System and method for combining co-located flowmeters
AssigneeDaniel Measurement and Control, Inc.
InventorsGraham W. Forbes, Kerry D. Groeschel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for ultrasonic flow metering. In one embodiment, an ultrasonic flow metering system includes a passage for fluid flow and a plurality of ultrasonic flowmeters. Each of the ultrasonic flowmeters includes a pair of ultrasonic transducers, and a flow processor. The pair of ultrasonic transducers is configured to form a chordal path across the passage between the transducers. The flow processor is coupled to the ultrasonic transducers. The flow processor is configured to measure the fluid flow through the spool piece based on outputs of the transducers of all of the ultrasonic flowmeters.
Claims22
An ultrasonic flow metering system, comprising:
- a passage for fluid flow;
- and
- a plurality of ultrasonic flowmeters, each flowmeter comprising:
- a plurality of pairs of ultrasonic transducers, each of the pairs configured to form a chordal path across the passage between the transducers;
- and
- a flow processor coupled to the ultrasonic transducers, and configured to:
- determine whether flow values provided to the flowmeter by each other of the flowmeters are valid;
- and
- generate, based on a determination that the flow values are valid, a measurement of the fluid flow through the passage based on ultrasonic signals received by the transducers of all of the flowmeters;
- generate initial flow measurements for the flowmeter that are not based on the flow values provided by any other of the flowmeters;
- a server configured to:
- store the initial flow measurements;
- and
- provide the initial flow measurements to each of the other flowmeters responsive to reception of a request from each of the other of the flowmeters;
- wherein each of the flowmeters is configured to operate as a client and a server with respect to each other of the flowmeters.
A method for measuring fluid flow, comprising:
- determining, by a first ultrasonic flowmeter, a first flow velocity of fluid flowing through the first ultrasonic flowmeter;
- determining, by a second ultrasonic flowmeter, a second flow velocity of fluid flowing through the second ultrasonic flowmeter;
- transferring, by the second ultrasonic flowmeter, the second flow velocity to the first ultrasonic flowmeter;
- appending to the second flow velocity, prior to the transferring, an expiration time value that specifies a time interval during which the second flow velocity is valid;
- determining, by the first ultrasonic flowmeter, whether the second flow velocity is valid, wherein the determining comprises verifying that the expiration time appended to the second flow velocity has not expired;
- and
- producing a combined flow rate, by the first ultrasonic flowmeter, by combining the first and second flow velocities responsive to the second flow velocity being determined to be valid by the first ultrasonic flowmeter.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that when executed cause a processor in a first ultrasonic flowmeter to:
- determine a first flow velocity of fluid flowing through the first ultrasonic flowmeter;
- store the first flow velocity in a server included in the first flow meter;
- append to the first flow velocity an expiration time value that specifies a time interval during which the first flow velocity is valid;
- provide the first flow velocity and the expiration time value to co-located ultrasonic flowmeter responsive to reception of a request for the first flow velocity from the co-located ultrasonic flowmeter;
- wherein the first ultrasonic flowmeter operates as a client and a server with respect to the co-located ultrasonic flowmeter;
- retrieve from the co-located ultrasonic flowmeter a second flow velocity of fluid flowing through the co-located ultrasonic flowmeter;
- determine whether the second flow velocity is valid by verifying that an expiration time appended to the second flow velocity by the co-located ultrasonic flowmeter has not expired wherein the expiration time specifies a time interval during which the second flow velocity is valid;
- and
- produce, based on a determination that the second flow velocity is valid, an average flow velocity by combining the first and second flow velocities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.