Patent · US Expired

Ultrasonic vortex flowmeter having clamp-on housing

US5728947A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
18References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 12, 1996
Grant dateMar 17, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 12, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01F1/3282
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An improved ultrasonic vortex fluid flowmeter (10) includes a housing (12) having a slip-on yoke (16) which removably mates with a bluff body conduit connector (18) permanently installed in a fluid conduit to be monitored. An ultrasonic transmitter (40) and receiver (42) are respectively positioned within the legs of the yoke so as pass an ultrasonic wave through vortices (43) shed by the fluid as it flows by the bluff body (28). The slip-on yoke eliminates both the need to shut down fluid flow during meter servicing, and the potential for external contaminants entering the fluid. The flowmeter further utilizes a simple phase detector formed from an Exclusive Or gate (44) in combination with an optimal phase range detecting means (108). The optimal phase range detecting means triggers a 90 degree phase shift whenever the phase difference between the transmitted wave and the received wave approaches 0 or 180 degrees.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.