Flowmeter compensating system

Claim 2

Apparatus for compensating a first measured parameter of a continuous process in accordance with measured changes in a second parameter of said process, comprising: first transducer means for converting said first measured parameter into a series of discrete pulses; pulse dividing means for receiving said series of discrete pulses and directing a first fraction of said pulses into a first signal channel, and directing the remaining fraction of said pulses into a second signal channel; second transducer means for converting said second measured parameter into a corresponding analog signal, analog-to-digital conversion means for converting said analog signal to a corresponding digital signal; pulse multiplying means for multiplying the pulses in said first signal channel as a function of said digital signal to obtain a pulse output; and combining means for combining the pulse output from said second signal channel with the pulse output of said pulse multiplying means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein first measured process parameter comprises volumetric flow, and said first transducer means comprises: a pulse-producing volumetric flowmeter.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in cLaim 1 wherein said second process parameter comprises fluid temperature; said multiplying means multiplies the pulses in said first signal channel to produce one discrete pulse in said first signal channel for each discrete pulse output from said first transducer means when said fluid temperature is at a given standard reference temperature, and generates a multiplying factor exceeding one to produce a ratio of output pulses in said first signal channel to output pulses from said first transducer means in excess of one when said fluid temperature is below said standard reference temperature, and generates a multiplying factor of less than one to produce a ratio of output pulses in said first signal channel to output pulses from said first transducer means of less than one when said fluid temperature is above said standard reference temperature.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said pulse dividing means comprises: a pulse splitter for directing one out of every four pulses from said first transducer means into said first signal channel, and for directing the remaining three out of four pulses from said first transducer into said second signal channel.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 4 including: pulse doubler means interposed in said first signal channel between said pulse splitter and said pulse combining means.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said pulse combining means comprises: means for increasing the ratio of pulses to said first signal channel relative to the pulses from said first transducer means whenever said pulse train signal from said second transducer means changes in a first direction, and for decreasing the ratio of pulses from said first signal channel relative to the pulses from said first transducer means whenever said digital signal from said conversion means changes in a direction opposite said first direction.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said pulse multiplying means includes: a number storage register for storing said digital number; a non-resetable recycling counter for counting the pulse output from said first signal channel; and, gating means responsive to the digital number stored in said register and the pulse output from said recycling counter to produce a net output pulse count which corresponds to the ratio therebetween.

Claim 9

Fluid flow measuring apparatus for compensating the measured flow in accordance with measured changes in fluid temperature, comprising: a pulse-producing volumetric flow-sensing transducer; means for generating a digital signal corresponding to the temperature of the measured fluid; pulse signal processing means; pulse splitter means interposed between said flow-sensing transducer and said pulse signal processing means for directing a first fraction of the output from said flow-sensing transducer into said pulse signal processing means and for directing the remaining fraction of the output from said flow-sensing transducer into a second signal channel, said pulse signal processing means being responsive to the pulses received from said flow sensing transducer, and the digital signal from said temperature-responsive generating means, for adding pulses to the pulses received from said transducer whenever said digital signal is greater than a given magnitude and for subtracting pulses from the pulses received from said transducer whenever said digital signal is less than said given magnitude, the pulses received from said transducer remaining uncompensated whenever said digital signal is the same as said given magnitude; and, pulse combining means for combining the output pulses from said pulse signal processing means with the output pulses in said second signal channel.

Claim 10

Fluid flow measuring apparatus for compensating the measured flow in accordance with measured changes in fluid temperature, comprising: a pulse-producing volumetric flow-sensing transducer; means for generating a digital signal corresponding to the temperature of the measured fluid; pulse signal processing means; pulse splitter means interposed between said flow-sensing transducer and said pulse signal processing means for directing a first fraction of the output from said flow-sensing transducer into said pulse signal processing means and for directing the remaining fraction of the output from said flow-sensing transducer into a second signal channel, said pulse signal processing means being responsive to the pulses received from said flow sensing transducer, and the digital signal from said temperature-responsive generating means, for adding pulses to the pulses received from said transducer whenever said digital signal is greater than a given magnitude and for subtracting pulses from the pulses received from said transducer whenever said digital signal is less than said given magnitude, the pulses received from said transducer remaining uncompensated whenever said digital signal is the same as said given magnitude; and, pulse combining means for combining the output pulses from said pulse signal processing means with the output pulses in said second signal channel.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said multiplying means multiplies the pulses in said first signal channel by a multiplying factor to produce a ratio of output pulses in said first signal channel, to output pulses from said first trAnsducer means, in proportion to the ratio of said second parameter to its maximum value.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said multiplying means multiplies the pulses in said first signal channel to produce one discrete pulse in said first signal channel for each discrete pulse output from said first transducer means when said second process parameter is at a given standard reference value, and generates a multiplying factor exceeding one to produce a ratio of output pulses in said first signal channel to output pulses from said first transducer means in excess of one when said second process parameter is below said standard reference value, and generates a multiplying factor of less than one to produce a ratio of output pulses in said first signal channel to output pulses from said first transducer means of less than one when said second process parameter is above said standard reference value.

