ULTRASONIC METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MEASURING FLUID FLOW

• US 20170343397A1
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hydril USA Distribution LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: YE, Jing, GILETTE, Gregory Ronald, WOLFE, Christopher Edward, AO, Xialei, NUI, Ran, SHANG, Weihua, JUDGE, Robert Arnold, MEI, Yan
• Application Number:
  US15/533,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20170343397A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/66 by measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/662 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/667 Arrangements of transducers for ultrasonic flowmeters; Circuits for operating ultrasonic flowmeters
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/00 Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/024 by measuring propagation velocity or propagation time of acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4472 Mathematical theories or simulation

Abstract

A method of measuring a flow rate of a fluid flowing in a space between an outer conduit and an inner element in the outer conduit is provided. Ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received through the space between multiple pairs of ultrasonic transducers along multiple propagation paths, respectively. A mean line velocity of the fluid is calculated based on data from each pair of ultrasonic transducers. As such, multiple mean line velocities across the space are obtained. The flow rate of the fluid is calculated based on the multiple mean line velocities.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

flowing a fluid in a space between an outer conduit and an inner element in the outer conduit;

transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves through the space between multiple pairs of ultrasonic transducers along multiple propagation paths, respectively;

calculating a mean line velocity of the fluid based on data from each pair of ultrasonic transducers, to obtain multiple mean line velocities across the space; and

calculating a flow rate of the fluid based on the multiple mean line velocities.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the ultrasonic waves is transmited and received through the space without traversing the inner element.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flow rate (FR) is calculated by

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the propagation paths in at least one of the directions comprise two propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the propagation paths in each of the directions comprise two propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the directions comprise a set of two directions d₁ and d₂ substantially perpendicular to each other.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the propagation paths in the direction d₁ comprise first and second propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element, and the propagation paths in the direction d₂ comprise third and fourth propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element, the first, second, third and fourth propagation paths substantially surrounding the inner element.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the directions further comprise a set of two directions d₃ and d₄ substantially perpendicular to each other, wherein at least one of the directions d₃ and d₄ is at substantially the same angle to the directions d₁ and d₂.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the propagation paths in the direction d₃ comprise fifth and sixth propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element, and the propagation paths in the direction d₄ comprise seventh and eighth propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element, the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth propagation paths substantially surrounding the inner element.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein data from each pair of ultrasonic transducers comprises a difference in propagation time of the ultrasonic wave in opposite directions between said pair of ultrasonic transducers.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple pairs of ultrasonic transducers each comprises a first ultrasonic transducer and a second ultrasonic transducer wherein the first ultrasonic transducer is located in an upstream side of the second ultrasonic transducer along a flow direction of the fluid flowing in the space.

12. An ultrasonic device, comprising:

an outer conduit configured to receive an inner element;

multiple pairs of ultrasonic transducers, each pair arranged to allow an ultrasonic wave to be propagated through a space defined between the outer conduit and the inner element along a propagation path; and

a processor for calculating a mean line velocity of a fluid flowing in the space based on data from each pair of ultrasonic transducers to obtain multiple mean line velocities across the space, and calculating a flow rate of the fluid based on the multiple mean line velocities.

13. The ultrasonic device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the flow rate (FR) by

14. The ultrasonic device according to claim 13, wherein the propagation paths in at least one of the directions comprise two propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element.

15. The ultrasonic device according to claim 13, wherein the directions comprise a set of two directions d₁ and d₂ substantially perpendicular to each other.

16. The ultrasonic device according to claim 15, wherein the propagation paths in the direction d_j comprise first and second propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element, and the propagation paths in the direction d₂ comprise third and fourth propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element, the first, second, third and fourth propagation paths substantially surrounding the inner element.

17. The ultrasonic device according to claim 15, wherein the directions further comprise a set of two directions d₃ and d₄ substantially perpendicular to each other, wherein st least one of the directions d₃ and d₄ is at substantially the same angle to the directions d₁ and d₂.

18. The ultrasonic device according to claim 17, wherein the propagation paths in the direction d₃ comprise fifth and sixth propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element, and the propagation paths in the direction d₄ comprise seventh and eighth propagation paths at two opposite sides of the inner element, the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth propagation paths substantially surrounding the inner element.

19. The ultrasonic device according to claim 12, wherein the multiple pairs of ultrasonic transducers each comprises a first ultrasonic transducer and a second ultrasonic transducer wherein the first ultrasonic transducer is located in an upstream side of the second ultrasonic transducer along a flow direction of the fluid flowing in the space.

20. The ultrasonic device according to claim 12, wherein the multiple pairs of ultrasonic transducers are arranged to ensure that the ultrasonic wave between at least one pair of ultrasonic transducers is propagated through the space without traversing the inner element.