System and method using digital filters and neural networks to determine fluid flow
First Claim
1. An ultrasonic system for a fluid contained within a pipe, the ultrasonic system comprising:
- an upstream transducer mountable on the pipe, the upstream transducer configured to receive first ultrasonic pulses and to transmit second ultrasonic pulses;
a downstream transducer mountable on the pipe at a location displaced from the upstream transducer at least along the longitudinal axis of the pipe, the downstream transducer configured to receive the second ultrasonic pulses and to transmit the first ultrasonic pulses; and
a processor having a timer and a counter, the processor configured to use the timer and counter to determine a time period, TU, associated with the first ultrasonic pulses, the processor configured to use the timer and counter to determine a time period, TD, associated with the second ultrasonic pulses, the processor configured to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid or the pipe based on a filter system configured in accordance with one or more equations having one or more irreducible terms involving TU and one or more irreducible terms involving TD, the one or more equations having one or more TU filter coefficients associated with the one or more irreducible terms involving TU and the one or more equations having one or more TD filter coefficients associated with the one or more irreducible terms involving TD, at least one of the one or more TU filter coefficients being unequal in absolute value to at least one of the one or more TD filter coefficients.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ultrasonic flowmeter using ultrasonic pulses transmitted within a pipe containing flowing fluid determines values, including flow rate or fluid velocity of the flowing fluid. The ultrasonic flowmeter transmits trains of ultrasonic pulses having velocity components either in the upstream or downstream direction. The ultrasonic flowmeter includes the transducer placed downstream external to the pipe and a transducer placed upstream external to the pipe. Time measurements are made to determine a time, TU, required for a pulse train to travel from the downstream transducer to the upstream transducer and the time, TD, required for a pulse train to travel from the upstream transducer to the downstream transducer. The ultrasonic flowmeter is configured to have consistent triggering of the pulses of the pulse train to reduce error. Also, the electronics are simplified to allow for lower timing resolution requirements. Once TU and TD are determined, a series of validation filters, parameter filters, coarse flow rate filters, and refined flow rate filters are used to determine flow measurement. Alternatively, fluid velocity filters are used. Also, diameter filters are used to determine the current interior diameter of the pipe. All measurements are made noninvasively. The system and method includes determining coefficients for the various filters to account for variability in dimensions, parameters and conditions involved.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An ultrasonic system for a fluid contained within a pipe, the ultrasonic system comprising:
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an upstream transducer mountable on the pipe, the upstream transducer configured to receive first ultrasonic pulses and to transmit second ultrasonic pulses;
a downstream transducer mountable on the pipe at a location displaced from the upstream transducer at least along the longitudinal axis of the pipe, the downstream transducer configured to receive the second ultrasonic pulses and to transmit the first ultrasonic pulses; and
a processor having a timer and a counter, the processor configured to use the timer and counter to determine a time period, TU, associated with the first ultrasonic pulses, the processor configured to use the timer and counter to determine a time period, TD, associated with the second ultrasonic pulses, the processor configured to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid or the pipe based on a filter system configured in accordance with one or more equations having one or more irreducible terms involving TU and one or more irreducible terms involving TD, the one or more equations having one or more TU filter coefficients associated with the one or more irreducible terms involving TU and the one or more equations having one or more TD filter coefficients associated with the one or more irreducible terms involving TD, at least one of the one or more TU filter coefficients being unequal in absolute value to at least one of the one or more TD filter coefficients. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An ultrasonic system for a fluid contained within a pipe, the ultrasonic system comprising:
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an upstream transducer mountable on the pipe, the upstream transducer configured to receive first ultrasonic pulses and transmit second ultrasonic pulses;
a downstream transducer mountable on the pipe at a location displaced from the upstream transducer at least along the longitudinal axis of the pipe, the downstream transducer configured to receive the second ultrasonic pulses and transmit the first ultrasonic pulses; and
a processor having a timer and a counter, the processor configured to use the timer and counter to determine a time period, TU, associated with the first ultrasonic pulses, the processor configured to use the timer and counter to determine a time period, TD, associated with the second ultrasonic pulses, the processor configured to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid or the pipe based on a filter system configured in accordance with one or more equations having two or more irreducible terms involving TU and two or more irreducible terms involving TD, the one or more equations having two or more TU filter coefficients associated with the two or more irreducible terms involving TU and the one or more equations having two or more TD filter coefficients associated with the two or more irreducible terms involving TD. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. An ultrasonic system for a fluid contained within a pipe, the ultrasonic system comprising:
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a first transducer mountable on the pipe, the first transducer configured to receive first ultrasonic pulses and to transmit second ultrasonic pulses;
a second transducer mountable on the pipe at a location displaced from the first transducer at least along the longitudinal axis of the pipe, the second transducer configured to receive the second ultrasonic pulses and to transmit the first ultrasonic pulses; and
a processor having a timer and a counter, the processor configured to use the timer and counter to determine a time period, T1, associated with the first ultrasonic pulses, the processor configured to use the timer and counter to determine a time period, T2, associated with the second ultrasonic pulses, the processor configured to determine at least one characteristic of the fluid or the pipe based on T1 and T2 and based on a filter system configured in accordance with one or more equations having one or more irreducible terms involving T1 and two or more irreducible terms involving T2, the one or more equations having one or more T1 filter coefficients associated with the one or more irreducible terms involving T1 and the one or more equations having two or more T2 filter coefficients associated with the two or more irreducible terms involving T2, at least one of the T1 filter coefficients being unequal in absolute value to at least one of the T2 filter coefficients. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of measurement associated with a fluid contained within a pipe, the method comprising:
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timing a first group of ultrasonic pulses transmitted through the fluid to obtain a first time measurement;
timing a second group of ultrasonic pulses transmitted through the fluid to obtain a second time measurement;
applying one or more filters configured in accordance with one or more equations having one or more first irreducible terms involving the first time measurement and one or more second irreducible terms involving the second time measurement to the first and second time measurements, at least one of the equations having a first coefficient associated with one of the first irreducible terms being unequal in absolute value to a coefficient associated with one of the second irreducible terms; and
determining a characteristic of at least one of the pipe and fluid based on the application of the one or more filters. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 25)
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17. A method of measurement associated with a fluid contained within a pipe, the method comprising:
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timing a first group of ultrasonic pulses transmitted through the fluid to obtain a first time measurement;
timing a second group of ultrasonic pulses transmitted through the fluid to obtain a second time measurement;
applying one or more filters configured in accordance with one or more equations having two or more first irreducible terms involving the first time measurement and two or more second irreducible terms involving the second time measurement to the first and second time measurements, the two or more first irreducible terms having two or more first coefficients and the two or more second irreducible terms having two or more second coefficients; and
determining a characteristic of at least one of the pipe and fluid based on the application of the one or more filters to the first time measurement and the second time measurement. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of measurement associated with a fluid contained within a pipe, the method comprising:
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timing a first group of ultrasonic pulses transmitted through the fluid to obtain a first time measurement;
timing a second group of ultrasonic pulses transmitted through the fluid to obtain a second time measurement;
applying one or more filters configured in accordance with one or more equations having one or more first irreducible terms involving the first time measurement and two or more second irreducible terms involving the second time measurement to the first and second time measurements; and
determining at least one characteristic of the pipe or fluid based on the application of the one or more filters to the first and second time measurements.- View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification