Acoustic isolators for gas transducers
AssigneeTANCY Instrument Group Co., Ltd.
InventorDon Augenstein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An isolation mounting for an ultrasonic transducer that includes at least one metal isolation washer and/or a metal load bearing nut. The isolation washer and load bearing nut include raised protrusions on a top surface that minimize the contact area between the transducer and a transducer housing in a body of an ultrasonic flowmeter in which the transducer is installed. The isolation mounting interrupts propagation of acoustic energy through the isolation mounting and reduces solid body noise transmission along paths outside a fluid flow through which the ultrasonic transducer is transmitting.
Claims20
A transducer comprising:
- a housing having an acoustically transparent window at a distal end thereof, the acoustically transparent window having an exterior surface configured to be exposed to process pressure when the transducer is mounted in a recess of an ultrasonic meter body;
- an electroacoustic element positionable within the housing;
- a plunger configured to apply a force on the electroacoustic element to urge the electroacoustic element to a position adjacent an interior surface of the acoustically transparent window;
- a retaining nut disposed over a proximal end of the plunger, the retaining nut including an exterior threaded region configured to engage a threaded region of the recess;
- and
- at least one isolation washer disposed over a proximal end of the plunger between the housing and the retaining nut, wherein the at least one isolation washer comprises isolating elements on a top surface that interrupt propagation of acoustic energy along paths outside a fluid flow through which the ultrasonic transducer is transmitting,
- wherein the isolating elements comprise one or more of:
- annular ridges, annular ridges having evenly spaced crenels, radially extending ridges, radially extending ridges having evenly spaced crenels, protrusion evenly spaced apart radially, and protrusion evenly spaced apart annularly.
An ultrasonic flow meter comprising transducer pairs positioned in operative relation to a fluid medium to transmit and receive acoustic wave energy through the fluid medium between transducers of the pair, wherein each transducer of a transducer pair comprises:
- a housing having an acoustically transparent window at a distal end thereof, the acoustically transparent window having an exterior surface configured to be exposed to process pressure when the transducer is mounted in a recess of a meter body of the ultrasonic flow meter;
- an electroacoustic element positionable within the housing;
- a plunger configured to apply a force on the electroacoustic element to urge the electroacoustic element to a position adjacent an interior surface of the acoustically transparent window;
- a retaining nut disposed over a proximal end of the plunger, the retaining nut including an exterior threaded region configured to engage a threaded region of the recess;
- and
- at least one isolation washer disposed over a proximal end of the plunger between the housing and the retaining nut, wherein the at least one isolation washer comprises isolating elements on a top surface that interrupt propagation of acoustic energy along paths outside a fluid flow through which the ultrasonic transducer is transmitting,
- wherein the isolating elements comprise one or more of:
- annular ridges, annular ridges having evenly spaced crenels, radially extending ridges, radially extending ridges having evenly spaced crenels, protrusion evenly spaced apart radially, and protrusion evenly spaced apart annularly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.