US 12,339,148 B2
Ultrasonic flow meter and method for ultrasonic flow metering
Stefan Kern, Waghäusel (DE); and Faik Coskunsu, Karlsruhe (DE)
Assigned to Sciosense B.V., AE Eindhoven (NL)
Appl. No. 17/905,812
Filed by Sciosense B.V., Eindhoven (NL)
PCT Filed Mar. 16, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/056703
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 7, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/185847, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 23, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20164632 (EP), filed on Mar. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0121980 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. G01F 1/667 (2022.01)
CPC G01F 1/667 (2013.01) 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasonic flow meter comprising:
a first transducer and a second transducer;
a first impedance circuit and a second impedance circuit, each of the first and second impedance circuits comprising a variable impedance;
a first terminal coupled to the first transducer via the first impedance circuit;
a second terminal coupled to the second transducer via the second impedance circuit;
a signal generator with a signal output and a signal evaluation circuit with a signal input,
wherein the signal output and the signal input are coupled to the first and second terminals, and
wherein the signal evaluation circuit comprises a time-to-digital converter and a first comparator that couples the signal input to a first input of the time-to-digital converter; and
a control circuit coupled to the signal generator, the signal evaluation circuit and the variable impedance, the control circuit being configured to set the ultrasonic flow meter in an upstream mode and in a downstream mode and to set an impedance value of the variable impedance as a function of a first upstream time signal generated by the time-to-digital converter in the upstream mode and of a first downstream time signal generated by the time-to-digital converter in the downstream mode.