# US 11,307,069 B2 · Ultrasonic flow meter in a bypass channel coupled in parallel with a flow tube > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,307,069 B2 - Document ID: US11307069B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/811,889 - Filed: 2020-03-06 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Assignees: Woodward, Inc. - Applicants: Woodward, Inc. - Inventors: Jordan Loren Loos; Gregory Warren Pulley; Austin Wade Mueller; Michael L. Hahn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307069B2 ## CPC - 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 1/44: Venturi tubes - G01F 5/00: Measuring a proportion of the volume flow - G01F 7/00: Volume-flow measuring devices with two or more measuring ranges; Compound meters - G01F 15/185: {Connecting means, e.g. bypass conduits} - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME ## Abstract The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a fluid flow measurement apparatus includes an inlet configured to flow a dynamic fluid flow, an outlet configured to flow the dynamic fluid flow, a first fluid conduit fluidically connected between the inlet and the outlet, configured with a first predetermined geometry, and configured to flow a first portion of the dynamic fluid flow, a second fluid conduit fluidically connected between the inlet and the outlet, configured with a second predetermined geometry, and configured to flow a second portion of the dynamic fluid flow, and a first flow meter configured to measure the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid flow measurement apparatus, comprising: an inlet configured to flow a dynamic fluid flow; an outlet configured to flow the dynamic fluid flow; a first fluid conduit fluidically connected between the inlet and the outlet, configured with a first predetermined geometry having a first length and a first cross-section, and configured to flow a first portion of the dynamic fluid flow; a second fluid conduit fluidically connected between the inlet and the outlet, configured with a second predetermined geometry having a second length substantially the same as the first length and a second cross-section that is substantially the same as the first cross-section, and configured to flow a second portion of the dynamic fluid flow such that a dynamic behavior of second portion is representative of a dynamic behavior of the first portion; and a first flow meter configured to measure the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fluid flow measurement apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first flow meter is a transit-time type ultrasonic flow meter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fluid flow measurement apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electronic circuit configured to determine at least one of a dynamic fluid flow volume or a dynamic fluid flow rate of the dynamic fluid flow based on a measurement of the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow, the first predetermined geometry, and the second predetermined geometry. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fluid flow measurement apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first fluid conduit comprises a plurality of fluidically parallel additional fluid conduits each configured with a third predetermined geometry. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The fluid flow measurement apparatus of claim 4, wherein the third predetermined geometry comprises a third length and a third cross-section that are substantially the same as the second length and the second cross-section of the second predetermined geometry such that the dynamic behavior of the second portion is representative of the dynamic behavior of the first portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fluid flow measurement apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a third fluid conduit fluidically connected between the inlet and the outlet, configured with a third predetermined geometry having a third length and a third cross-section, and configured to flow a third portion of the dynamic fluid flow such that a dynamic behavior of third portion is representative of a dynamic behavior of the first portion; and a second flow meter configured to measure the third portion of the dynamic fluid flow. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fluid flow measurement apparatus of claim 6, further comprising an electronic circuit configured to determine at least one of a dynamic fluid flow volume or a dynamic fluid flow rate of the dynamic fluid flow based on a measurement of the third portion of the dynamic fluid flow, the first predetermined geometry, the second predetermined geometry, and the third predetermined geometry. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The fluid flow measurement apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second flow meter configured to measure the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow in a first portion of the second fluid conduit, wherein the first flow meter is configured to measure the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow in a second portion of the second fluid conduit apart from the first portion of the second fluid conduit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The fluid flow measurement apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a fluid interconnection that is non-coaxial to at least one of the first portion of the second fluid conduit and the second portion of the second fluid conduit. ### Claim 10 A method of sensing flow, the method comprising: receiving a dynamic fluid flow at an inlet; flowing a first portion of the dynamic fluid flow through a first fluid conduit configured with a first predetermined geometry having a first length and a first cross-section and fluidically connected between the inlet and an outlet; flowing a second portion of the dynamic fluid flow through a second fluid conduit configured with a second predetermined geometry having a second length substantially the same as the first length and a second cross-section that is substantially the same as the first cross-section and fluidically connected between the inlet and an outlet such that a dynamic behavior of second portion is representative of a dynamic behavior of the first portion; flowing the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow through a first flow meter arranged along the second fluid conduit; measuring, by the first flow meter, the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow; and determining, based on the measuring, the dynamic fluid flow. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein determining, based on the measuring, the dynamic fluid flow comprises determining at least one of a dynamic fluid flow volume or a dynamic fluid flow rate of the dynamic fluid flow based on the measuring of the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow, the first predetermined geometry, and the second predetermined geometry. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first fluid conduit comprises a plurality of fluidically parallel additional fluid conduits each configured with a third predetermined geometry and fluidically connected between the inlet and the outlet, wherein flowing the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow through the second fluid conduit further comprises flowing the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow through the second fluid conduit as a plurality of third portions of the dynamic fluid flow through the plurality of fluidically parallel additional fluid conduits. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the third predetermined geometry comprises a third length and a third cross-section that are substantially the same as the second length and the second cross-section of the second predetermined geometry such that the dynamic behavior of second portion is representative of the dynamic behavior of the first portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: flowing a third portion of the dynamic fluid flow through a third fluid conduit configured with a third predetermined geometry having a third length and a third cross-section, and fluidically connected between the inlet and the outlet; flowing the third portion of the dynamic fluid flow through a second flow meter arranged along the third fluid conduit such that a dynamic behavior of third portion is representative of a dynamic behavior of the first portion; and measuring, by the second flow meter, the third portion of the dynamic fluid flow. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein determining, based on the measuring, the dynamic fluid flow comprises determining at least one of a dynamic fluid flow volume or a dynamic fluid flow rate of the dynamic fluid flow based on the measuring of the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow, the measuring of the third portion of the dynamic fluid flow, the first predetermined geometry, the second predetermined geometry, and the third predetermined geometry. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: flowing the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow through a second flow meter arranged along the second fluid conduit; and measuring, by the second flow meter, the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow; wherein determining, based on the measuring, the dynamic fluid flow further comprises determining the dynamic fluid flow based on the measuring by the first flow meter and the second flow meter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first fluid conduit defines a first fluid flow path, and flowing the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow through the second fluid conduit further comprises flowing the second portion of the dynamic fluid flow along a second fluid flow path that is non-coaxial to the first fluid flow path, wherein the first portion of the second fluid conduit is non-coaxial to the second portion of the second fluid conduit.