Noninvasive characterization of a flowing multiphase fluid using ultrasonic interferometry
US6644119B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 2002 |
| Grant date | Nov 11, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 28, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/02836
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An apparatus for noninvasively monitoring the flow and/or the composition of a flowing liquid using ultrasound is described. The position of the resonance peaks for a fluid excited by a swept-frequency ultrasonic signal have been found to change frequency both in response to a change in composition and in response to a change in the flow velocity thereof. Additionally, the distance between successive resonance peaks does not change as a function of flow, but rather in response to a change in composition. Thus, a measurement of both parameters (resonance position and resonance spacing), once calibrated, permits the simultaneous determination of flow rate and composition using the apparatus and method of the present invention.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.