Method of and system for determining the mass flow rate of a fluid flowing in a conduit
First Claim
1. A method of determining the mass flow rate of a fluid flowing in a conduit, the method comprising:
- transmitting ultrasonic energy along multiple parallel quadrature planes through the fluid;
measuring the transit times of the ultrasonic energy through the fluid with and against the flow direction of the fluid;
calculating the flow velocity of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the transit times in each quadrature plane;
determining the density of the fluid in each quadrature plane; and
performing quadrature integration of the product of the fluid density and fluid velocity in each quadrature plane to calculate the total mass flow rate of the fluid.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of and system for analyzing the mass flow rate of a fluid flowing in a conduit wherein ultrasonic energy is transmitted along multiple v paths in multiple parallel quadrature planes through the fluid, the transit time of the ultrasonic energy through the fluid with and against the flow direction of the fluid is measured, and the flow velocity of the fluid in each quadrature plane is calculated based on the transit time in each quadrature plane. The density of the fluid in each quadrature plane is then determined and quadrature integration of the product of the fluid density and fluid velocity in each quadrature plane is performed to calculate the total mass flow rate of the fluid more accurately by eliminating errors associated with assuming that the density of the fluid in the conduit is uniform.
72 Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A method of determining the mass flow rate of a fluid flowing in a conduit, the method comprising:
-
transmitting ultrasonic energy along multiple parallel quadrature planes through the fluid;
measuring the transit times of the ultrasonic energy through the fluid with and against the flow direction of the fluid;
calculating the flow velocity of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the transit times in each quadrature plane;
determining the density of the fluid in each quadrature plane; and
performing quadrature integration of the product of the fluid density and fluid velocity in each quadrature plane to calculate the total mass flow rate of the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A higher accuracy quadrature mass flow meter comprising:
-
a first set of ultrasonic transducers aligned to transmit ultrasonic energy along parallel quadrature planes through a fluid flowing in a conduit;
a second set of ultrasonic transducers aligned in the quadrature planes to receive the ultrasonic energy transmitted by the first set;
means for determining the density of the fluid in each quadrature plane; and
an electronic subsystem responsive to the ultrasonic transducers and the means for determining density, the electronic subsystem configured to calculate the flow velocity of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the transit time of the transmitted ultrasonic energy in each quadrature plane, the electronics subsystem including a processor programmed to perform quadrature integration of the product of the fluid density and fluid velocity in each quadrature plane and to calculate the total mass flow rate of the fluid. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
calculate the speed of sound in each quadrature plane from the transit time of the transmitted ultrasonic energy through the fluid in each quadrature plane, and compare the calculated speed of sound in each quadrature plane with the data in the memory to determine the density of the fluid in each quadrature plane.
-
-
14. The system of claim 12 in which the means includes a third plurality of ultrasonic transducers located downstream from the second plurality of transducers also aligned with the quadrature planes and configured to transmit ultrasonic energy in the fluid.
-
15. The system of claim 14 in which the processor is programmed to calculate the density of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the transit time of the ultrasonic energy in the fluid transmitted by the third plurality of transducers.
-
16. The system of claim 14 in which the third plurality of transducers are each configured to launch a torsional wave.
-
17. The system of claim 16 in which the third plurality of transducers each include a waveguide extending through the conduit.
-
18. The system of claim 12 in which the means includes a single ultrasonic transducer located downstream from the second plurality of transducers and aligned with a first quadrature plane and configured to transmit ultrasonic energy in the fluid in said first quadrature plane.
-
19. The system of claim 18 in which the processor is programmed to calculate the density of the fluid in the first quadrature plane based on the transit time of the ultrasonic energy in the fluid transmitted by the single ultrasonic transducer and to derive the density of the fluid in the other quadrature planes based on the calculated density of the fluid in the first quadrature plane.
-
20. The system of claim 12 in which the conduit is a spoolpiece including all of the transducers disposed therein, the spoolpiece installed between two conduit sections.
-
21. The system of claim 12 in which the parallel quadrature planes extend horizontally.
-
22. The system of claim 12 in which the first and second set of ultrasonic transducers are located on the same side of the conduit, the system further including a set of reflectors disposed on the opposite side of the conduit between the first and second set of ultrasonic transducers for redirecting ultrasonic energy from one set of transducers to the other.
-
23. The system of claim 12 in which the quadrature planes are perpendicular to the transverse axis of the conduit, and where the variance among sound speeds in the planes is taken as a measure of density stratification.
