System for identifying a sensor and measuring flow in a flow duct

• US 9,927,271 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lindab AB (Lindab International AB)
• Original Assignee: Lindab AB (Lindab International AB)
• Inventors: Hansen, Henning Max, Schmidt-Hansen, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Raevis, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US14/900,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20160377467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 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 15/061 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/066 involving magnetic transmission devices

Abstract

A system or a method for measuring flow of fluid or gas, has a flow duct with at least two transducers which generate at least one beam of ultrasound in the flow duct in which ultrasound transducers are placed in a fixed positions in a duct for flowing air where the electronic device for analyzing signal from the transducers is performed in a handheld device. A transmitter circuit is permanently connected to the transducers and a receiver circuit is placed in a handheld device. The transmitter circuit has calibration data representing the actual placement of the transducers in relation to the actual duct, which calibration data is communicated by every connection to the receiver circuit. Hereby can be achieved that transducers can be permanently placed in ventilation ducts in buildings, where placement of ultrasound transducers for measurement and for calibration of measurement of an air stream is nearly impossible.

Claims

1. System for measuring flow of gas or air, which system comprises a flow duct, which flow duct comprises at least two transducers, which transducers generate at least one beam of ultrasound in the flow duct, which transducers are connected to a transmitter and to a receiver, wherein the transducers are mounted and fixed in relation to the duct, wherein the transmitter is permanently connected to the transducers, wherein the receiver is located in a handheld device, the handheld device communicates with the transmitter, wherein the transmitter comprises to a source of calibration data representing the location of the transducers in the flow duct and the size of the flow duct, which calibration data is communicated by the transmitter to the receiver in the handheld device.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein wireless transmission means is provided for transmission of measured data and calibration information from the transmitter and said source of calibration data to the receiver.

3. System according to claim 2, wherein the source of calibration data is adapted to store the calibration data as a dataset that represents directly or indirectly the calibration data, which calibration data is able to be read by the hand held device by transmission of data representing actual flow in the duct.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a first part of a connector, wherein the handheld device comprises a second part of the connector, at least the calibration data being transmittable from said source of calibration data by the transmitter to the handheld device as a data segment.

5. System according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter comprises at least one DIL switch, which DIL switch is operatively connected to said source of calibration data that comprises at least a data segment representing the calibration data, which calibration data is transmittable from said a source of calibration data via the DIL switch by the connector to the handheld device.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises at least one resistor which comprises said source of calibration data having a resistor value that represents the calibration data for an actual duct, which resistor value is transmittable to the handheld device.

7. System according to claim 6, wherein the at least one resistor comprises a plurality of resistors, which resistors are activated by connecting one or more of the resistors for representing the calibration data.

8. System according to claim 7, wherein a printed board contains said plurality resistors the resistors being connected in series and being short circuited by a conductor at the printed board, which conductor passes a pad, which pad is to be removed for activating the resistor.

9. Method for measuring flow of gas or air by means of a system comprising:

generating at least one beam of ultrasound in the flow duct using a transmitter permanently connected to at least two transducers mounted and fixed in relation to a duct through which a flow of gas or air passes, and

communicating at least calibration data representing the location of the transducers in the flow duct and the size of the flow duct from a source of calibration data by the transmitter to a receiver located in a handheld device.