Flow meter with adaptable beam characteristics

A device for measuring velocity of fluid flow in a channel, comprising:

• a transmitter;
• using one or more receivers;
• a processor operatively coupled to the transmitter and the one or more receivers;
• a memory device that stores instructions executable by the processor to:
• transmit, using the transmitter, directed energy carrying a signal toward a surface of a fluid in a fluid channel so as to produce a plurality of reflections, each of the plurality of reflections corresponding to one of a plurality of locations within the fluid channel, wherein the plurality of locations substantially span the entire width of the fluid channel;
• detect, using a plurality of measurement beams, a plurality of received signals, each of the plurality of received signals corresponding to one of the plurality of reflections;
• determine, based upon differences between transmitted and the received signals, a plurality of localized velocities, each of the plurality of localized velocities corresponding to one of the plurality of locations;
• and
• compute, from the plurality of localized velocities, a cross-sectional average velocity of fluid in the channel.

A product for measuring velocity of fluid flow in a channel, comprising:

• a non-transitory storage medium having code stored therewith, the code being executable by a processor and comprising:
• code that transmits, using a transmitter, directed energy carrying a signal toward a surface of a fluid in a fluid channel so as to produce a plurality of reflections, each of the plurality of reflections corresponding to one of a plurality of locations within the fluid channel, wherein the plurality of locations substantially span the entire width of the fluid channel;
• code that detects, using a plurality of measurement beams, a plurality of received signals, each of the plurality of received signals corresponding to one of the plurality of reflections;
• code that determines, based upon differences between transmitted and the received signals, a plurality of localized velocities, each of the plurality of localized velocities corresponding to one of the plurality of locations;
• and
• code that computes, from the plurality of localized velocities, a cross-sectional average velocity of fluid in the channel.