Ultrasonic Fluid Meter With Flow Preparation Device
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid flow meters face limitations due to mechanical parts' sensitivity to dirt and wear, ultrasonic meters' sensitivity to flow disturbances, and the need for complex and costly designs with limited scalability, as well as errors from pressure and temperature variations, which require additional correctors and adapters.
Innovation Solution
A fluid flow meter with a cylindrical housing and a flow sensor located along its central axis, featuring a bell-shaped inlet and an adjustable adapter, combined with a flow preparation device like a grid to stabilize and dissipate the flow, allowing for high-precision measurements and reduced sensitivity to external disturbances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical meters (turbine or rotary) are used, then resistance to flow disturbances and direction changes is improved, but sensitivity to dirt and wear of moving parts occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement systems (turbine or rotary meters with moving parts) with an ultrasonic flow measurement system. The ultrasonic sensors measure flow velocity through acoustic waves without mechanical contact with the fluid, eliminating wear and dirt sensitivity while maintaining resistance to flow disturbances through proper sensor placement and signal processing
2Object-affected harmful factors
If ultrasonic meters are used, then freedom from moving parts is improved, but sensitivity to flow disturbances increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces flow conditioners as intermediary devices that straighten and stabilize the flow profile before it reaches the ultrasonic sensors. These conditioners eliminate turbulence and asymmetric flow patterns that would otherwise interfere with ultrasonic measurements, allowing the meter to maintain its advantage of having no moving parts while reducing sensitivity to flow disturbances
3Measurement precision
If flow conditioners or long straight inlet pipelines are used, then measurement accuracy is improved, but measuring space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from requiring long axial straight sections of pipeline (one-dimensional space) to using compact flow conditioners that achieve flow straightening through radial or circumferential flow paths (two or three-dimensional space). This dimensional change allows the same measurement accuracy to be achieved in a much more compact overall package, reducing the volume occupied by the meter while maintaining the necessary flow conditioning
4Measurement precision
If adapters are used to create uniform flow, then measurement accuracy is improved, but pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the design parameters of flow conditioners to optimize the balance between flow uniformity and pressure loss. By adjusting parameters such as the number and angle of flow straightening vanes, the length of the conditioning section, and the geometry of transition pieces, the system achieves sufficient flow uniformity for accurate measurement while minimizing the pressure drop across the meter
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 stable, homogeneous flow conditions, reducing the influence of external factors and enabling high-precision measurements across various flow rates, from domestic to industrial scales, with increased versatility and reduced need for external adapters or correctors.
Implementation Method 1
meters exclusively based on the volumetric principles of measurement
Implementation Method 2
a flow preparation device for dissipating and stabilizing the flow of the measured fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid flow meter with configuration of flow generation and flow sensor is intended for measuring a flow rate of working fluid (a gas or a liquid) passing through an inner cavity. The meter is a compact measuring apparatus of a small size, resistant to disturbances and distortions in the structure of the measured fluid flow. The fluid flow meter with configuration of flow generation and flow sensor is comprised of the following components: a housing (1) having an inner chamber (2) and a depression (3) configured to generate the flow; a flow sensor (4) arranged inside the housing (1) of the gas meter for measuring the flow velocity of the fluid; an adapter (5) to adjust different diameters of flow sensors and an outlet of the meter; a flow preparation device (6) intended for dissipating and stabilizing the flow of the fluid; an inlet (7) of the flow of the measured fluid; an outlet (8) for fluid flow out of the meter; an electronics unit (9); a coarse filter (10); a shut-off valve (11); a fluid leak detection sensor (12).