US 12,072,221 B2
Ultrasonic flow meter path layout configuration
Jie Tong, Shanghai (CN); Wen Peng, Shanghai (CN); and Bin Sai, Delft (NL)
Assigned to Honeywell International Inc., Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by Honeywell International Inc., Morris Plains, NJ (US)
Filed on Sep. 28, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/035,513.
Prior Publication US 2021/0096009 A1, Apr. 1, 2021
Int. Cl. G01F 1/667 (2022.01); G01F 1/66 (2022.01); G01F 15/14 (2006.01); G01F 15/18 (2006.01); G01K 13/02 (2021.01)
CPC G01F 1/667 (2013.01) [G01F 1/662 (2013.01); G01F 15/14 (2013.01); G01F 15/185 (2013.01); G01K 13/02 (2013.01); G01K 13/026 (2021.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ultrasonic flowmeter, comprising:
a housing, which defines a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet with a fluid passage therebetween; and
at least three pairs of ultrasonic sensors, wherein each pair of the at least three pairs of ultrasonic sensors have a first ultrasonic sensor and a second ultrasonic sensor arranged opposite to each other;
wherein at least two pairs of the at least three pairs of ultrasonic sensors are arranged in grooves on an inner wall of the fluid passage, and center points of front end faces of the at least two of the at least three pairs of ultrasonic sensors are located on a cylindrical curved surface defined by the inner wall of the fluid passage,
wherein at least one pair of the at least three pairs of ultrasonic sensors are arranged in grooves on a first side wall and a second side wall of the fluid passage, and center points of front end faces of each of the at least one pair of ultrasonic sensors are located on the cylindrical curved surface defined by the inner wall of the fluid passage,
wherein the ultrasonic flowmeter is configured with the at least three pairs of ultrasonic sensors based on a cross-section of the fluid passage, wherein the cross section is circular and has a radius R with a range of 75 mm<R<250 mm of the cross-section of the fluid passage, and
wherein when there is a single horizontal bend, a single vertical bend, dual horizontal bends, or dual vertical bends upstream within a length that is three times a pipeline diameter 3D, the ultrasonic flowmeter comprises an error of ±2% when the flow rate is less than 0.1 Qmax, and an error of ±1% when the flow rate is greater than or equal to 0.1 Qmax, wherein Qmax is a maximum flow rate of the fluid passage.