Coriolis Part 3: Density

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Maintenance Training
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 What you need to know!
• How does a Micro Motion flowmeter measure mass
density?

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• How is the natural frequency of the flow tubes
detected?
• How is the process density determined from the
measured tube period?
• How is the density calibration factor determined for a
specific flowmeter?

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 Density Operating Principle
• Mass and Frequency Relationship
– The relationship between

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mass and natural frequency is
the basis for density
measurement in the Micro
Motion flowmeter. To
understand this relationship,
consider the spring and mass
system.

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 Mass and Frequency Relationship

• As the mass increases, the

natural frequency of the

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system decreases.

• As the mass decreases, the

natural frequency of the
system increases.

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 Density Operating Principle
• Flow tubes also have natural frequency
– In the Micro Motion sensor, the tubes correspond to the spring.

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The mass of the tubes plus their contents correspond to the mass
at the end of the spring.
– During operation, a drive coil energized by the flow transmitter
causes the tubes to oscillate at their natural frequency. 

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 Density Operating Principle
• Density and Frequency Relationship
– Density is defined as mass per unit volume, or mass divided by
volume.

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– The volume of the fluid contained in the flow tubes remains
constant, so the only way mass can change is if density also
changes. Because of this relationship between mass and density,
the natural frequency of the flow tubes indicates not only the
mass of the fluid contained, but also the density.
– The density of the process fluid can be derived from the
frequency of oscillation of the sensor. This frequency signal is
taken from the left pickoff (LPO) coil.
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 Density and Frequency Relationship

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Low Density High Density

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 Density Operating Principle
• Tube period
– Frequency is measured in cycles per second. Since it is easier to
time the cycles than to count them, the Micro Motion transmitter

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computes density of a process fluid by using tube period, the
number of microseconds per cycle. Tube period is inversely
related to frequency.
• Density is directly related to tube period.

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 Tube Period

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Decreased density Increase density
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 Density Operating Principle
• Density calibration
– Every Micro Motion sensor/transmitter is calibrated for density using air and
water prior to shipment.

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– The sensor is operated with the flow tube full of air and the tube period is
recorded as K1. The actual density of air, which has been determined
independently is recorded as D1. T
– The tubes are then filled with water and the tube period is recorded as K2.
The density of the water, again determined independently, is recorded as D2.
– These data points, K1/D1 and K2/D2 characterize the response of that
particular sensor to process density.

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 Density Operating Principle
• Density calibration factor
– When a transmitter is configured for use with a particular sensor,
density calibration factors are stored in the transmitter's memory:

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1. Tube period of air (K1) 10484
2. Tube period of water (K2) 10966
3. Density of air (D1) 0.0010
4. Density of water (D2) 0.9982
5. Temperature coefficient 4.39
– The temperature coefficient is used by the transmitter to compensate for
the effect of temperature on the elasticity of the flow tubes (expressed
as a percentage per 100º C.
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 Density Operating Principle
• Determining process density
– The relationship between density and tube period is a well defined

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function. If two density/tube-period points are known, density at other
tube periods measured during flow operation can be inferred with great
accuracy.
• The transmitter automatically performs a calculation based
upon data points stored in its memory during calibration.

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