# US 10,480,972 B2 · Method for controlling an apparatus for ultrasonically measuring the flow rate of a fluid in a measuring channel

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- Number: US 10,480,972 B2
- Document ID: US10480972B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/949,999
- Filed: 2018-04-10
- Published: 2018-10-11
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-10
- Assignees: Efs SA; Ecole Centrale De Lyon; Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique; Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1; Institut National Des Sciences Appliquees De Lyon
- Applicants: Efs SA; Ecole Centrale De Lyon; Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique; Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1; INSTITUT NATIONAL des SCIENCES APPLIQUEES DE LYON
- Inventors: Julian Robin; Pascal Gucher; Alexandre Huchon; Sébastien Ollivier; Philippe Blanc-Benon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480972B2

## CPC

- G01F 1/667: Arrangements of transducers for ultrasonic flowmeters; Circuits for operating ultrasonic flowmeters
- G01F 1/66: by measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters
- G01F 1/662: {Constructional details}
- G01F 1/712: using auto-correlation or cross-correlation detection means
- H04Q 9/00: Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
- G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
- H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W)

## Abstract

A control method for an apparatus for ultrasonically measuring the flow rate of a fluid in a measuring channel, including a measuring channel whose one end is equipped with a first transducer and the other end is equipped with a second transducer, each transducer emitting ultrasonic waves to the other transducer, and receiving waves generated by the other transducer, where, in a first step, the first transducer emits waves to the second transducer, and in a second step, which can be simultaneous with the first one, the second transducer emits waves prior to the reception of the waves emitted by the first transducer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control method for an apparatus for ultrasonically measuring the flow rate of a fluid in a measuring channel, including a measuring channel whose one end is equipped with a first transducer and the other end is equipped with a second transducer, each transducer emitting ultrasonic waves to the other transducer, and receiving waves generated by the other transducer, wherein, in a first step, the first transducer emits waves to the second transducer, and in a second step, which can be simultaneous with the first one, the second transducer emits waves prior to the reception of the waves emitted by the first transducer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control method according to claim 1, wherein the first step and the second step are carried out iteratively.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control method according to claim 1, wherein each transducer performs emissions of waves in a non-synchronized manner relative to the other transducer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control method according to claim 1, wherein each transducer performs emissions of waves in a synchronized manner relative to the other transducer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A system for controlling an apparatus for ultrasonically measuring the flow rate of a fluid, comprising means implementing a control method according to claim 1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The control system according to claim 5, further comprising a common energizing signal emission path for the two transducers.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The control system according to claim 5, further comprising an energizing signal emission path comprising a generator generating the energizing signals transmitted to an impedance matching circuit placed before or after a multiplexer connected to the transducers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The control system according to claims 5, further comprising at least two separate reception paths.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The control system according to claim 8, wherein each reception path includes successively an impedance matching circuit, and then a signal conditioning device comprising a band-pass filter and an amplifier.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The control system according to claim 9, wherein each reception path includes a module for detecting the arrival of the wave delivering a processed signal, and then by a logic circuit validating the arrival time of the wave.