Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Drahm

Wolfgang Drahm has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20040187599
    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), said 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 said transducer for locally sensing a first temperature, T1, in the transducer, and by means of said at least one temperature sensor, at least a first temperature measurement signal (&THgr;1) representing the first temperature, T1, in said transducer; and meter electronics which, using at least said 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, said mete
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2003
    Publication date: September 30, 2004
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder
  • Publication number: 20040149047
    Abstract: To conduct a fluid, the transducer has a flow tube which in use is vibrated by an excitation system and whose inlet-side and outlet-side vibrations are detected by means of a sensor system. In response to transverse forces produced in the vibrating flow tube, the latter is, at least temporarily, laterally displaced from an assigned static rest position. To improve the dynamic balance of the transducer, a first cantilever and a second cantilever are rigidly fixed to an inlet-side tube section and an outlet-side tube section, respectively. By means of the cantilevers, the inlet-side and outlet-side tube sections are deformed as a result of lateral displacements of the flow tube. This produces counterforces which at least partially counterbalance the transverse forces produced in the vibrating flow tube. One advantage of the proposed transducer is that it is well balanced even during variations in fluid density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm
  • Patent number: 6691583
    Abstract: To conduct a fluid, the transducer has a flow tube which in use is vibrated by an excitation system and whose inlet-side and outlet-side vibrations are detected by means of a sensor system. In response to transverse forces produced in the vibrating flow tube, the latter is, at least temporarily, laterally displaced from an assigned static rest position. To improve the dynamic balance of the transducer, a first cantilever and a second cantilever are rigidly fixed to an inlet-side tube section and an outlet-side tube section, respectively. By means of the cantilevers, the inlet-side and outlet-side tube sections are deformed as a result of lateral displacements of the flow tube. This produces counterforces which at least partially counterbalance the transverse forces produced in the vibrating flow tube. One advantage of the proposed transducer is that it is well balanced even during variations in fluid density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm
  • Publication number: 20030233878
    Abstract: To conduct a fluid, the transducer has a flow tube which in operation vibrated by an excitation assembly. Inlet-side and outlet-side vibrations of the flow tube are sensed by means of a sensor arrangement. To produce shear forces in the fluid, the flow tube is at least intermittently excited into torsional vibrations about a longitudinal flow-tube axis. An internal portion of the transducer, formed at least by the flow tube, an antivibrator, the sensor arrangement, and the excitation assembly and mounted at least on the inlet and outlet tube sections, has a centroid which is located inside the flow tube. The transducer is suitable for use in viscometers or Coriolis mass flowmeter-viscometers. In spite of using only a single straight flow tube, it is dynamically well balanced in operation, and the development of bending moments by the torsionally vibrating flow tube is largely prevented. This also effectively prevents the transducer case or the connected pipe from being excited into sympathetic vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder
  • Publication number: 20030233868
    Abstract: To conduct a fluid, the transducer has a flow tube which in operation is vibrated by an excitation assembly and whose inlet-side and outlet-side vibrations are sensed by means of a sensor arrangement. To produce shear forces in the fluid, the flow tube is at least intermittently excited into torsional vibrations about a longitudinal flow-tube axis. The transducer further comprises a torsional vibration absorber which is fixed to the flow tube and which in operation covibrates with the torsionally vibrating flow tube, thus producing reactive torques which at least partially balance torques developed in the vibrating flow tube. One of the advantages of the transducer disclosed is that it is dynamically balanced to a large extent even in the face of variations in fluid density or viscosity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm
  • Patent number: 6666098
    Abstract: A vibratory transducer comprises a flow tube for conducting the fluid flowing in a pipe. The flow tube communicates with the pipe via an inlet-side tube section and an outlet-side tube section. An antivibrator is mechanically connected with the flow tube by an inlet-side coupler and an outlet-side coupler. For driving flow tube and antivibrator at an excitation frequency the transducer comprising an excitation system and for sensing inlet-side and outlet-side vibrations of the flow tube the transducer comprising a sensor system. An internal system formed by the flow tube, the antivibrator, the excitation system, and the sensor system, oscillating about a longitudinal axis of the transducer which is essentially in alignment with the inlet-side tube sections, forces a torsion of the couplers about the longitudinal axis and an essentially torsional elastic deformation of the inlet-side and outlet-side tube sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder, Ennio Bitto, Rainer Lorenz, Christian Schütze, Alfred Wenger, Michael Fuchs, Martin Anklin
