Ultrasonic Flowmeter With Damping Pipe And Propagators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasonic flowmeters face challenges in accurately measuring flow rates in pneumatic systems due to issues like pressure loss, clogging, and reduced signal intensity, especially when dealing with gases, and are not suitable for soft resin pipes, while thermal flow sensors require rectifying plates that increase maintenance needs.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic flowmeter design featuring a damping pipe with reduced acoustic impedance differences, ultrasonic propagators, and a housing that accommodates first and second ultrasonic elements, improving signal-to-noise ratio and measurement accuracy by minimizing signal reflection and noise components, and allowing for accurate flow rate measurement in pneumatic systems, including those with soft resin pipes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a thermal flow sensor is used, then flow rate measurement is possible, but measurement stability deteriorates when uneven flow or turbulent flow occurs, requiring a rectifying plate that increases pressure loss and maintenance needs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the rectifying plate component from the flow measurement system. By using an ultrasonic flowmeter that measures flow rate based on ultrasonic signal propagation time differences, the system no longer requires mechanical flow straightening components, thereby removing the source of pressure loss while maintaining measurement stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical thermal flow sensor system with an ultrasonic measurement system. Instead of using physical heaters and temperature detection, the system uses ultrasonic waves to measure flow rate, eliminating the need for rectifying plates and reducing mechanical complexity.
2Loss of energy
If a clamp-on type ultrasonic flowmeter is used, then no rectifying plate is needed, but accurate measurement of gas flow is difficult due to large acoustic impedance difference between metal piping and gas
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an ultrasonic propagator as an intermediary component between the ultrasonic element and the gas flow. This propagator has acoustic impedance that is intermediate between the solid ultrasonic element and the gas, enabling efficient ultrasonic energy transmission into the gas while maintaining measurement accuracy without requiring clamp-on attachment to metal piping.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the acoustic impedance parameter of the interface between the ultrasonic element and the gas by introducing the ultrasonic propagator. This parameter modification enables effective ultrasonic signal transmission into the gas, overcoming the acoustic impedance mismatch problem that prevents accurate gas flow measurement with conventional clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeters.
3Measurement precision
If ultrasonic element is exposed to gas for flow rate measurement, then gas flow measurement is possible, but contaminants in gas adhere to the ultrasonic element causing measurement accuracy deterioration over time
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic propagator serves as a mediator that is exposed to the gas contaminants rather than the ultrasonic element itself. The propagator can be designed to withstand contamination and be easily maintained or replaced, while the ultrasonic element remains protected inside the housing, preserving measurement accuracy over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a functional copy of the ultrasonic transmission path through the ultrasonic propagator, which interfaces with the gas. This allows the ultrasonic element to remain isolated from direct gas contact while still achieving gas flow measurement through the propagator, which can be designed for easier maintenance and contamination resistance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed ultrasonic flowmeter achieves improved measurement accuracy and reduced maintenance needs by minimizing noise components and signal reflection, enabling reliable flow rate measurement in pneumatic systems, including those with soft resin pipes, and effectively handling gases.
Implementation Method 1
a propagation time difference of the ultrasonic signal is measured between a direction along the flow and a direction opposite to the flow, and a flow velocity and the flow rate of the gas are calculated from the propagation time difference
Implementation Method 2
a damping pipe that defines the flow path and attenuates the ultrasonic signal
Data Source
AI summary
To enable accurate measurement when a flow rate is measured using an ultrasonic signal. An ultrasonic flowmeter includes a first ultrasonic element and a second ultrasonic element, a damping pipe, a first ultrasonic propagator and a second ultrasonic propagator, which are arranged outside the damping pipe, and a flow rate measurement unit that measures a flow rate based on an ultrasonic signal transmitted and received between the first ultrasonic element and the second ultrasonic element. The first ultrasonic element, the first ultrasonic propagator, the damping pipe, the second ultrasonic element, and the second ultrasonic propagator are accommodated in a housing.