A self-validating digital Coriolis mass-flow meter: an overview

A new implementation of a Coriolis mass-flow meter transmitter is described. It is based on digital components, and has improved performance compared with the commercial, mostly analogue, transmitter using the same flowtube (transducer). Improvements are found in flowtube control, measurement precision, and performance with two-phase and partially-empty conditions, including hatching from empty. The new transmitter is viewed as a second-generation sensor validation (SEVA) demonstrator, in which experience from validating the commercial analogue transmitter has led to a redesign using digital technology. The resulting SEVA transmitter provides improved measurement performance and reduced vulnerability to fault conditions, as well as on-line estimates of measurement quality and fault compensation (Henry and Clarke, Control Engineering practice, 1 (4) (1993) 585-610). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.