Additional information from flowmeters via signal analysis

The need to enhance the performance of process instrumentation systems by applying modern signal processing techniques has been identified as one of the priority areas for research and development in process instrumentation and process control. It is pointed out that this performance enhancement can be in the form of extracting additional information from flow sensors beyond the customary requirements of the basic process measurement, that is, flow rate. In conjunction with, and within the expert systems approach, an enhanced flowmeter can be utilized for condition monitoring purposes, and for diagnostic engineering management and optimization of process plant operations. The authors demonstrate the new importance of flow measurement signals from the point of view of extracting additional information, which is used to characterize the operational status of a turbine flow meter installed in a plant. The signal processing method is based on the system identification and parametric modelling approach. Qualitative signatures which have been identified for the turbine flow measurement system have also been related to the condition of the process plant