Inline Ultrasonic Transducer Assembly with Angled Piezo Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional clamp-on ultrasonic transducers require multiple installation details, including pipe material, wall thickness, and fluid type, which can be difficult to determine accurately, leading to installation challenges and reduced measurement accuracy due to potential misalignment and maintenance issues.
Innovation Solution
The inline ultrasonic transducer assembly features a transducer body with a cylindrical passage and mounting tracks, allowing for precise alignment and adjustment of transducer chassis with piezo members angled to maximize signal reflection, reducing the need for complex installation details and enhancing measurement accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If clamp-on transducers are used with a one-size-fits-all design, then manufacturing is simplified and inventory is minimized, but installation accuracy is reduced due to difficulty in determining pipe material, wall thickness, and other installation details
Solution Approach 1:
The transducer assembly is divided into modular components: a body portion with flow passage, a transducer portion with piezoelectric elements, and a mounting portion with clamp mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while maintaining overall manufacturing efficiency and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs multiple transducer orientations (longitudinal, lateral, angled) and adjustable mounting positions that can be selected based on specific pipe configurations. This parameter variation enables accurate measurements across different pipe materials, wall thicknesses, and diameters without requiring multiple transducer designs.
2Measurement precision
If clamp-on transducers require multiple installation details to be determined accurately, then measurement precision may improve, but installation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transducer assembly incorporates adjustable mounting mechanisms that allow the transducer portion to be positioned at various locations and orientations on the pipe. This dynamic adjustability enables installers to optimize measurement accuracy for different pipe configurations without requiring precise pre-determination of all installation parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting portion includes clamp mechanisms and attachment structures that enable self-aligning and self-adjusting capabilities during installation. The system automatically adapts to pipe dimensions and configurations, reducing the need for complex measurement and calculation procedures by the installer.
3Ease of operation
If traditional clamp-on transducers are installed without precise control of pipe eccentricity and wall thickness, then installation ease improves, but measurement accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes multiple measurement dimensions by employing transducers oriented in different directions (longitudinal, lateral, and angled orientations). This multi-dimensional approach allows the system to compensate for pipe eccentricity and variable wall thickness by measuring from multiple perspectives and calculating flow based on combined data.
Solution Approach 2:
The transducer assembly is designed with asymmetric mounting capabilities that allow different transducer configurations for different sides of the pipe. This asymmetry enables the system to adapt to eccentric pipes where wall thickness varies around the circumference, maintaining measurement accuracy despite installation variations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If clamp-on transducers are designed for universal applicability, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases due to multiple installation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The transducer assembly is designed as a universal device that can measure flow in pipes of various materials, diameters, and configurations. The body portion with flow passage, transducer portion with multiple piezoelectric elements, and mounting portion with adjustable clamps create a multi-functional system that adapts to different applications through configuration rather than requiring multiple specialized devices.
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
This design simplifies the installation process, reduces maintenance requirements, and improves flow measurement accuracy by controlling key variables during manufacturing, such as pipe diameter and eccentricity, while minimizing inventory costs through adaptable designs for various pipe diameters.
Implementation Method 1
at least one piezo member mounted within the hollowed-out portion
Implementation Method 2
an ultrasonic signal emitted from the piezo member of one of the first or second transducer chasses is reflected off a wall of the cylindrical passage and received by the other of the first or second transducer chasses
Data Source
AI summary
An inline ultrasonic transducer assembly is disclosed. The transducer assembly can include a body having a cylindrical flow passage and a transducer mounting space having a track on along which at least one transducer chassis can be slidingly engaged. The transducer chassis can include at least one piezo member oriented at an angle with the axial centerline of the flow passage.