In situ ultrasonic flow meter validation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12480793-B2
Application number	US-201917295666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2019
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A method of in situ ultrasonic flow meter validation includes receiving data characterizing first signal diagnostics and data characterizing a first speed of a first acoustic signal through a gas mixture along a first path in a pipe. The first speed of the first acoustic signal is detected by a first channel of an ultrasonic flow meter including a first pair of transducers that are separated by a first path length of the first path. The gas mixture is configured to flow along a flow path in the pipe. The method also includes determining a status associated with the ultrasonic flow meter based on the data characterizing the first signal diagnostics and/or a difference between the first speed of the first acoustic signal and an independently calculated speed of sound. The speed of sound is calculated based on one or more properties of the gas mixture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
receiving data characterizing first signal diagnostics and data characterizing a first speed of a first acoustic signal through a gas mixture along a first path in a pipe, the first speed of the first acoustic signal detected by a first channel of an ultrasonic flow meter including a first pair of transducers that are separated by a first path length of the first path, wherein the gas mixture is configured to flow along a flow path in the pipe, further receiving data characterizing properties of the gas mixture, the properties comprising a composition of the gas mixture, a pressure of the gas mixture in the ultrasonic flow meter, and a temperature of the gas mixture; determining a status associated with the ultrasonic flow meter based on the data characterizing the first signal diagnostics and a difference between the first speed of the first acoustic signal and a speed of sound, wherein the speed of sound is calculated based on the properties of the gas mixture, the speed of sound being calculated using a predetermined algorithm; and adjusting over a predetermined range, based on the determined status, a time delay of the first pair of transducers to match the first speed of the first acoustic signal to the speed of sound being calculated using the predetermined algorithm within a predetermined threshold.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined algorithm includes one or more of a molecular-weight based algorithm, an American Gas Association Report Number 10 (AGA10) method, and an ideal gas law.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the status includes an identity of the ultrasonic flow meter.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data characterizing the first signal diagnostics includes one or more of the first path length, time delay of a first transducer and/or a second transducer of the first pair of transducers and a signal strength, and a signal-to-noise ratio, and
wherein the data characterizing the first speed of the first acoustic signal includes a first upstream time of travel of sound from the first transducer to the second transducer, and a first downstream time of travel of sound from the second transducer to the first transducer.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising receiving data characterizing second signal diagnostics and data characterizing a second speed of a second acoustic signal through a gas mixture along a second path in the pipe, the second speed of the second acoustic signal detected by a second channel of the ultrasonic flow meter including a second pair of transducers that are separated by a second path length of the second path,
wherein the data characterizing the second signal diagnostics includes one or more of the second path length, time delay of a third transducer and/or a fourth transducer of the second pair of transducers, and a signal-to-noise ratio, and wherein the data characterizing the second speed of the second acoustic signal includes a second upstream time of travel of sound from the third transducer to the fourth transducer, and a second downstream time of travel of sound from the fourth transducer to the third transducer.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the status includes:
determining that one or more of the first signal diagnostics of the first acoustic signal has a first predetermined value, the second signal diagnostics of the second acoustic signal has a second predetermined value, the difference between the first speed of the first acoustic signal and the calculated speed of sound is above a higher threshold value, and a difference between the second speed of the second acoustic signal and the calculated speed of sound is above the higher threshold value; and setting the status associated with the ultrasonic flow meter to indicate a maintenance request.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the status includes:
determining that one or more of the first signal diagnostics of the first acoustic signal has a first predetermined value, the second signal diagnostics of the second acoustic signal has a second predetermined value, the difference between the first speed of the first acoustic signal and the calculated speed of sound is below a higher threshold value and above a lower threshold value, and a difference between the second speed of the second acoustic signal and the calculated speed of sound is below the higher threshold value and above the lower threshold value; and setting the status associated with the ultrasonic flow meter to indicate that the ultrasonic flow meter requires calibration.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising calibrating the ultrasonic flow meter by varying one or more of time delay of the first transducer and/or the second transducer, the first path length, time delay of the third transducer and/or the fourth transducer, and the second path length.

9 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the status includes:
determining that one or more of the first signal diagnostics of the first acoustic signal has a predetermined value, the difference between the first speed of the first acoustic signal and the calculated speed of sound is below a lower threshold value, and a difference between the second speed of the second acoustic signal and the calculated speed of sound is below the lower threshold value; and setting the status associated with the ultrasonic flow meter to indicate that an ultrasonic flow meter performance has been validated.

10 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the status includes:
calculating a first velocity of fluid flow based on time difference between the first upstream time of travel and the first downstream time of travel; calculating a second velocity of fluid flow based on time difference between the second upstream time of travel and the second downstream time of travel; calculating a difference between the first fluid velocity and the second fluid velocity is above a higher threshold value; and setting the status associated with the ultrasonic flow meter to indicate a maintenance request.

11 . The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the status includes:
calculating a first velocity of fluid flow based on time difference between the first upstream time of travel and the first downstream time of travel; calculating a second velocity of fluid flow based on time difference between the second upstream time of travel and the second downstream time of travel; calculating a difference between the first fluid velocity and the second fluid velocity is below a lower threshold value; and setting the status associated with the ultrasonic flow meter to indicate a successful in situ validation.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification includes the determined status in a flare application or industrial process application.

13 . A system comprising:
at least one data processor; memory coupled to the at least one data processor, the memory storing instructions to cause the at least one data processor to perform operations comprising:
receiving data characterizing first signal diagnostics and data characterizing a first speed of a first acoustic signal through a gas mixture along a first path in a pipe, the first speed of the first acoustic signal detected by a first channel of an ultrasonic flow meter including a first pair of transducers that are separated by a first path length of the first path, wherein the gas mixture is configured to flow along a flow path in the pipe, further receiving data characterizing properties of the gas mixture, the properties comprising a composition of the gas mixture

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Huang Yufeng
• Tao Chong
• Johnson Daniel Robert
• Weling Aniruddha S
• Kowal Anthony
• Sui Lei

Classifications

• G01F25/10 Primary

  of flowmeters · CPC title

• G01F1/668 Primary

  Compensating or correcting for variations in velocity of sound · CPC title