Method and measuring device for volume measurement and evaluation

1. A method for measuring a volumetric flow (Q) of a fluid in a preferred direction by a volume measurement device, said volume measurement device comprises an electronic circuit and an incremental encoder; and a sensor for detecting a rotational change of angle, designed as two giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensors in a double measuring bridge, wherein a first sinusoidal signal of the incremental encoder, namely a raw sine signal, and a second sinusoidal signal of the incremental encoder having identical angular frequency ω which is phase-shifted by 90° relative to the first sinusoidal signal, namely a raw cosine signal, first conditioned (S 1 +), and then interpolated/digitized (S 2 ), and these interpolated/digitized signals (S 2 ) are processed and evaluated in an evaluation unit or a process computer unit having a quadrature encoder counter, said the method comprising the steps of:

a) Detecting the flow of the fluid;

b) Determining the direction of flow of the fluid;

c) Determining the state of flow of the fluid: flowing in the preferred direction, shivering and/or oscillating; and

d) Further conducting the interpolated/digitized signals (S 2 ) as a function of the state of the fluid to an output stage in the form of a quadrature signal with pulse filtering (S 3 ), namely:

(i) In the case of flowing in the preferred direction: further conducting the original interpolated/digitized signal (S 2 ); and

(ii) In the case of shivering and/or oscillating: changing the interpolated/digitized signal (S 2 ) to a base signal (no movement of the fluid) and further conducting the modified digital signal, which signals no flow (base signal).

2. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that the digital signals include a first digital signal and a second digital signal, and in that the determination of the state of the fluid is produced by comparing the time change of the first and/or the second digital signal, namely:

State of flow in the preferred direction is present when, starting from a null position of the volume measurement device, the first signal is changed before the second signal (edge change), and a periodic change with this phase shift occurs;

State of shivering is present when the first signal is constant and the second signal changes, and

State of oscillation is present when, starting from a null position of the volume measurement device, the second signal is changed before the first signal, and a periodic change with this phase shift occurs (backward oscillation), and subsequently (end of the backward oscillation), starting from a null position of the volume measurement device, the first signal is changed before the second signal and a periodic change with this phase shift occurs (forward oscillation).

3. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that after determining the state of oscillation or shivering, first the volume of fluid that is transported during the oscillation or the shivering counter to the preferred direction is equilibrated with the volume of fluid that is transported in the preferred direction (equilibration of counted pulses), before determining the state of flow again in the preferred direction.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that for the measurement/detection and/or state determination, the edge changes of the digital signals are counted and/or processed in the evaluation unit, of the process computer unit having the quadrature encoder counter, particularly in an internal counter.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further characterized in that the digital signals are masked and output on another output, these digital signals being signaled completely only starting from when they exceed a limit value.

6. A method for measuring a volumetric flow by a volume measurement device, said volume measurement device comprises an electronic circuit and an interpolation factor (IPF 1 , IPF 2 , IPF 3 ) that is used for the resolution of the flow quantity (Q) of the fluid to be determined being fitted as a function of the volumetric flow (Q); wherein a first signal of a first sensor and a second signal of a second sensor having identical angular frequency ω, which are phase-shifted by 90° relative to one another, and wherein a quadrature signal serves to determine the through-flow (Q) of a fluid in a preferred direction, said method comprising the steps of:

a) Providing said first and second signals as respective first and second interpolated/digitized signals (S 2 );

b) Detecting the flow of the fluid;

c) Determining the direction of flow of the fluid;

d) Determining the state of flow of the fluid: flowing in the preferred direction, shivering and/or oscillating; and

e) Further conducting the interpolated/digitized signals (S 2 ) as a function of the state of the fluid to an output stage in the form of the quadrature signal, namely:

(i) In the case of flowing in the preferred direction: further conducting the original interpolated/digitized signal (S 2 ); and

(ii) In the case of shivering and/or oscillating: changing the interpolated/digitized signal (S 2 ) to a base signal (no movement of the fluid) and further conducting the modified digital signal, which signals no flow (base signal).

7. The method according to claim 6 , further characterized in that the set and/or used interpolation factor (IPF 1 , IPF 2 , IPF 3 ) is separately communicated, whereby the different interpolation factors (IPF 1 , IPF 2 , IPF 3 ) are preferably signaled via different voltage levels.

