Acquatic velocity scanning apparatus and methods

An acoustic system, comprising:

• one or more one-dimensional array transducers comprising multiple substantially parallel rows of transducer elements associated with a first axis, the transducers configured to be mounted at a fixed location in a fluid flow channel, and oriented with an angular component in the first axis and a second axis substantially orthogonal thereto, and substantially across a direction of flow in the channel, and with an angle in a third axis substantially orthogonal to the first and second axes;
• a transmit/receive switch;
• a transmit beamformer circuit electrically connected via the transmit/receive switch to the elements in the rows, wherein the transmit beamformer circuit is configured to delay signals associated, respectively, with each row;
• and
• a receive beamformer circuit electrically connected via the transmit/receive switch to the elements in the rows, wherein the receive beamformer circuit delays signals associated, respectively, with each row;
• wherein the system is configured to:
• set the transmit/receive switch to a transmit setting, and sequentially and/or simultaneously forming one or more transmit beams projected into the fluid flow channel;
• and
• set the transmit/receive switch to a receive setting, and sequentially and/or simultaneously forming one or more receive beams projected into the fluid flow channel.

A method of determining fluid flow in a channel, comprising:

• providing at least one one-dimensional transducer array, the at least one array comprising multiple substantially parallel X-axis rows of transducer elements, the rows spaced at a prescribed spacing, the at least one array disposed at a fixed location within the channel so as transversely ensonify at least a portion of the channel;
• and
• utilizing a beamformer circuit electrically connected to the transducer elements in the X-axis rows of the at least one array, applying fixed phase-delayed signals associated, respectively between the X-axis rows;
• wherein an angle of a beam in a Z-axis, the beam formed by the utilizing, is determined at least in part by phase shifts associated with the beamformer circuit phase-delayed signals.

An apparatus configured to measure a fluid flow channel, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one one-dimensional transducer array comprising N substantially parallel rows of transducer elements relative to a first axis, the transducers to be mounted at a fixed location relative to the fluid flow channel, and oriented with an angular component in both the first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first and across a direction of flow in the channel;
• a transmit/receive beamformer electrically interfaced to the N rows of the at least one transducer array;
• a transmit/Receive switch;
• first logic configured to operate the transmit/receive beamformer in a transmit mode, wherein the beamformer generates a set of N electrical signals, each signal being time- or phase-delayed relative to each other, and applies each electrical signal to its respective transducer row, the resulting time- or phase-delayed signals from each row being combined together to sequentially and/or simultaneously forming one or more transmit beams projected into the fluid flow channel;
• and
• second logic configured to operate the transmit/receive beamformer in a receive mode, wherein the beamformer receives a set of N electrical signals, each signal being time- or phase-delayed and applies each electrical signal to its respective transducer row, the resulting time- or phase-delayed signals from each row being combined together to sequentially and/or simultaneously forming one or more receive beams projected into the fluid flow channel.