Acquatic velocity scanning apparatus and methods
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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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for velocity scanning in, e.g., bodies of water. In one embodiment, a scanned one-dimensional transducer array Doppler sonar arrangement is used to remotely measure both vertical and horizontal profiles of a river or channel along-stream water velocities within a cross-section of the river/channel from a single side-mounted sonar.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus configured to measure fluid flow, the apparatus comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A 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. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification