Acoustical wave flowmeter
First Claim
1. A fluid flowmeter for measuring the velocity of a moving fluid, said flowmeter comprising:
- an enclosed housing having an outer surface, an inner surface, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet;
a generally cylindrical liner received within said housing and having an inner wall surface provided with first and second recesses spaced along the longitudinal axis of said liner by a predetermined distance and extending in a direction substantially normal to said axis, said liner being fabricated from a material providing acoustical damping and extending between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet; and
first and second acousto-electric transducers operable in a radial vibration mode and carried by said liner, said transducers each having an outer wall surface received within a different one of said first and second recesses at a position interior to said inner surface of said housing, and an inner wall surface, said transducers each being dimensioned to provide with said inner wall surface of said liner a fluid flow conduit substantially devoid of protuberances and cavities and extending between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet of said housing;
said transducers being capable of generating and sensing compressional waves traveling in said fluid along said flow conduit when operated in said radial vibration mode and being acoustically isolated from said housing by said liner.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fluid flowmeter for measuring the velocity of a fluid flowing along a path. The flowmeter comprises an enclosed housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a liner having an inner wall surface positioned within the housing, the liner being fabricated from a material providing acoustical damping, e.g. polyurethane or rubber foam; and a plurality of acoustic wave transducers secured to the liner in notched portions of the liner inner wall surface. The transducers have inner wall surfaces dimensioned to provide with the inner wall surface of the liner a fluid flow conduit substantially devoid of protuberances and cavities, the transducers being mutually spaced along the fluid flow conduit by predetermined distances. Several embodiments are disclosed which employ both transducers having closed geometry, e.g. an annular or toroidal shape, and transducers having open geometry, e.g. toroidal segmental shape; and which employ different modes of operation, e.g. single or dual frequency wave generation and switched or continuous transducer operation.
87 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A fluid flowmeter for measuring the velocity of a moving fluid, said flowmeter comprising:
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an enclosed housing having an outer surface, an inner surface, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a generally cylindrical liner received within said housing and having an inner wall surface provided with first and second recesses spaced along the longitudinal axis of said liner by a predetermined distance and extending in a direction substantially normal to said axis, said liner being fabricated from a material providing acoustical damping and extending between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet; and first and second acousto-electric transducers operable in a radial vibration mode and carried by said liner, said transducers each having an outer wall surface received within a different one of said first and second recesses at a position interior to said inner surface of said housing, and an inner wall surface, said transducers each being dimensioned to provide with said inner wall surface of said liner a fluid flow conduit substantially devoid of protuberances and cavities and extending between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet of said housing;
said transducers being capable of generating and sensing compressional waves traveling in said fluid along said flow conduit when operated in said radial vibration mode and being acoustically isolated from said housing by said liner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a fluid flowmeter having a housing with an outer surface, an inner surface, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and a plurality of transducers for detecting a parameter related to the velocity of a fluid flowing through said housing, the improvement comprising a generally cylindrical liner received within said housing and having an inner wall surface provided with first and second recesses spaced along the longitudinal axis of said liner by a predetermined distance and extending in a direction substantially normal to said axis, said liner being fabricated from a material providing acoustical damping and extending between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet;
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first and second acousto-electric transducers operable in a radial vibration mode and carried by said liner, said transducers each having an outer wall surface received within a different one of said first and second recesses at a position interior to said inner surface of said housing, and an inner wall surface, said transducers each being dimensioned to provide with said inner wall surface of said liner a fluid flow conduit substantially devoid of protuberances and cavities and extending between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet of said housing;
said transducers being capable of generating and sensing compressional waves traveling in said fluid along said flow conduit when operated in said radial vibration mode and being acoustically isolated from said housing by said liner. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification