US 11,835,372 B2
Clamp-on ultrasonic transducer arrangement independent of measuring tube diameter at a measuring point and method for commissioning the same
Sascha Grunwald, Steinen (DE); Oliver Brumberg, Rheinfelden (DE); Alexander Murray, Basel (CH); Andreas Berger, Erschwil (CH); and Achim Wiest, Weil am Rhein (DE)
Assigned to Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG, Reinach (CH)
Appl. No. 17/413,266
Filed by Endress+Hauser Flowtec AG, Reinach (CH)
PCT Filed Nov. 21, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/082015
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 11, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/120091, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 18, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 132 053.1 (DE), filed on Dec. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0049983 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01F 1/66 (2022.01); G01F 1/667 (2022.01)
CPC G01F 1/667 (2013.01) 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasonic transducer arrangement for a clamp-on ultrasonic flow measuring point based on the travel time difference principle, the transducer arrangement comprising:
a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, each adapted to be arranged on an outside of a measuring tube of the clamp-on flow measuring point, wherein each ultrasonic transducer includes at least one transducer element configured to generate and/or receive ultrasonic signals and a coupling element, wherein the coupling element includes a first contact area and a second contact area, wherein the at least one transducer element is arranged on the first contact area, and wherein each ultrasonic transducer is adapted to contact the measuring tube via the respective second contact area,
wherein each ultrasonic transducer is configured to radiate ultrasonic signals into the measuring tube and/or to receive ultrasonic signals emerging from the measuring tube,
wherein the respective second contact areas each have a normal that defines a plane in which ultrasonic signal paths of the ultrasonic signals extend,
wherein the plurality of ultrasonic transducers include first ultrasonic transducers, which define first ultrasonic signal paths extending parallel with each other, and second ultrasonic transducers, which define second ultrasonic signal paths extending parallel with each other, wherein the first and second ultrasonic signal paths extend in the plane,
wherein the first ultrasonic signal paths and the second ultrasonic signal paths extend in the coupling element, in each case, inclined to the second contact area,
wherein a direction of the first ultrasonic signal paths and a direction of the second ultrasonic signal paths are mirror symmetric to one of the normals,
wherein the first ultrasonic signal paths form intersection points in the plane with the second ultrasonic signal paths, wherein the intersection points lie at parallels that extend in the plane perpendicular to the normals,
wherein a first group of associated, adjoining ultrasonic transducers includes exclusively the first ultrasonic transducers of a first number, and wherein a second group of associated, adjoining ultrasonic transducers includes exclusively the second ultrasonic transducers of a second number,
wherein the adjoining first ultrasonic transducers of the first group have in a direction of the parallels, in each case, a first separation, A1, from each other, and wherein the adjoining second ultrasonic transducers of the second group have in the direction of the parallels, in each case, a second separation, A2, from each other, wherein the first separation and the second separation are unequal,
wherein:
2*A1≥A2≥1.125*A1.