Ultrasonic flowmeter having pressure balancing system for high pressure operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9568348-B2
Application number	US-201514726962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2015
Priority date	Mar 2, 2011
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A system is provided with an ultrasonic flow meter. The ultrasonic flow meter includes a first ultrasonic transducer disposed about a fluid flow path, and a pressure balancing system configured to pressure balance the first ultrasonic transducer relative to a fluid flow along the fluid flow path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a meter, comprising:
a conduit having a wall disposed about a fluid flow path;
a chamber disposed outside of the wall of the conduit at least partially along the conduit;
a damping material disposed in the chamber outside of the wall of the conduit; and
first and second meter elements, wherein the damping material is disposed between the first and second meter elements.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the damping material comprises a plurality of separate particles disposed in the chamber outside of the wall of the conduit.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the damping material comprises a fluid disposed in the chamber outside of the wall of the conduit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the damping material comprises one or more structures disposed in the chamber outside of the wall of the conduit.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more structures comprise one or more rings disposed about the wall of the conduit.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the damping material comprises an elastomer, a polymer, a foam, or a combination thereof, disposed in the chamber outside of the wall of the conduit.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the damping material is configured to reduce interference between the first and second meter elements.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first meter element comprises a first acoustic meter element, and the second meter element comprises a second acoustic meter element.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first meter element comprises a first ultrasonic meter element, and the second meter element comprises a second ultrasonic meter element.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the meter comprises a flow meter.

11. The system of claim 1 , comprising an underwater component having the meter.

12. The system of claim 1 , comprising a chemical injection apparatus having the meter.

13. The system of claim 1 , comprising a pressure balancer disposed between the fluid flow path and the chamber.

14. The system of claim 1 , comprising a bellows coupled to the conduit between the fluid flow path and the chamber.

15. The system of claim 1 , comprising a fluid passage fluidly coupled to the fluid flow path and the chamber.

16. The system of claim 15 , comprising a piston disposed along the fluid passage.

17. A system, comprising:
a conduit;
a fluid flow path extending through the conduit;
a chamber external to the conduit; and
a pressure balancer disposed between the fluid flow path and the chamber.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the pressure balancer comprises a bellows coupled to the conduit between the fluid flow path and the chamber.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the pressure balancer comprises a fluid passage fluidly coupled to the fluid flow path and the chamber.

20. The system of claim 19 , comprising a piston disposed along the fluid passage.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the fluid passage comprises an annular fluid passage disposed about the conduit, and the annular fluid passage is fluidly coupled to the fluid flow path via an annular opening coaxial with the conduit.

22. The system of claim 17 , comprising one or more meter elements disposed in the chamber.

23. The system of claim 22 , comprising an ultrasonic meter having the one or more meter elements.

24. A system, comprising:
a conduit;
a fluid flow path extending through the conduit;
a chamber external to and along the conduit;
a damping material disposed in the chamber; and
a pressure balancer disposed between the fluid flow path and the chamber.

25. The system of claim 24 , comprising one or more meter elements disposed in the chamber.

26. The system of claim 25 , comprising an ultrasonic meter having the one or more meter elements.

27. A system, comprising:
a meter, comprising:
a conduit;
a fluid flow path extending through the conduit;
a chamber external to and along the conduit;
a damping material disposed in the chamber; and
first and second meter elements, wherein the damping material is disposed between the first and second meter elements; and

an underwater component having the meter.

28. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of separate particles comprises at least 10 separate particles.

29. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of separate particles comprises at least 100 separate particles.

30. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of separate particles comprises rigid particles.

31. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of separate particles comprises sand or beads.

32. The system of claim 2 , wherein each separate particle of the plurality of separate particles is made of an acoustic damping material.

33. The system of claim 3 , wherein the fluid comprises a protective fluid configured to resist corrosion.

34. The system of claim 3 , wherein the fluid is isolated from the fluid flow path through the conduit.

35. The system of claim 1 , wherein the damping material is isolated from the fluid flow path through the conduit.

36. The system of claim 1 , wherein the damping material only partially fills the chamber.

37. The system of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is disposed between the wall of the conduit and a surrounding housing.

Assignees

• Cameron Int Corp

Inventors

• Quin David Francis Anthony
• Minnock Kevin Peter
• O'Brien Francis Anthony
• Mccarthy Finian

Classifications

• G01N2291/02836

  Flow rate, liquid level · CPC title

• G01F15/10

  Preventing damage by freezing or excess pressure or insufficient pressure · CPC title

• G01F1/662 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G01F1/667

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

• G01F15/14

  Casings, e.g. of special material · CPC title