Sensor apparatus and method for measuring flow
First Claim
1. A flow sensor apparatus, comprising:
- a transducer arrangement arranged to be non-invasively disposed at least partially around an external surface of a wall of a conduit for guiding a flow, whereinthe transducer arrangement is operable to stimulate waves in off-centre chordal paths within the flow, wherein the stimulated waves in the off-centre chordal paths that interact with the flow include information which characterizes off-centre properties of the flow;
the transducer arrangement is operable to excite helically propagating acoustic Lamb waves within the wall of the conduit and stimulate the waves of the off-centre chordal paths within the flow by leaking acoustical energy from the helically propagating acoustic Lamb waves; and
the transducer arrangement is operable to receive the waves of the off-centre chordal paths, helically re-entering the wall of the conduit, and further propagating helically as guided acoustic Lamb waves into the transducer arrangement.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor apparatus is provided for measuring within a region of a conduit for guiding a flow. The apparatus includes a transducer arrangement disposed at least partially around an external surface of a wall of the conduit and having one or more driver elements for exciting in operation a helical acoustic wave propagation within the wall of the conduit for leaking acoustical energy from the helical acoustic wave propagation over an extensive area of the wall of the conduit for stimulating waves in chordal paths within the flow, wherein the waves in the choral paths within the flow re-enter the wall of the conduit to propagate further as a guided helical wave. The transducer arrangement includes one or more sensors for receiving a re-entered portion of the acoustic wave propagation along the paths within the flow which interacts with the flow and includes information characterizing properties of the flow.
22 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A flow sensor apparatus, comprising:
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a transducer arrangement arranged to be non-invasively disposed at least partially around an external surface of a wall of a conduit for guiding a flow, wherein the transducer arrangement is operable to stimulate waves in off-centre chordal paths within the flow, wherein the stimulated waves in the off-centre chordal paths that interact with the flow include information which characterizes off-centre properties of the flow; the transducer arrangement is operable to excite helically propagating acoustic Lamb waves within the wall of the conduit and stimulate the waves of the off-centre chordal paths within the flow by leaking acoustical energy from the helically propagating acoustic Lamb waves; and the transducer arrangement is operable to receive the waves of the off-centre chordal paths, helically re-entering the wall of the conduit, and further propagating helically as guided acoustic Lamb waves into the transducer arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of using a flow sensor apparatus for measuring within a region of a conduit for guiding a flow, wherein the sensor apparatus includes a transducer arrangement arranged to be non-invasively disposed at least partially around an external surface of a wall of a conduit, comprising:
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operating the transducer arrangement to stimulate waves in off-centre chordal paths within the flow, wherein the stimulated waves in the off-axis chordal paths that interact with the flow include information which characterizes off-centre properties of the flow; operating the transducer arrangement to excite helically propagating acoustic Lamb waves within the wall of the conduit and stimulate the waves of the off-centre chordal paths within the flow by leaking acoustical energy from the helically propagating acoustic Lamb waves; and operating the transducer arrangement to receive the waves of the off-centre chordal paths, helically re-entering the wall of the conduit, and further propagating helically as a guided acoustic Lamb waves into the transducer arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, the computer-readable instructions being executable by a computerized device comprising processing hardware to perform the actions of:
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with a flow sensor arrangement including a transducer arrangement arranged to be non-invasively disposed at least partially around an external surface of a wall of a conduit, measuring within a region of a conduit for guiding a flow; operating the transducer arrangement to stimulate waves in off-centre chordal paths within the flow, wherein the stimulated waves in the off-axis chordal paths that interact with the flow include information which characterizes off-centre properties of the flow; operating the transducer arrangement to excite helically propagating acoustic Lamb waves within the wall of the conduit and stimulate the waves of the off-centre chordal paths within the flow by leaking acoustical energy from the helically propagating acoustic Lamb waves; and operating the transducer arrangement to receive the waves of the off-centre chordal paths, helically re-entering the wall of the conduit, and further propagating helically as a guided acoustic Lamb waves into the transducer arrangement.
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Specification