Flow rate measurement in a volume

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018252561-A1
Application number	US-201815899251-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 7, 2014
Publication date	Sep 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for measuring flow rate within a volume includes one or more transmission devices that transmit one or more signals through fluid contained within the volume. The volume may be bounded, at least in part, by an outer structure and by an object at least partially contained within the outer structure. A transmission device located at a first location of the outer structure transmits a first signal to a second location of the outer structure. A second signal is transmitted through the fluid from the second location to a third location of the outer structure. The flow rate of the fluid within the volume may be determined based, at least in part, on the time of flight of both the first signal and the second signal.

First claim

1 . A system for measuring flow rate of fluid within a structure, comprising:
a processing device configured to: measure a first time of flight of a first signal through the fluid from a first location to a second location; measure a second time of flight of a second signal through the fluid from the second location to a third location; and determine the flow rate of the fluid within the structure based, at least in part, on both the first time of flight and the second time of flight.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal travels from the first location through the fluid along a substantially linear path before arriving at the second location.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the second signal travels through the fluid along a substantially linear path from the second location before arriving at the third location.

4 . The system of claim 2 , the processing device further configured to:
measure time of flights for additional signals through the fluid along a plurality of linear paths; and determine the flow rate based on an aggregation of the time of flights for the plurality of linear paths.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of linear paths extend around an inside of the structure.

6 . The system of claim 1 , the processing device further configured to take an average of the first time of flight and the second time of flight to determine the flow rate.

7 . The system of claim 1 , the processing device further configured to take a weighted average of the first time of flight and the second time of flight to determine the flow rate.

8 . The system of claim 1 , the processing device further configured to compare the first time of flight with the second time of flight to identify irregularities in the flow rate of the fluid through the volume.

9 . The system of claim 1 , the processing device further configured to compare the first time of flight with the second time of flight to identify temperature changes in the fluid.

10 . The system of claim 1 , the processing device further configured to determine a temperature of the fluid based, at least in part, on the first time of flight and the second time of flight.

11 . A method for measuring a flow rate for fluid within a structure, comprising:
measuring a first time of flight of a first signal through the fluid from a first location on the structure to a second location on the structure; measuring a second time of flight for a second signal through the fluid from the second location on the structure to a third location on the structure; and determining the flow rate of the fluid based, at least in part, on both the first time of flight and the second time of flight.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising propagating the first signal from the second location to the third location as the second signal.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising reflecting the first signal from the second location to the third location as the second signal.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
locating an object within the structure; transmitting the first signal at the object as the first signal; and reflecting the first signal off of the object as the second signal.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising averaging the first time of flight with the second time of flight to determine the flow rate.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining a temperature of the fluid based on the first time of flight and the second time of flight.

17 . A system for measuring flow rate within a volume, comprising:
an emitter configured to transmit a signal through fluid contained within the volume, wherein the volume is bounded, at least in part, by an interior surface of a structure, and wherein the emitter is located at a first location on an exterior surface of the structure; a receiver located at a second location on the exterior surface of the structure and configured to receive the signal transmitted through the fluid by the emitter device; and a processor configured to determine a flow rate of the fluid based, at least in part, on a time of flight of the signal from the first location to the second location.

18 . The system of claim 17 , including a relay device configured to propagate the signal transmitted from the first location to the second location.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the flow rate of the fluid based, at least in part, on a first time of flight of the signal from the emitter to the relay device and a second time of flight from the relay device to the receiver.

20 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the transmitting device, receiving device, and relay device are located at different longitudinal positions on the structure.

21 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the relay device comprises an additional receiver and an additional emitter.

22 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the relay device comprises a reflector.

Assignees

• Nuscale Power Llc

Inventors

• Galvez Cristhian

Classifications

• G01F1/667 Primary

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

• G01F1/66 Primary

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

• G21C17/032

  Reactor-coolant flow measuring or monitoring {(measuring volume or mass flow in general G01F)} · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title