Method for controlling an apparatus for ultrasonically measuring the flow rate of a fluid in a measuring channel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10480972-B2
Application number	US-201815949999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2018
Priority date	Apr 10, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A control method for an apparatus for ultrasonically measuring the flow rate of a fluid in a measuring channel, including a measuring channel whose one end is equipped with a first transducer and the other end is equipped with a second transducer, each transducer emitting ultrasonic waves to the other transducer, and receiving waves generated by the other transducer, where, in a first step, the first transducer emits waves to the second transducer, and in a second step, which can be simultaneous with the first one, the second transducer emits waves prior to the reception of the waves emitted by the first transducer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control method for an apparatus for ultrasonically measuring the flow rate of a fluid in a measuring channel, including a measuring channel whose one end is equipped with a first transducer and the other end is equipped with a second transducer, each transducer emitting ultrasonic waves to the other transducer, and receiving waves generated by the other transducer, wherein, in a first step, the first transducer emits waves to the second transducer, and in a second step, which can be simultaneous with the first one, the second transducer emits waves prior to the reception of the waves emitted by the first transducer.

2. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the first step and the second step are carried out iteratively.

3. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein each transducer performs emissions of waves in a non-synchronized manner relative to the other transducer.

4. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein each transducer performs emissions of waves in a synchronized manner relative to the other transducer.

5. A system for controlling an apparatus for ultrasonically measuring the flow rate of a fluid, comprising means implementing a control method according to claim 1 .

6. The control system according to claim 5 , further comprising a common energizing signal emission path for the two transducers.

7. The control system according to claim 5 , further comprising an energizing signal emission path comprising a generator generating the energizing signals transmitted to an impedance matching circuit placed before or after a multiplexer connected to the transducers.

8. The control system according to claims 5 , further comprising at least two separate reception paths.

9. The control system according to claim 8 , wherein each reception path includes successively an impedance matching circuit, and then a signal conditioning device comprising a band-pass filter and an amplifier.

10. The control system according to claim 9 , wherein each reception path includes a module for detecting the arrival of the wave delivering a processed signal, and then by a logic circuit validating the arrival time of the wave.

Assignees

• Efs Sa
• Lyon Ecole Centrale
• Centre Nat Rech Scient
• Univ Claude Bernard Lyon
• Inst Nat Sciences Appliquees Lyon

Inventors

• Robin Julian
• Gucher Pascal
• Huchon Alexandre
• Ollivier Sébastien
• Blanc-Benon Philippe

Classifications

• G01F1/667 Primary

  Arrangements of transducers for ultrasonic flowmeters; Circuits for operating ultrasonic flowmeters · CPC title

• G01F1/712

  using auto-correlation or cross-correlation detection means · CPC title

• G01F1/662

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• G01F1/66

  by measuring frequency, phase shift or propagation time of electromagnetic or other waves, e.g. using ultrasonic flowmeters · CPC title