Patent ID: 8857270
Filing Date: 2014-10-14
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting complete or partial plugging of a measuring tube of a measuring transducer of vibration-type of a Coriolis flow measuring device, said measuring transducer being flowed through by a medium and said measuring transducer including at least two measuring tubes connected for parallel flow and at least two oscillation sensors arranged spaced from one another along a direction of elongation of the measuring tubes, said method comprising: exciting said measuring tubes to execute mechanical oscillations for producing Coriolis forces in said medium flowing through; using said at least two oscillation sensors for registering oscillations of the measuring tubes for registering, according to the Coriolis principle, a mass flow rate of the medium; supplying, by means of at least one heating element, heat to the medium conveyed in a first measuring tube or removing, by means of at least one cooling element, heat from the medium conveyed in the first measuring tube; registering temperature by means of at least one temperature sensor, which is thermally coupled to the medium conveyed in the first measuring tube; determining a first comparison variable, which is characteristic for heat transport by the medium in the first measuring tube, based on the supplying of heat or the removing of heat, and the registering of temperature, and comparing said first comparison variable with a reference variable; and detecting plugging of at least one measuring tube of the measuring transducer, if the first comparison variable deviates from the reference variable by more than a limit value.