  • Publication number: 20030230150
    Abstract: The transducer serves to generate a measurement signal corresponding to at least one physical parameter of a fluid flowing in a pipe. It comprises a flow tube of predeterminable lumen for conducting the fluid which communicates with the pipe at the inlet and outlet ends. In operation, an excitation assembly causes reactions, particularly reaction forces, in the fluid within the at least one flow tube in a non-invasive manner, which are sensed and converted into measurement signals representative thereof by means of a sensor arrangement. To obtain as axisymmetric a density distribution in the fluid as possible, means are provided in an inlet area of the transducer or at least in the vicinity thereof which cause a swirl in the entering fluid and, thus, a rotational motion in the fluid within the flow-tube lumen about an axis of rotation lying in the direction of fluid flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2003
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder
  • Patent number: 6662120
    Abstract: Such an excitation circuit is intended for use in a Coriolis mass flowmeter which is connected to, is powered exclusively from, and outputs a measurement signal exclusively via, a two-wire process control loop. The Coriolis mass flowmeter has a vibrating flow tube and an excitation assembly for vibrating the flow tube at a frequency equal or adjacent to the instantaneous mechanical resonance frequency of the flow tube. It further comprises transducer assemblies which are positioned at a given distance from each other along the flow tube and provide respective transducer signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder, Christian Matt
  • Patent number: 6651513
    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: April 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Alfred Wenger, Michael Fuchs, Christian Matt, Wolfgang Drahm
  • Patent number: 6647807
    Abstract: A Coriolis mass flow/density sensor is provided. The sensor includes a measuring tube for conducting a fluid. The measuring tube is fixed in a support and may be coupled to a pipe via an inlet tube and an outlet tube. The sensor further includes an excitation arrangement for vibrating the measuring tube in a predetermined vibration mode, a sensor arrangement for detecting vibrations of the measuring tube, and a brake assembly coupled to the measuring tube and the support. The brake assembly is operable to suppress at least one mode of vibrations other than the predetermined vibration mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Georg Szaloky, Alfred Wenger, Ennio Bitto, Ole Koudal, Christian Matt, Christian Schütze
  • Publication number: 20030056574
    Abstract: The viscometer provides a viscosity value (X&eegr;) which represents the viscosity of a fluid flowing in a pipe connected thereto. It comprises a vibratory transducer with at least one flow tube (13) for conducting the fluid, which communicates with the pipe. Driven by an excitation assembly (16), the flow tube (13) is vibrated so that friction forces are produced in the fluid. The viscometer further includes meter electronics (50) which feed an excitation current (iexc) into the excitation assembly (16). By means of the meter electronics (50), 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 (50), which then determine the viscosity value (X&eegr;) using the two intermediate values (X1, X2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder
  • Publication number: 20030010136
    Abstract: Such an excitation circuit is intended for use in a Coriolis mass flowmeter which is connected to, is powered exclusively from, and outputs a measurement signal exclusively via, a two-wire process control loop. The Coriolis mass flowmeter has a vibrating flow tube and an excitation assembly for vibrating the flow tube at a frequency equal or adjacent to the instantaneous mechanical resonance frequency of the flow tube. It further comprises transducer assemblies which are positioned at a given distance from each other along the flow tube and provide respective transducer signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder, Christian Matt
  • Publication number: 20020174730
    Abstract: A vibratory transducer for a fluid flowing in a pipe comprising a curved flow tube for conducting the fluid. The flow tube communicates with the pipe via an inlet-side tube section and an outlet-side tube section. An antivibrator is mechanically connected with the flow tube by means of a first coupler on the inlet side and by means of a second coupler on the outlet side. During operation of the transducer flow tube and antivibrator oscillates in opposition of phase. For driving flow tube and antivibrator the transducer comprising an excitation system and for sensing inlet-side and outlet-side vibrations of the flow tube the transducer comprising a sensor system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2002
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder, Ennio Bitto, Rainer Lorenz, Christian Schutze, Alfred Wenger, Michael Fuchs, Martin Anklin
  • Patent number: 6484591
