Magnetic flowmeter with multiple coils

1. A magnetic flowmeter for measuring a flow of a process fluid, comprising:

a flow tube arranged to receive the flow of process fluid therethrough;

a first coil arranged adjacent the flow tube;

a second coil arranged adjacent the flow tube;

a third coil arranged adjacent the flow tube;

drive circuitry configured to apply a magnetic field to the process fluid using the first, second and third coils;

first and second electrodes arranged to sense an electrical potential of the process fluid related to the applied magnetic field and flow rate of the process fluid; and

a controller configured to calculate the flow of the process fluid based upon the electrical potential sensed by the first and the second electrodes;

wherein the first and second electrodes are radially offset from the coils such that a line between the first and second electrodes forms an acute angle with a line between any of the first, second and third coils.

2. The flowmeter of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth coil arranged adjacent the flow tube.

3. The flowmeter of claim 2 , wherein the first and fourth coils are located above a horizontal axis between the first and second electrodes and the third and second coils are located below the horizontal axis.

4. The flowmeter of claim 2 , wherein the coils are energized in pairs.

5. The flowmeter of claim 4 , wherein the pairs comprise opposed coils.

6. The flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the driver circuitry comprises a switch configured to selectively couple a current source to a coil.

7. The flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the first and second coils are located on one side of an axis of the first and second electrodes and the third coil is located on another side of the axis.

8. The flowmeter of claim 1 , further comprising a shield arranged to conduct a magnetic field around an exterior perimeter of the flow tube.

9. The flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to identify asymmetries in a velocity profile of the process fluid.

10. The flowmeter of claim 9 wherein the controller is adapted to correct the errors detected in the flow measurement.

11. The flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to detect errors in flow measurements based upon a velocity profile.

12. The flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the flowmeter is configured to perform diagnostics based upon a velocity profile of the process fluid.

13. The flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third coils are energized at the same time.

14. The flowmeter of claim 1 , wherein the coils are energized individually.

15. The flowmeter of claim 1 including a third electrode arranged to sense an electrical potential of the process fluid related to the applied magnetic field and flow rate of the process fluid.

16. A method of measuring a flow of a process fluid, comprising:

arranging a flow tube to receive the flow of the process fluid;

arranging a first coil adjacent the flow tube;

arranging a second coil adjacent the flow tube;

arranging a third coil adjacent the flow tube;

applying a magnetic field to the process fluid using the first, second and third coils;

arranging first and second electrodes positioned at an angle with respect to the first, second and third coils to sense an electrical potential of the process fluid related to the applied magnetic field between any pair of the first, second and third coils and a flow rate of the process fluid; and

calculating the flow of the process fluid using a controller based upon the electrical potential sensed by the first and the second electrodes.

17. The method of claim 16 , including arranging a fourth coil adjacent the flow tube.

18. The method of claim 17 , including energizing coils in pairs.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein energizing the coils in pairs comprises energizing opposed coils.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the coils are energized individually.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising identifying asymmetries in a velocity profile of the process fluid.

22. The method of claim 16 , further comprising correcting errors in flow measurements due to asymmetries in a velocity profile of the process fluid.

23. The method of claim 16 , further comprising performing diagnostics based upon asymmetries in a velocity profile of the process fluid.

24. The method of claim 16 , further comprising arranging a third electrode to sense an electrical potential of the process fluid related to the applied magnetic field and flow rate of the process fluid.