Single-transceiver Ultrasonic Flow Meter Apparatus and Methods

A method of fluid flow measurement, comprising:

• selectively activating elements of an array of transducer elements capable of mounting at a single position at a wall of a pipe to create a first ultrasonic beam directed toward an acoustic mirror associated with a first series of acoustic mirrors at a first time;
• directing the first ultrasonic beam along a first path to include at least one first path measurement segment to traverse a fluid flowing through the pipe at an angle less than 90 degrees from a longitudinal axis of the pipe in a direction to include an additive downstream fluid flow velocity vector component;
• receiving a return of the first ultrasonic beam at the array of transducer elements at a second time;
• at the array of transducer elements, creating a second ultrasonic beam directed toward an acoustic mirror associated with a second series of acoustic mirrors at a third time;
• directing the second ultrasonic beam along a second path to include at least one second path measurement segment to traverse the fluid flowing through the pipe at the angle less than 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the pipe in a direction to include a subtractive upstream fluid flow velocity vector component;
• receiving a return of the second ultrasonic beam at the array of transducer elements at a fourth time;
• calculating a fluid flow speed as a function of a difference in time-of-flight (TOF) between the first and second ultrasonic beams, at least a portion of the difference in TOF a result of the additive downstream fluid flow velocity vector component along the first path measurement segment and the subtractive upstream fluid flow velocity vector component along the second path measurement segment.

A method of fluid flow measurement, comprising:

• selectively activating elements of an array of transducer elements capable of mounting at a single position at a wall of a pipe to create a first ultrasonic beam and a second ultrasonic beam at a first time, the first ultrasonic beam directed toward an acoustic mirror associated with a first series of acoustic mirrors and the second ultrasonic beam directed toward an acoustic mirror associated with a second series of acoustic mirrors;
• directing the first ultrasonic beam along a first path to include at least one first path measurement segment to traverse a fluid flowing through the pipe at an angle less than 90 degrees from a longitudinal axis of the pipe in a direction to include an additive downstream fluid flow velocity vector component;
• receiving a return of the first ultrasonic beam at the array of transducer elements at a second time;
• directing the second ultrasonic beam along a second path to include at least one second path measurement segment to traverse the fluid flowing through the pipe at the angle less than 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the pipe in a direction to include a subtractive upstream fluid flow velocity vector component;
• receiving a return of the second ultrasonic beam at the array of transducer elements at a third time;
• and
• calculating a fluid flow speed as a function of a difference in time-of-flight (TOF) between the first and second ultrasonic beams, at least a portion of the difference in TOF a result of the additive downstream fluid flow velocity vector component along the first path measurement segment and the subtractive upstream fluid flow velocity vector component along the second path measurement segment.