    Abstract: A single V-shaped tube (1) is bent in a plane and has an inlet section (11), an outlet section (12), an inlet bend (13), an outlet bend (14); a vertex bend (15) and a respective tube section (16, 17) between the inlet bend and the outlet bend. The distance between the vertex of the vertex bend and the inlet/outlet axis can be great. Two clamping bodies (2, 3) are clamped onto the tube sections defining a tube section. Flat bodies (31, 32) are fixed onto the clamping bodies (2, 3). Fixed to the flat bodies is an opposed-action body (41) which extends along the axis of symmetry (I—I) up to the vertex bend, where it supports a first portion of an exciter assembly (50) or a seismic exciter (50′) which excites the tube section in a third mode of vibration at an associated natural frequency f3. A sensor support (61) and a sensor support (62) are fixed to the flat body (31). A velocity or displacement sensor (71, 72) is fixed to the tube section and the sensor supports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder, Alfred Wenger, Rainer Lorenz
  • Publication number: 20020152819
    Abstract: To conduct a fluid, the transducer has a flow tube which in use is vibrated by an excitation system and whose inlet-side and outlet-side vibrations are detected by means of a sensor system. In response to transverse forces produced in the vibrating flow tube, the latter is, at least temporarily, laterally displaced from an assigned static rest position. To improve the dynamic balance of the transducer, a first cantilever and a second cantilever are rigidly fixed to an inlet-side tube section and an outlet-side tube section, respectively. By means of the cantilevers, the inlet-side and outlet-side tube sections are deformed as a result of lateral displacements of the flow tube. This produces counterforces which at least partially counterbalance the transverse forces produced in the vibrating flow tube. One advantage of the proposed transducer is that it is well balanced even during variations in fluid density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm
  • Publication number: 20020144557
    Abstract: An electromechanical transducer of the Coriolis type which provides an output in response to the mass flow rate of a fluid flowing in a pipe. The transducer has a flow tube, curved symmetrically with respect to an axis of symmetry lying in a tube plane, for conducting the fluid. It also has a rigid support body for mounting the flow tube, with the flow tube being fixed to the rigid support body at both an inlet end and an outlet end. It further has an excitation system which in operation excites the flow tube into vibrations in a first eigenmode which is symmetrical in the tube plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2002
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder
  • Publication number: 20020117010
    Abstract: This mass flow/density sensor (10), which can be installed in a pipe and through which a fluid to be measured flows during operation, is to be balanced over a wide density range, so that accurate measurements are possible. A single straight measuring tube (13) having a longitudinal axis (131) extends between its inlet end (11) and the outlet end (12) and is fixed to a support, e.g., a cylindrical tube (14, 14′). The support has a longitudinal centroidal line (141) which is parallel to, but does not coincide with, the longitudinal axis (131) of the measuring tube. A cantilever (15) is fixed to the measuring tube (13) midway between the inlet and outlet ends (11, 12) and in operation causes the measuring tube to vibrate either in a first fundamental flexural mode or in a second fundamental flexural mode having a higher frequency than this first mode. An excitation arrangement (16) disposed midway between the end pieces excites the measuring tube (13) in the second mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG.
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Georg Szaloky, Alfred Wenger, Ennio Bitto, Ole Koudal, Christian Matt, Christian Schutze
  • Patent number: 6401548
    Abstract: A Coriolis mass flow/density sensor which can be installed in a pipe and through which a fluid to be measured flows during operation is balanced over a wide density range so that accurate measurements are possible. The Coriolis mass flow/density sensor includes a measuring tube, an excitation arrangement for exciting the measuring tube to vibrate in a second fundamental flexural mode of vibration; and a counterbalance member attached to the measuring tube which counterbalances the vibration of the measuring tube. A cantilever can be attached to the measuring tube midway between the inlet end and the outlet end of the measuring tube. First and second sensors sense the measuring tube vibration on the inlet and outlet sides of the measuring tube, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Georg Szaloky, Alfred Wenger, Ennio Bitto, Ole Koudal, Christian Matt, Christian Schütze
  • Patent number: 6360614
    Abstract: This method serves to apply the clamp-on design principle to Coriolis mass flow meters and sensors. A first isolating body (4, 4′) and a second isolating body (5, 5′) having identical masses are fixed to the outside of a pipe (1) or a measuring tube (1′, 10, 10′, 10″) at a predetermined distance L from each other to define a measuring length forming a pipe or tube section (11; 11′; 11″). These masses are substantially greater than the mass of the pipe or tube section. If two measuring tubes are present, clamping bodies (111, 112; 111′, 112′) are used. A vibration exciter (12) attached in the middle of the pipe or tube section excites the latter in a third mode of vibration at a frequency f between 500 Hz and 1000 Hz. The distance L is calculated by the following formula: L=5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser Flowtec AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Drahm, Alfred Rieder, Alfred Wenger, Ole Koudal
  • Publication number: 20010039829
    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: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2001
    Publication date: November 15, 2001
    Inventors: Alfred Wenger, Michael Fuchs, Christian Matt, Wolfgang Drahm