System, apparatus and method for automatic pipe type detection

A method of identifying a pipe type of a pipe associated with a fluid flow meter comprising:

• transmitting, by a first ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic sensor of the fluid flow meter, a transmit signal to propagate, at least partially, through a fluid in the pipe;
• receiving, by a second ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic sensor, a receive signal responsive to transmitting the transmit signal;
• storing, by a memory, a plurality of pipe type signatures associated with a plurality of pipe types, each pipe type signature of a respective pipe type of the plurality of pipe types including one or more characteristics of receive signals associated with that pipe type;
• computing, by the processor using the receive signal, a relative energy parameter indicative of a relative pipe signal energy of a pipe signal compared to a total energy of the receive signal, the pipe signal representing a first portion of the receive signal corresponding to a respective first portion of the transmit signal propagating substantially on, or within, a wall of the pipe between the first ultrasonic transducer and the second ultrasonic transducer, and the fluid signal representing a second portion of the receive signal corresponding to a respective second portion of the transmit signal propagating substantially through the fluid in the pipe between the first ultrasonic transducer and the second ultrasonic transducer;
• determining, by the processor using the receive signal, a time value indicative of a time instance at which a specific fraction of energy of the fluid signal is received at the second ultrasonic transducer;
• and
• identifying, by the processor, using the relative energy parameter, the time value, and a classifier defined based on the plurality of pipe type signatures, a pipe type of the pipe.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium with computer code instructions stored thereon, the computer code instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• cause a sensor of a fluid flow meter to transmit a transmit signal for propagating, at least partially, through a fluid in a pipe, and receive a receive signal responsive to transmitting the transmit signal;
• compute, using the receive signal, a relative energy parameter indicative of a relative pipe signal energy of a pipe signal compared to a total energy of the receive signal, the pipe signal representing a first portion of the receive signal corresponding to a respective first portion of the transmit signal propagating substantially on, or within, a wall of the pipe between the first ultrasonic transducer and the second ultrasonic transducer, and the fluid signal representing a second portion of the receive signal corresponding to a respective second portion of the transmit signal propagating substantially through the fluid in the pipe between the first ultrasonic transducer and the second ultrasonic transducer;
• determine a time value indicative of a time instance at which a specific fraction of energy of the fluid signal is received at the second ultrasonic transducer;
• and
• identify, using the relative energy parameter, the time value, and a classifier defined based on a plurality of pipe type signatures, a pipe type of the pipe.