Claim 13

Fluid flow measuring apparatus for compensating the measured flow in accordance with measured changes in fluid temperature, comprising: a pulse-producing volumetric flow-sensing transducer; means for generating a digital signal corresponding to the difference in the temperature of the measured fluid and a reference temperature, and the fluid expansion coefficient; pulse signal processing means; pulse splitter means interposed between said flow-sensing transducer and said pulse signal processing means for directing a first fraction of the output from said flow-sensing transducer into said pulse signal processing means and for directing the remaining fraction of the output from said flow-sensing transducer into a second signal channel, said pulse signal processing means being responsive to the pulses received from said flow-sensing transducer, and the digital signal from said temperature-responsive generating means, to produce a net pulse output having a ratio, relative to the pulse output of said transducer, which is in excess of one whenever said digital signal is greater than a given magnitude, and to produce a net pulse output having a ratio, relative to the pulse output of said transducer, of less than one whenever said digital signal is less than said given magnitude, the output of said transducer remaining uncompensated whenever said digital signal is the same as said given magnitude; and, pulse combining means for combining the output pulses from said pulse signal processing means with the output pulses in said second signal channel.

Claim 14

Fluid flow measuring apparatus for compensating the measured flow in accordance with measured changes in fluid temperature, comprising: a pulse-producing volumetric flow-sensing transducer; means for generating a digital signal corresponding to the difference in the temperature of the measured fluid and a reference temperature, and the fluid expansion coefficient; pulse signal processing means; pulse splitter means interposed between said flow-sensing transducer and said pulse signal processing means for directing a first fraction of the output from said flow-sensing transducer into said pulse signal processing means and for directing the remaining fraction of the output from said flow-sensing transducer into a second signal channel, said pulse signal processing means being responsive to the pulses received from said flow-sensing transducer, and the digital signal from said temperature-responsive generating means, to produce a net pulse output having a ratio, relative to the pulse output of said transducer, which is in excess of one whenever said digital signal is greater than a given magnitude, and to produce a net pulse output having a ratio, relative to the pulse output of said transducer, of less than one whenever said digital signal is less than said given magnitude, the output of said transducer remaining uncompensated whenever said digital signal is the same as said given magnitude; and, pulse combining means for combining the output pulses from said pulse signal processing means with the output pulses in said second signal channel.

Claim 15

A measuring apparatus adapted for compensating the measured flow of a substance in accordance with a measured parameter of the substance, comprising: first transducer means for producing a train of pulses whose frequency is indicative of the measured flow; second transducer means for producing a binary coded signal which is representative of the measured parameter; means coupled to said first transducer means and responding to said train of pulses for applying a first series of pulses to one signal channel, for producing a plurality of other series of pulses which respectively comprise a number of pulses equal to various fractions of the number of pulses of said first series and with the pulses of the respective series being out of time coincidence, and for applying said plurality of other series of pulses on respective ones of a plurality of other signal channels; and gating means coupled in said one signal channel and in said plurality of other signal channels for controlling the passage of pulses therethrough as a function of said binary coded signal so as to cause the sum of the pulses passed therethrough to exceed the number of pulses in said first series of pulses whenever said binary coded signal is greater than a preselected reference value, to be less than the number of pulses in said first series whenever said binary coded signal isless than said preselected reference value, and to be the same as the number of pulses in said first series whenever said binary Coded signal is the same as said preselected reference value; said gating means including a plurality of gating circuits with different ones of said gating circuits being coupled in different ones of said plurality of signal channels and wherein each of said gating circuits is controlled in response to a different binary bit of said binary coded signal; whereby the output pulses from said gating means are representative of the measured flow compensated in accordance with the measured parameter.

Claim 16

A measuring apparatus adapted for compensating the measured flow of a substance in accordance with a measured parameter of the substance, comprising: first transducer means for producing a train of pulses whose frequency is indicative of the measured flow; second transducer means for producing a binary coded signal which is representative of the measured parameter; means coupled to said first transducer means and responding to said train of pulses for applying a first series of pulses to one signal channel, for producing a plurality of other series of pulses which respectively comprise a number of pulses equal to various fractions of the number of pulses of said first series and with the pulses of the respective series being out of time coincidence, and for applying said plurality of other series of pulses on respective ones of a plurality of other signal channels; and gating means coupled in said one signal channel and in said plurality of other signal channels for controlling the passage of pulses therethrough as a function of said binary coded signal so as to cause the sum of the pulses passed therethrough to exceed the number of pulses in said first series of pulses whenever said binary coded signal is greater than a preselected reference value, to be less than the number of pulses in said first series whenever said binary coded signal isless than said preselected reference value, and to be the same as the number of pulses in said first series whenever said binary Coded signal is the same as said preselected reference value; said gating means including a plurality of gating circuits with different ones of said gating circuits being coupled in different ones of said plurality of signal channels and wherein each of said gating circuits is controlled in response to a different binary bit of said binary coded signal; whereby the output pulses from said gating means are representative of the measured flow compensated in accordance with the measured parameter.

Claim 17

Measuring apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein said second transducer means comprises: an analog temperature-sensing transducer; and an analog-to-digital converter responsive to the output of said temperature-sensing transducer to produce a digital number, the magnitude which corresponds to the temperature and temperature coefficient of a measured material.