US 2026/0063659 A1Published application

Flow meter and associated method

AssigneeSTMicroelectronics International N.V.

InventorsStefano SANVITO, Marco PASSONI

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Abstract

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, a flow meter for determining a velocity of a fluid is provided. In some embodiments, the flow meter comprises a single-die steerable transducer array, a first duct defining a first channel and having first and second reflectors at each respective end, a second duct defining a second channel and having first and second reflectors at each respective end, and a controller configured to direct the transducer array to transmit forward and backward ultrasound signals through each duct, calculate a time of flight (ToF) of each ultrasound signal, calculate a velocity of the fluid in a first dimension using the ToF for the ultrasound signals through the first duct, and calculate a velocity of the fluid in a second dimension using the ToF for the ultrasound signals through the second duct.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A flow meter for determining a velocity of a fluid, the flow meter comprising:

a single-die steerable transducer array;
a first duct defining a first channel and having a first reflector at a first end and a second reflector at a second end;
a second duct defining a second channel and having a first reflector at a first end and a second reflector at a second end;
and
a controller configured to:
(a) direct the transducer array to (1) transmit a first ultrasound signal toward the first reflector of the first duct such that the first ultrasound signal is reflected by the first reflector of the first duct, travels through the first channel toward the second reflector of the first duct, is reflected by the second reflector of the first duct toward the transducer array, and is received by the transducer array, (2) transmit a second ultrasound signal toward the second reflector of the first duct such that the second ultrasound signal is reflected by the second reflector of the first duct, travels through the first channel toward the first reflector of the first duct, is reflected by the first reflector of the first duct toward the transducer array, and is received by the transducer array, (3) transmit a third ultrasound signal toward the first reflector of the second duct such that the third ultrasound signal is reflected by the first reflector of the second duct, travels through the second channel toward the second reflector of the second duct, is reflected by the second reflector of the second duct toward the transducer array, and is received by the transducer array, and (4) transmit a fourth ultrasound signal toward the second reflector of the second duct such that the fourth ultrasound signal is reflected by the second reflector of the second duct, travels through the second channel toward the first reflector of the second duct, is reflected by the first reflector of the second duct toward the transducer array, and is received by the transducer array;
(b) calculate a time of flight (ToF) of the first ultrasound signal, a time of flight (ToF) of the second ultrasound signal, a time of flight (ToF) of the third ultrasound signal, and a time of flight (ToF) of the fourth ultrasound signal;
(c) calculate a velocity of the fluid in a first dimension using the ToF of the first ultrasound signal and the ToF of the second ultrasound signal;
and
(d) calculate a velocity of the fluid in a second dimension using the ToF of the third ultrasound signal and the ToF of the fourth ultrasound signal.

7 more elements

A method of determining a velocity of a fluid, the method comprising:

transmitting, by single-die steerable transducer array, a first ultrasound signal toward a first reflector of a first duct defining a first channel such that the first ultrasound signal is reflected by the first reflector of the first duct, travels through the first channel toward a second reflector of the first duct, is reflected by the second reflector of the first duct toward the transducer array, and is received by the transducer array;
transmitting, by the transducer array, a second ultrasound signal toward the second reflector of the first duct such that the second ultrasound signal is reflected by the second reflector of the first duct, travels through the first channel toward the first reflector of the first duct, is reflected by the first reflector of the first duct toward the transducer array, and is received by the transducer array;
transmitting, by the transducer array, a third ultrasound signal toward a first reflector of a second duct defining a second channel such that the third ultrasound signal is reflected by the first reflector of the second duct, travels through the second channel toward a second reflector of the second duct, is reflected by the second reflector of the second duct toward the transducer array, and is received by the transducer array;
transmitting, by the transducer array, a fourth ultrasound signal toward the second reflector of the second duct such that the fourth ultrasound signal is reflected by the second reflector of the second duct, travels through the second channel toward the first reflector of the second duct, is reflected by the first reflector of the second duct toward the transducer array, and is received by the transducer array;
calculating, by a controller, a time of flight (ToF) of the first ultrasound signal, a time of flight (ToF) of the second ultrasound signal, a time of flight (ToF) of the third ultrasound signal, and a time of flight (ToF) of the fourth ultrasound signal;
calculating, by the controller, a velocity of the fluid in a first dimension using the ToF of the first ultrasound signal and the ToF of the second ultrasound signal;
and
calculating, by the controller, a velocity of the fluid in a second dimension using the ToF of the third ultrasound signal and the ToF of the fourth ultrasound signal.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.