  • Patent number: 7148588
    Abstract: A pulse generator including a control logic operating, by control pulses, a switch connected on the input side with a voltage supply unit and delivering a pulse voltage on the output side, there is connected, between control logic and the switch, a capacitor, which decreases the pulse voltage when the pulse frequencies are too low, and, additionally, arranged between voltage supply unit and switch, an RC-member, which decreases the pulse voltages when the repetition rates of the control pulses are too high, in order to enable use of the pulse generator in the explosion-protected area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Thomas Fröhlich, Harald Stocker
  • Publication number: 20060272427
    Abstract: A measuring tube for a magneto-inductive flow meter is manufactured at least partially of a magnetically conductive material having a relative permeability, ?r, essentially greater than one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Thomas Zingg, Simon Stingelin
  • Publication number: 20060272428
    Abstract: An inline measuring device comprises a vibratory-type transducer and a measuring device electronics electrically coupled with the vibratory-type transducer. The vibratory-type transducer includes at least one measuring tube being inserted into the course of a pipeline and serving for conducting a mixture to be measured. An exciter arrangement acting on the measuring tube for causing the at least one measuring tube to vibrate and a sensor arrangement sensing vibrations of the at least one measuring tube and delivering at least one oscillation measurement signal representing oscillations of the measuring tube. The measuring device electronics delivers an excitation current driving the exciter arrangement. Further, the inline measuring device electronics is adapted to produce a measured value representing the physical, measured quantity of the mixture to be measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm, Hao Zhu
  • Patent number: 7143655
    Abstract: The magnetic circuit arrangement, which is preferably used in a fluid-measuring transducer, comprises at least one coil which is traversed in operation by a current. It further comprises two armatures that are fixed to two flow tubes vibrating in phase opposition. The coil is float-mounted by means of a holder to a double flow tube configuration formed by the flow tubes. The armatures are shaped and aligned relative to each other in such a manner that magnetic fields produced by means of the magnetic circuit arrangement are essentially concentrated within the magnetic circuit arrangement, whereby the latter is also largely insensitive to extraneous magnetic fields. The magnetic circuit arrangement is marked by a long service life and, particularly if the transducer is used for fluids with high and/or varying temperatures, by constantly high accuracy in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Ennio Bitto, Christian Schutze
  • Publication number: 20060266129
    Abstract: An inline measuring device serves for measuring a medium, especially a gaseous and/or liquid medium, in a pipeline. It includes, a vibration-type measurement pickup and a measuring device electronics electrically coupled with the measurement pickup. The measurement pickup has at least one measuring tube vibrating during operation and communicating with the pipeline, an electromechanical, especially electrodynamic, exciter mechanism acting on the at least one measuring tube for producing and maintaining mechanical oscillations of the measuring tube, a sensor arrangement for producing at least one oscillation measurement signal representing oscillations of the measuring tube and having at least one oscillation sensor arranged on the measuring tube or in its vicinity, and a measurement pickup housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Eckert
  • Publication number: 20060259260
    Abstract: A method and a device for determining and/or monitoring the volume flow rate and/or mass flow rate of a medium flowing through a container. In the case of the device, such is an ultrasonic flow measuring device, which works on the basis of the travel-time-difference principle. Additionally, a technique is presented whereby, on the basis of the results of measurement, also information is provided concerning change in some other system and/or process variable. To this end, the currently measured, actual measuring signals, or the corresponding actual measuring data, is compared with corresponding, stored set measuring signals, or set measuring data; a report is output, when a deviation arises between the set measuring signals, or set measuring data, and the actual measuring signals, or actual measuring data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Thomas Frohlich, Aurèle Fleury, Harald Stocker
  • Publication number: 20060254671
    Abstract: In a method for filling a defined quantity of medium into a container, a shut-off signal for a feed pump and closing signal for a metering valve are set such that, in the closing of the metering valve, the pressure in the section of the pipeline before the metering valve remains essentially constant. In this way, the accuracy of the filling unit can be significantly improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Publication date: November 16, 2006
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventor: Hartmut Breithaupt