-
24. The system of claim 12 in which each ultrasonic transducer is installed in a fitting located in an insert attached to the conduit.
-
25. The system of claim 24 in which the insert forms a truncated cone whose vertex is coincident with intersection of the longitudinal axis of the insert and the interior wall of the conduit.
-
26. The system of claim 12 further including a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the fluid in the conduit.
-
27. The system of claim 12 further including a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure of the fluid in the conduit.
-
28. The system of claim 12 in which the first and second sets of transducers are aligned such that all of the ultrasonic energy interactions with the flowing fluid occur in a volume defined by planes at the end of a cube inscribed in the conduit.
-
29. A method of determining the mass flow rate of a fluid flowing in a conduit, the method comprising:
-
transmitting ultrasonic energy along multiple parallel quadrature planes through the fluid;
measuring the transit time of the ultrasonic energy through the fluid with and against the flow direction of the fluid;
calculating the flow velocity of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the transit time in each quadrature plane;
determining the density of the fluid in each quadrature plane by calculating the speed of sound in each quadrature plane from the transit time of the ultrasonic energy through the fluid in each quadrature plane and referencing a library including speed of sound and density data for different fluids; and
performing quadrature integration of the product of the fluid density and fluid velocity in each quadrature plane to calculate the total mass flow rate of the fluid.
-
-
30. A method of determining the mass flow rate of a density stratified fluid flowing in a conduit, the method comprising:
-
transmitting ultrasonic energy along multiple parallel quadrature planes through the fluid;
measuring the transit time of the ultrasonic energy through the fluid with and against the flow direction of the fluid;
calculating the flow velocity of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the transit time in each quadrature plane;
measuring the density of the fluid in each quadrature plane; and
performing quadrature integration of the product of the fluid density and fluid velocity in each quadrature plane to calculate the total mass flow rate of the fluid.
-
-
31. A higher accuracy quadrature mass flow meter comprising:
-
a first set of ultrasonic transducers aligned to transmit ultrasonic energy along multiple parallel quadrature planes through a fluid flowing in a conduit;
a second set of ultrasonic transducers aligned in the quadrature planes to receive the ultrasonic energy transmitted by the first set;
a memory including speed of sound and density data for different liquids; and
an electronic subsystem configured to calculate the flow velocity of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the transit time of the transmitted ultrasonic energy in each quadrature plane, the electronics subsystem including a processor programmed to calculate the speed of sound in each quadrature plane from the transit time of the transmitted ultrasonic energy through the fluid in each quadrature plane, compare the calculated speed of sound in each quadrature plane with the data in the memory to determine the density of the fluid in each quadrature plane, and to perform quadrature integration of the product of the fluid density and fluid velocity in each quadrature plane and to calculate the total mass flow rate of the fluid.
-
-
32. A higher accuracy quadrature mass flow meter comprising:
-
a first set of ultrasonic transducers aligned to transmit ultrasonic energy along three or more parallel quadrature planes through a fluid flowing in a conduit;
a second set of ultrasonic transducers aligned in the quadrature planes to receive the ultrasonic energy transmitted by the first set;
a third plurality of ultrasonic transducers located downstream from the second plurality of transducers also aligned with the quadrature planes and configured to transmit ultrasonic energy in the fluid; and
an electronic subsystem configured to calculate the flow velocity of the fluid in each quadrature plane based the first and second set of transducers, to calculate the density of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the third plurality of transducers, and to perform quadrature integration of the product of the fluid density and fluid velocity in each quadrature plane and to calculate the total mass flow rate of the fluid.
-
-
33. A higher accuracy quadrature mass flow meter comprising:
-
a first set of ultrasonic transducers aligned to transmit ultrasonic energy along multiple paths in three or more parallel quadrature planes through a fluid flowing in a conduit;
a second set of ultrasonic transducers aligned in the quadrature planes to receive the ultrasonic energy transmitted by the first set;
at least one ultrasonic transducer located downstream from the second plurality of transducers and aligned with a first quadrature plane and configured to transmit ultrasonic energy in the fluid in said first quadrature plane; and
an electronic subsystem configured to calculate the flow velocity of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the first and second set of transducers, to calculate density of the fluid in each quadrature plane based on the said at least one ultrasonic transducer, and to perform quadrature integration of the product of the fluid density and fluid velocity in each quadrature plane and to calculate the total mass flow rate of the fluid.
-
Specification