Method and system for multi-path ultrasonic flow rate measurement

US7942068B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GE Infrastructure Sensing, LLC · US

Inventors

• Xiaolei Shirley Ao · Lexington, US
• Robert Caravana · Lexington, US
• Edward Randall Furlong · Beverly, US
• Oleg Alexander Khrakovsky · Lynn, US
• Benjamin Edward McDonald · Holliston, US
• Nicholas Joseph Mollo · Wilmington, US
• Lydia Shen · Acton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 11, 2009
• Grant date: May 17, 2011
• Expiry date: Jul 24, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01F25/10
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In one embodiment, a multi-path ultrasonic flow meter for determining the flow rate of a fluid in a conduit is disclosed comprising at least two transducer pairs attached to the conduit at two chord locations, one greater than and one less than a mid-radius chord, wherein the composite ratio the two path velocities to the flow rate is substantially constant over the range of Reynolds numbers. In another embodiment, a method of determining the flow rate of a fluid in a conduit is disclosed comprising the steps of determining a composite velocity by determining a weighted average of a plurality of path velocities, determining a chord velocity ratio based on the path velocities, determining a profile correction factor based on the composite velocity and the chord velocity ratio, and determining the flow rate based on the composite velocity and the profile correction factor.