US 8,141,434 B2Granted

Flow measuring apparatus

AssigneeTeCom AS

InventorsRemi Andre Kippersund, Kjell Eivind Frøysa, Per Lunde

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Abstract

A flow measuring apparatus measures a fluid flow within a conduit including a wall. The apparatus includes a transducer arrangement including at least two transducers for alternately emitting and receiving ultrasonic radiation through the conduit wall and the flow. The apparatus also includes a signal processing arrangement for generating signals to excite the transducer arrangement and for processing received signals provided by the transducer arrangement for generating output signals from the signal processing arrangement indicative of properties of the flow. The transducer arrangement in cooperation with the conduit provides a first path for Lamb-wave ultrasonic radiation coupling directly from a first of the at least two transducers, to a second of said at least two transducers to generate a first received signal. The transducer arrangement in cooperation with the conduit provides at least one second path for ultrasonic propagation along the wall via Lamb waves coupling to at least a portion of the flow from a first of the at least two transducers to a second of the at least two transducers to generate a second received signal. The signal processing arrangement determines from said first and second received signals ultrasonic radiation propagation time periods through the first path and through the at least one second path, and to perform computational operations on the propagation time periods to determine properties of the flow including, but not limited to, at least one of: fluid flow velocity (v) in the conduit, a sound velocity (c) through the fluid.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A flow measuring apparatus (300, 500) for measuring a flow of a fluid (130) within a conduit (120) including one or more walls (110), said apparatus (300, 500) including a transducer arrangement (100A, 100B) including at least one transducer for emitting ultrasonic radiation into the flow (130) and at least one transducer for receiving ultrasonic radiation from the flow (130) in operation, and a signal processing arrangement (310) for generating signals to excite the transducer arrangement (100A, 100B) and for processing received signals provided by the transducer arrangement (100A, 100B) for generating output signals from the signal processing arrangement (310) indicative of properties of the flow, characterized in that

said transducer arrangement (100A, 100B) in cooperation with said conduit (120) is operable to provide a first path (200) solely via said one or more walls (110) for Lamb-wave ultrasonic radiation coupling directly from the at least one transducer for emitting ultrasonic radiation to said at least one transducer for receiving ultrasonic radiation to generate a first received signal;
said transducer arrangement (100A, 100B) in cooperation with said conduit (120) is operable to provide at least one second path (210) for propagation of ultrasonic radiation within said one or more walls (100) via Lamb waves coupling to at least a portion of said flow (130) from the at least one transducer for emitting ultrasonic radiation to the at least one transducer for receiving ultrasonic radiation to generate a second received signal;
and
said signal processing arrangement (310) is operable to determine from said first and second signals ultrasonic radiation propagation time periods through the first path (200) and through the at least one second path (210) in upstream and downstream flow directions, and to perform computational operations on said propagation time periods to determine said properties of the flow in respect of at least one of:
a flow velocity (v) of the fluid (130) in the conduit (120), a velocity of sound (c) through the fluid (130).

2 more elements

A method of measuring a flow of a fluid (130) within a conduit (120) including one or more walls (110), characterized in that said method includes:

(a) arranging for a transducer arrangement (100A, 100B) to include at least one transducer for emitting ultrasonic radiation into the flow (130) and at least one transducer for receiving ultrasonic radiation from the flow (130), and arranging for a signal processing arrangement (310) to generate signals to excite the transducer arrangement (100A, 100B) and to process received signals provided by the transducer arrangement (100A, 100B);
(b) providing for said transducer arrangement (100A, 100B) in cooperation with said conduit (120) to provide a first path (200) solely via said one or more walls (110) for Lamb-wave ultrasonic radiation coupling directly from the at least one transducer for emitting ultrasonic radiation and the at least one transducer for receiving ultrasonic radiation to generate a first received signal;
(c) providing for said transducer arrangement (100A, 100B) in cooperation with said conduit (120) to provide at least one second path (210) for propagation of ultrasonic radiation within said one or more walls (100) via Lamb waves coupling to at least a portion of said flow (130) from the at least one transducer for emitting ultrasonic radiation to the at least one transducer for receiving ultrasonic radiation to generate a second received signal;
and
(d) providing for said signal processing arrangement (310) to determine from said first and second signals ultrasonic radiation propagation time periods through the first path (200) and through the at least one second path (210) in upstream and downstream flow directions, and to perform computational operations on said propagation time periods to determine said properties of the flow in respect of at least one of:
a flow velocity of the fluid (130) in the conduit (120), a velocity of sound through the fluid (130).

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/800,081Filed 7 May 2010
Priority: GB 0922466.821 Dec 2009
Published: US 2011/0271769 A110 Nov 2011
Granted: 27 Mar 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G01F 1/667
By measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters: arrangements of…
G01F 1/42
Details of construction of the flow constriction devices: orifices or nozzles
G01F 1/662
By measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters: constructional details
G01F 1/86
Devices for measuring mass flow of a fluid or a fluent solid material: indirect mass flowmeters, e.g. measuring volume flow and density,…