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Acquatic velocity scanning apparatus and methods

  • US 10,260,920 B2
  • Filed: 11/20/2017
  • Issued: 04/16/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus configured to measure fluid flow, the apparatus comprising:

  • a discrete one-dimensional transducer array comprising N substantially parallel rows of transducer elements disposed relative to a first axis and arranged in a single column of transducer elements, the discrete one-dimensional transducer array oriented with an angular component in both the first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and across a direction of flow in a fluidic medium, each of the transducer elements having an elongated dimension along a face of the transducer element that is parallel with the first axis and a dimension along the face of the transducer element that is less than the elongated dimension, the dimension being parallel with the second axis;

    an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) circuitry, comprising;

    a transmit/receive beamformer electrically interfaced to the N rows of the transducer array;

    a transmit/receive switch;

    processing circuitry configured to operate the transmit/receive beamformer in a transmit mode, wherein the transmit/receive beamformer generates a set of N electrical signals, each signal being time- or phase-delayed relative to each other, and wherein the transmit/receive beamformer 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 form one or more transmit beams projected into the fluidic medium;

    the processing circuitry further configured to operate the transmit/receive beamformer in a receive mode, wherein the transmit/receive beamformer receives a set of N electrical signals, each signal being time- or phase-delayed, and wherein the transmit/receive beamformer 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 form one or more receive beams projected into the fluidic medium.

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