Transducer holding device for an ultrasonic flow measurement device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11796360-B2
Application number	US-201917287335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2018
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

A measuring device for determining the flow rate of a fluid which flows through a pipe portion. The measuring device comprises a measuring pipe with a pipe wall, at least one ultrasonic sensor for transmitting an acoustic signal and/or receiving an acoustic signal having an ultrasonic sensor upper surface and a holding element. In the pipe wall, at least one opening of a first type is provided, into which the at least one ultrasonic sensor can be inserted, and wherein the measuring device has an assembled state in which the holding element surrounds the measuring pipe in an annular manner and is positioned on the at least one ultrasonic sensor inserted into the opening of a first type.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A measuring device for determining the flow rate of a fluid which flows through a pipe portion, comprising a measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ) with a pipe wall ( 14 ), at least one ultrasonic sensor ( 18 , 20 ; 116 ) for transmitting an acoustic signal and/or receiving an acoustic signal having an ultrasonic sensor upper surface ( 21 ), and a holding element ( 22 ), wherein in the pipe wall ( 14 ), at least one opening of a first type ( 28 ; 118 ) is provided into which the at least one ultrasonic sensor ( 18 , 20 ; 116 ) can be inserted, and wherein the measuring device ( 10 ; 110 ) has an assembled state in which the holding element ( 22 ) surrounds the measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ) in an annular manner and is positioned on the outside of the at least one ultrasonic sensor ( 18 , 20 ; 116 ) inserted in the opening of a first type ( 28 ; 118 ), wherein the holding element ( 22 ) serves as a fixation for the at least one ultrasonic sensor ( 18 , 20 ; 116 ) when the fluid flowing inside the measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ) exerts pressure on the ultrasonic sensor ( 18 , 20 ; 116 ), and wherein in an operating state in which the fluid flowing through the measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ) does not exert any pressure on the ultrasonic sensor ( 18 , 20 ; 116 ), the holding element ( 22 ) is positioned without pressure on the upper surface ( 21 ) of the ultrasonic sensor ( 18 , 20 ; 116 ).

2. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the holding element ( 22 ) is positioned without pressure on the upper surface of the at least one ultrasonic sensor.

3. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the measuring pipe 2 ; 112 ) is thread-free.

4. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that, in the assembled state, the holding element ( 22 ) in cross-section forms a continuous line which has the shape of a polygon.

5. The measuring device according to claim 4 , wherein the shape of the polygon is a hexagon.

6. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that, in the assembled state, the holding element ( 22 ) in cross-section has a symmetrical shape.

7. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the measuring pipe has bearing surfaces and the cross-sectional shape of the holding element ( 22 ) is complementary to the contour formed from the bearing surfaces on the measuring pipe ( 12 ).

8. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the holding element ( 22 ) comprises at least two retaining brackets ( 24 ), wherein at least two retaining brackets ( 24 ) are connectable to each other.

9. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the holding element comprises a retaining bracket with at least two retaining sections, with the retaining sections being connected to one another at a predetermined angle.

10. The measuring device according to claim 9 , characterized in that at least one retaining section of the retaining bracket with at least two retaining sections is plate-shaped.

11. The measuring device according to claim 9 , characterized in that at least one retaining section of the retaining bracket with at least two retaining sections comprises a mounting flange.

12. The measuring device according to claim 9 , characterized in that the holding element ( 22 ) comprises a retaining bracket ( 24 ) with three retaining sections formed as a base ( 42 ) and two arms, wherein the arms ( 44 ) are positioned at opposite ends of the base ( 42 ) and face away from the base ( 42 ) at a predetermined angle, and wherein a mounting flange ( 46 ) is provided at a free end of each arm ( 44 ).

13. The measuring device according to claim 9 , characterized in that a passage ( 48 ) is provided in at least one retaining section of the retaining bracket with at least two retaining sections.

14. The measuring device according to claim 9 , characterized in that the measuring pipe has bearing surfaces and each retaining section is assigned a bearing surface on the measuring pipe ( 12 ).

15. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pipe wall ( 14 ) of the measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ) has an outer side which in cross-section has an angular contour and surface sections extending in the axial direction.

16. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ) comprises at least one surface section of a first type ( 36 ), in which the at least one opening of a first type ( 28 ; 116 ) is provided for receiving the at least one ultrasonic sensor ( 18 , 20 ; 116 ), and that said measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ) comprises at least one surface section of a second type ( 38 ), on which the holding element ( 22 ) is positioned in sections.

17. The measuring device according to claim 16 , characterized in that in the pipe wall ( 114 ) a measuring sensor 32 ) having an upper surface ( 33 ) and at least one opening of a second type ( 30 ) for receiving the measuring sensor ( 32 ) are provided, wherein the measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ) comprises at least one surface section of a third type ( 40 ) on which the measuring sensor ( 32 ) is positioned.

18. The measuring device according to claim 1 , characterized in that a plurality of ultrasonic sensors ( 18 , 20 ; 116 ) is provided, wherein any two ultrasonic sensors ( 18 , 20 ; 16 ) form a transmitter and receiver pair ( 16 ) and are arranged in the axial direction of the measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ), and wherein at least two transmitter and receiver pairs ( 16 ) are provided which are arranged along the circumference of the measuring pipe ( 12 ; 112 ).

Assignees

• Sensus Spectrum Llc

Inventors

• Bertram Carsten
• Pfeiffer Andreas

Classifications

• G01F1/662 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G01F1/667

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