Ultrasonic Flow Meter Housing With Curved Channels and Welded Halves
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic flow measurement devices are complex, costly, and prone to errors due to multiple parts, dead spaces, and turbulence, which affect measurement accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A measuring device with a measuring tube between an inlet and an outlet, featuring ultrasonic transducers spaced along the tube for parallel scanning, housed in two identical plastic parts connected by welding, with curved channel sections and an eccentric offset to minimize reflections and dead spaces, ensuring uniform ultrasound introduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate parts and components are used in the measuring device, then the device can be assembled with some flexibility, but the device complexity increases and assembly effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (measuring tube, housing, connector pieces) into a single integrally formed plastic component through injection molding. This merging eliminates the need for separate parts and their associated assembly steps, directly reducing device complexity while maintaining assembly flexibility through the molded-in design.
Solution Approach 2:
The single plastic component serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the measuring tube, housing, and connector piece. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of parts needed while maintaining the adaptability and versatility of the measuring device for different applications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate parts and sealing elements are used, then the device can be assembled with some flexibility, but the assembly effort and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the measuring tube, housing, and connector pieces into a single integrally formed component, the patent eliminates multiple assembly steps and the time required to assemble and seal separate parts. The single-piece design removes sealing elements and their associated assembly operations, directly reducing assembly time while preserving installation flexibility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a measuring tube with inserts and multiple components is used, then the device can be configured for different applications, but the manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses injection molding parameters and mold design variations to create different measuring device configurations for different applications. By changing molding parameters, material types, and mold features rather than designing different mechanical components, the patent maintains application-specific adaptability while significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and cost compared to multi-component assembled devices.
4Ease of operation
If connector pieces with 90° bends and plugs are used, then the device can be connected to pipelines, but dead spaces and capillaries are created that affect measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces sharp 90° bends with smoothly curved transition sections in the connector pieces. This curvature eliminates dead spaces and capillaries where fluid could accumulate, ensuring complete fluid flow through the measurement path. The smooth transitions maintain ease of pipeline connection while significantly improving measurement accuracy by eliminating measurement-affecting dead zones.
5Measurement precision
If reflectors protruding into the measuring channel are used, then the ultrasound measurement can be performed, but turbulence is created that negatively affects measurement results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses smoothly curved transition sections instead of protruding reflectors to guide ultrasound waves through the measuring channel. The curved surfaces maintain ultrasound measurement capability by providing acoustic reflection and guidance while eliminating turbulence-generating protrusions into the fluid flow path, thus removing the harmful turbulence effect on measurements.
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 solution provides a cost-effective, reliable, and accurate flow measurement with reduced assembly effort, minimizing turbulence and errors, and maintaining a constant cross-section for improved measurement precision.
Implementation Method 1
a measuring device for measuring the throughflow of a medium flowing in a measuring tube by means of ultrasound
Implementation Method 2
along which a travel time measurement can be carried out by means of the ultrasonic transducer arrangement
Data Source
AI summary
In order to measure the throughflow of a medium flowing in a measuring tube (20) by means of ultrasound, a measuring device is proposed, in the case of which the measuring tube (20) is arranged in a housing (30) of the measuring device (10) between an inlet (21) and an outlet (22) for the medium, wherein at least two ultrasonic transducers (40a, 40b) which are spaced apart from one another along the measuring tube (20) are provided to ultrasonically test the medium, wherein at least one ultrasonic transducer (40a, 40b) is arranged in each end region of the measuring tube (20) in such a way that a measuring path which permits ultrasonic testing parallel to a longitudinal axis (23) of the measuring tube (20) is formed between the ultrasonic transducers (40a, 40b), wherein the housing (30) can be assembled or is assembled together with the measuring tube (20) from housing parts (30a, 30b) which are configured from at least one plastic and are produced by means of a primary forming manufacturing method, wherein the housing (30) is configured with two identical housing parts (30a, 30b) which can be connected or are connected to one another without seals by way of a welding operation, wherein channel portions (12a, 12b) which are arranged at the inlet (21) and the outlet (22) are curved in the shape of a circular arc, and wherein a centre point of that circle to which the circular arc is assigned has an eccentric offset (25) in relation to the longitudinal axis (23) of the measuring tube (20).