Ultrasonic Flowmeter Dissimilar Chordal Integration Error Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Transit time ultrasonic flowmeters face integration errors due to discrete velocity sampling, leading to inaccuracies in flowrate measurement, and existing methods to detect these errors are prone to false alarms and increased hardware requirements.
Innovation Solution
Employing two dissimilar chordal integration methods in a single meter body, with at least one common chordal path, to reduce hardware requirements and enhance error detection accuracy by comparing overlapping chordal data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dissimilar chordal integration methods are used to detect integration errors, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to requiring more chordal paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two different chordal integration methods (e.g., 3-chord and 4-chord methods) into a single meter body, allowing them to share common chordal paths. This merging approach enables error detection through comparison of different integration results while reducing the total number of required paths from 7 (3+4) to 4 (with one common path), thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The common chordal path serves multiple functions: it is used by both the first chordal integration method and the second chordal integration method simultaneously. This multi-functionality allows the same physical path to contribute to both integration calculations, enabling error detection without requiring separate dedicated paths for each method, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining precision
2Reliability
If dissimilar chordal integration methods are employed to avoid common mode errors, then reliability is improved, but hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the hardware requirements of two dissimilar integration methods by allowing them to share common chordal paths within the same meter body. This combining approach maintains the reliability benefits of using dissimilar methods (different integration schemes produce different results that can be compared for error detection) while reducing the total quantity of hardware components (transducers, signal processing channels) needed compared to having completely separate systems
3Measurement precision
If multiple independent measurement systems are used to detect measurement errors, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple measurement approaches (different chordal integration methods) into a unified system structure where they share common hardware resources and processing infrastructure. This merging maintains the precision benefits of multiple independent measurement systems (through comparative error detection) while reducing device complexity by eliminating redundant components and streamlining the overall system architecture
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 approach effectively reduces hardware needs and minimizes false alarms, enabling accurate and reliable detection and quantification of integration errors, improving flowrate measurement precision.
Implementation Method 1
self-checking, transit time ultrasonic flowmeter which uses two or more chordal integration methods
Implementation Method 2
path is an intended route of ultrasound transmission through the fluid between two transducers
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method to detect and quantify integration errors in a transit time ultrasonic flow meter uses dissimilar integration methods or schemes employed simultaneously. In a preferred embodiment, a number of chordal paths are arranged in a single meter body such that at least two dissimilar chordal integration schemes can be used to determine the flow rate. At least one of the chordal paths is common to both integration schemes. The total number of chordal paths needed in any chordal measurement plane is less than the sum of the chordal paths used in each of the integration schemes (as is the sum of the planes), thereby reducing hardware requirements.