Fluid flow meter, monitoring system comprising at least one such fluid flow meter and method for operating a fluid flow meter
A fluid flow meter serves to determine a flow of a fluid, in particular in a form of gas, in a pipe, wherein the fluid flow meter is configured to generate a first measurement variable and at least one second measurement variable for the fluid, and to generate at least one first diagnostic parameter. The fluid flow meter comprises a diagnostic system that is configured to determine a first threshold value for the at least one first diagnostic parameter based on the first measurement variable and the at least one second measurement variable, and to output a first message to a higher-ranking control device when the at least one first diagnostic parameter reaches said first threshold value.
1 . A fluid flow meter to determine the flow of a fluid in a pipe,
wherein the fluid flow meter comprises a measurement device having first and second transmission and reception units which transmit and receive ultrasonic signals to and from each other, so as to generate a first measurement variable and at least one second measurement variable for the fluid, and to generate at least one first diagnostic parameter,
wherein the fluid flow meter further comprises an acoustic sensor to sense acoustic signals (dB) from a disturbance of the fluid in the pipe so as to generate the at least one first diagnostic parameter comprising the sensed acoustic signals (dB),
wherein the fluid flow meter further comprises a diagnostic system that comprises a trained AI module to determine a first threshold value for the at least one first diagnostic parameter based on the first measurement variable and the at least one second measurement variable, and
the diagnostic system outputs a first message when the at least one first diagnostic parameter reaches said first threshold value.
2 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid is in a form of gas.
3 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 , wherein the diagnostic system is configured to output the first message to a higher-ranking control device.
4 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 3 ,
wherein the diagnostic system is configured to determine a second threshold value for the at least one first diagnostic parameter, and to output a second message to the higher-ranking control device when the at least one first diagnostic parameter reaches said second threshold value, wherein the first message is a warning message or a fault message and wherein the second message is a fault message or a warning message.
5 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 4 ,
wherein the at least one first diagnostic parameter is based on the first measurement variable and the at least one second measurement variable.
6 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first measurement variable is a physical measurement value of the fluid or a variable derived from a physical measurement value.
7 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one second measurement variable is a physical measurement value of the fluid or a variable derived from a physical measurement value.
8 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first measurement variable is selected from the following fluid properties:
a) fluid flow rate;
b) speed of sound in the fluid; or
c) speed of sound in the fluid normalized to pressure and temperature.
9 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one second measurement variable is selected from the following fluid properties:
a) fluid flow velocity;
b) speed of sound in the fluid; or
c) speed of sound in the fluid normalized to pressure and temperature,
wherein the first and the second measurement variables comprise different fluid properties.
10 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one first diagnostic parameter describes a measurement capability of the fluid flow meter or allows conclusions to be drawn about a measurement capability.
11 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one first diagnostic parameter is a signal-to-noise ratio or a turbulence of the fluid.
12 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 11 ,
wherein the fluid flow meter comprises a measurement device configured to detect the first measurement variable and the at least one second measurement variable, wherein the signal-to-noise ratio relates to the first measurement variable and/or the second measurement variable.
13 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the diagnostic system comprises a memory unit in which a look-up table is stored, wherein the diagnostic system is configured to read out the first threshold value for the at least one first diagnostic parameter from the look-up table in dependence on the first measurement variable and the at least one second measurement variable.
14 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the diagnostic system comprises an AI module, wherein the AI module is configured to determine the first threshold value for the at least one first diagnostic parameter in dependence on the first measurement variable and the at least one second measurement variable.
15 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fluid flow meter is configured to generate at least one second diagnostic parameter that is different from the first diagnostic parameter, wherein the diagnostic system is configured to determine a first threshold value for the at least one second diagnostic parameter based on the first measurement parameter and the at least one second measurement parameter in order to output a first message to a higher-ranking control device when the at least one second diagnostic parameter reaches said first threshold value.
16 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fluid flow meter comprises a measurement device having the first transmission and reception unit and the second transmission and reception unit, wherein the first transmission and reception unit is configured to generate and transmit a first ultrasonic signal and to receive a second ultrasonic signal and wherein the second transmission and reception unit is configured to generate and transmit the second ultrasonic signal and to receive the first ultrasonic signal, wherein the first transmission and reception unit and the second transmission and reception unit are attached to the pipe offset both in the peripheral direction and in the axial direction, and wherein the measurement device is configured to determine the first measurement variable and the second measurement variable.
17 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 16 ,
wherein the first transmission and reception unit is configured to transmit the first ultrasonic signal through the interior of the pipe to the second transmission and reception unit and wherein the second transmission and reception unit is configured to receive the first ultrasonic signal and wherein the second transmission and reception unit is configured to transmit the second ultrasonic signal through the interior of the pipe to the first transmission and reception unit and wherein the first transmission and reception unit is configured to receive the second ultrasonic signal.
18 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 16 ,
wherein the measurement device comprises at least one pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of the fluid inside the pipe.
19 . The fluid flow meter according to claim 16 ,
wherein the measurement device comprises at least one temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the fluid inside the pipe.
20 . A monitoring system comprising at least one fluid flow meter according to claim 1 and a control device, wherein the at least one fluid flow meter is attached to a pipe and wherein the at least one fluid flow meter is configured to determine how much fluid flows through the pipe in a certain time and wherein the at least one fluid flow meter is configured to transmit the first message to the control device and wherein the control device is configured to present the first message or a message derived therefrom visually and/or acoustically.
21 . A method for operating a fluid flow meter that is configured to determine the flow of a fluid in a pipe, wherein the method comprises the following method steps:
using the fluid flow meter comprising a measurement device having first and second transmission and reception units which transmit and receive ultrasonic signals to and from each other to generate a first measurement variable and at least one second measurement variable for the fluid, and to generate at least one first diagnostic parameter, wherein the fluid flow meter further comprises an acoustic sensor to sense acoustic signals (dB) from a disturbance of the fluid in the pipe so as to generate the at least one first diagnostic parameter comprising the sensed acoustic signals (dB);
using a diagnostic system comprising a trained AI module to determine a first threshold value for the at least one first diagnostic parameter based on the first measurement variable and the at least one second measurement variable;
wherein the diagnostic system outputs a first message to a higher-ranking control device when the at least one first diagnostic parameter reaches the first threshold value.