8. A method for measuring a volumetric flow by a volume measurement device, said volume measurement device comprises an electronic circuit; wherein a pulse value fitting (S 4 ) of quadrature signals occurs prior to further conduction to the output unit; wherein a first signal of a first sensor and a second signal of a second sensor having identical angular frequency ω, which are phase-shifted by 90° relative to one another, and wherein the quadrature signals serve to determine the through-flow (Q) of a fluid in a preferred direction, said method comprising the steps of:

a) Providing said first and second signals as respective first and second interpolated/digitized signals (S 2 );

b) Detecting the flow of the fluid;

c) Determining the direction of flow of the fluid;

d) Determining the state of flow of the fluid: flowing in the preferred direction, shivering and/or oscillating; and

e) Further conducting the interpolated/digitized signals (S 2 ) as a function of the state of the fluid to an output stage in the form of the quadrature signal, namely:

(i) In the case of flowing in the preferred direction: further conducting the original interpolated/digitized signal (S 2 ); and

(ii) In the case of shivering and/or oscillating: changing the interpolated/digitized signal (S 2 ) to a base signal (no movement of the fluid) and further conducting the modified digital signal, which signals no flow (base signal).

9. The method according to claim 8 , further characterized in that for the pulse value fitting to a database with predefined process values, preferably a look-up table is accessed, and the correction values for the process conditions present at this time are read out and a correction of the quadrature signals is carried out by the correction values.

10. A method for measuring a volumetric flow (Q) of a fluid in a preferred direction by a volume measurement device, said volume measurement device comprises an electronic circuit and an incremental encoder; wherein a first sinusoidal signal of the incremental encoder, namely a raw sine signal, and a second sinusoidal signal of the incremental encoder having identical angular frequency ω which is phase-shifted by 90° relative to the first sinusoidal signal, namely a raw cosine signal, first conditioned (S 1 +), and then interpolated/digitized (S 2 ), and these interpolated/digitized signals (S 2 ) are processed and evaluated in an evaluation unit or a process computer unit having a quadrature encoder counter, said the method comprising the steps of:

a) Detecting the flow of the fluid;

b) Determining the direction of flow of the fluid;

c) Determining the state of flow of the fluid: flowing in the preferred direction, shivering and/or oscillating; and

d) Further conducting the interpolated/digitized signals (S 2 ) as a function of the state of the fluid to an output stage in the form of a quadrature signal with pulse filtering (S 3 ), namely:

(i) In the case of flowing in the preferred direction: further conducting the original interpolated/digitized signal (S 2 ); and

(ii) In the case of shivering and/or oscillating: changing the interpolated/digitized signal (S 2 ) to a base signal (no movement of the fluid) and further conducting the modified digital signal, which signals no flow (base signal).

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the changed digital signal represents no flow.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the processed and evaluated digital signals in the evaluation unit are controlled by a process computer unit having a quadrature encoder counter.

13. The method according to claim 10 including providing a sensor for detecting a rotational change of angle, designed as two giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensors in a double measuring bridge.

14. The method according to claim 10 , further characterized in that the digital signals include a first digital signal and a second digital signal, and in that the determination of the state of the fluid is produced by comparing the time change of the first and/or the second digital signal, namely:

State of flow in the preferred direction is present when, starting from a null position of the volume measurement device, the first signal is changed before the second signal, and a periodic change with this phase shift occurs;

State of shivering is present when the first signal is constant and the second signal changes.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the state of oscillation is present when, starting from a null position of the volume measurement device, the second signal is changed before the first signal, and a periodic change with this phase shift occurs, and subsequently, starting from a null position of the volume measurement device, the first signal is changed before the second signal and a periodic change with this phase shift occurs.

16. The method according to claim 10 , further characterized in that after determining the state of oscillation or shivering, first the volume of fluid that is transported during the oscillation or the shivering counter to the preferred direction is equilibrated with the volume of fluid that is transported in the preferred direction, before determining the state of flow again in the preferred direction.

17. The method according to claim 10 , further characterized in that for the measurement/detection and/or state determination, the edge changes of the digital signals are counted and/or processed in the evaluation unit, of the process computer unit having the quadrature encoder counter, particularly in an internal counter.

18. The method according to claim 10 , further characterized in that the digital signals are masked and output on another output, these digital signals being signaled completely only starting from when they exceed a limit value.