Cameron International Corporation

Caldon, Inc.

Sensia LLC

Westinghouse Electric Corporation

Mpr, Inc.

Sensia Netherlands B.v.

Herbert Estrada

Donald Roy Augenstein

Calvin R Hastings

Matthew Mihalcin

Emanuel John Gottlieb

Richard Anthony Zuckerman

Gregor J Brown

William R Freund, Jr

Robert C Miller

Steven J Johnson

Bobbie W Griffith

Keith Bergstrom

Emanuel J Gottlieb

Ernest Hauser

Jennifer A Regan

Dwight H Harrison

Laurence E Demick

William R Freund

Richard A Zuckerman

An apparatus for measuring fluid flow includes a housing, a first ultrasonic transducer, and a fluid flow path. The housing defines a smooth bore and a first cavity. The first cavity is separated from a fluid that flows through the smooth bore. The first ultrasonic transducer is disposed within the first cavity and transmits an ultrasonic pulse through the fluid. The fluid flow path extends from an upstream intake through the cavity.

Smooth bore, chordal transit-time ultrasonic meter and method

An apparatus for determining a fluid's kinematic viscosity from ultrasonic energy that has passed through the fluid of unknown viscosity along an acoustic path of known length. A computer of the apparatus determines a characteristic frequency of a received electrical signal associated with the ultrasonic energy and measures the fluid's velocity of sound. The kinematic viscosity of the fluid is determined by the computer on a continuous basis based on the characteristic frequency and the sound velocity. A method for determining a fluid's kinematic viscosity.

Method and apparatus for determining kinematic viscosity through the transmission and reception of ultrasonic energy

An apparatus for determining fluid flow in a pipe including a transit time chordal ultrasonic meter that eliminates dependence of meter factor on Reynolds number for measuring the flow through the pipe. The meter having a bore through which the fluid flows and a plurality of cavities with transducers disposed in the cavities which produce ultrasonic pulses that pass through the fluid and define multiple chords. The fluid velocity measured by clocking the pulses' time traveling diagonally upstream and downstream between pairs of the transducers. The transducers in the cavities isolated from the fluid flow in the bore by each cavity of the cavities having a liner which separates each cavity from the bore. A method for determining fluid flow in a pipe.

A flowmeter for detecting gas flow rates in a pipe includes a container configured to be attached to the pipe having a channel through which the gas flows, and a plurality of recesses that extend through the container and a plurality of housings, each recess having a housing. The flowmeter includes a plurality of transducers, with one transducer of the plurality of transducers disposed in each housing in each recess, the transducers transmitting ultrasonic signals into and receiving ultrasonic signals from the channel. The flowmeter includes acoustic isolators which acoustically isolate the housings from the container. The flowmeter includes a controller in electrical communication with the plurality of transducers which determines the gas flow rate through the channel by measuring transit times of signals transmitted by and received by the transducers. A method.

Chordal gas flow meter with transducers installed outside the pressure boundary

An apparatus for determining fluid flow in a pipe including a transit time chordal ultrasonic meter that eliminates dependence of meter factor on Reynolds number for measuring the flow through the pipe. The meter having a bore through which the fluid flows and a plurality of cavities with transducers disposed in the cavities which produce ultrasonic pulses that pass through the fluid and define multiple chords. The fluid velocity measured by clocking the pulses' time traveling diagonally upstream and downstream between pairs of the transducers. The transducers in the cavities isolated from the fluid flow in the bore by each cavity of the cavities having a liner which separates each cavity from the bore. A method.

Smooth bore, chordal transit-time ultrasonic flow meter that eliminates dependence of meter factor on Reynolds Number

A flowmeter for detecting gas flow rates in a pipe including a container configured to be attached to the pipe having a channel through which the gas flows, and a plurality of recesses that extend through the container and a plurality of housings. Each recess having one housing of the plurality of housings. Each housing having a pressure containing window. The flowmeter includes a plurality of transducers, with one transducer of the plurality of transducers disposed in each housing in each recess. The transducers transmitting ultrasonic signals through the windows into and receiving ultrasonic signals through the windows from the channel. The flowmeter includes acoustic isolators disposed about the housing along the housing's length and between the housings and the container which acoustically isolate the housings from the container. The flowmeter includes a controller in electrical communication with the plurality of transducers which determines the gas flow rate through the channel by measuring transit times of signals transmitted by and received by the transducers.

Chordal gas flow meter with transducers installed outside the pressure boundary, and method

A flow element for an ultrasonic flowmeter having a plurality of transducers for analyzing fluid flow in a pipe. The flow element includes a housing having a bore with an internal diameter and a surface through which fluid flows and a plurality of cavities each of which has an opening in the surface. Each of the cavities has one of the plurality of transducers disposed in it. The flow element includes a liner that covers the openings of the cavities which prevents fluid flowing through the bore from entering the cavities.

An apparatus for measuring the mass fractions of water and oil in a flowing mixture of oil and water through a pipe includes a sensor portion that measures sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture at a first time and at a second time. The apparatus includes a temperature changer in thermal communication with the flowing fluid which changes the temperature of the flowing oil water mixture by a measurable amount between the first time and the second time. A method for measuring water mass fraction in a flowing mixture of oil and water through a pipe includes the steps of measuring sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture at a first time with a sensor portion. There is the step of changing the temperature of the flowing oil water mixture by a measurable amount with a temperature changer in thermal communication with the flowing fluid. There is the step of measuring sound velocity and temperature of the flowing oil water mixture at a second time with the sensor portion.

Method and apparatus for the measurement of the mass fraction of water in oil-water mixtures

A fluid nozzle for a pipe having a flow meter includes an inner surface having a contour. The contour is substantially defined by a compound of two ellipsoidal bodies of revolution which prevents negative pressure gradients in the fluid along the inner surface as fluid in the pipe flows through the nozzle in the pipe. The nozzle includes a throat, wherein a ratio of a diameter of the throat to a diameter of the pipe upstream of the throat is 0.7 or less.

Fluid nozzle for a pipe having a flow meter

A flowmeter for detecting gas flow rates in a pipe includes a container configured to be attached to the pipe having a channel through which the gas flows, and a plurality of recesses. Each recess has a window made of metal. The flowmeter includes a plurality of transducers, with one transducer of the plurality of transducers disposed in each recess. The flowmeter includes a controller which determines the gas flow rate through the channel.

Chordal gas flowmeter with transducers installed outside the pressure boundary

A flowmeter for detecting gas flow rates in a pipe includes a container configured to be attached to the pipe having a channel through which the gas flows, and a plurality of recesses that extend through the container and a plurality of housings. Each recess has a housing which contains pressure in the channel. Each housing has a window that is in acoustic communication with the channel. The flowmeter includes a plurality of transducers, with one transducer of the plurality of transducers disposed in each recess. The transducers transmit ultrasonic signals into and receive ultrasonic signals from the channel through the window in the housing in which a transducer is disposed. The flowmeter includes a controller in electrical communication with the plurality of transducers which determines the gas flow rate through the channel by measuring transit times of signals transmitted by and received by the transducers. A housing for an ultrasonic transducer for a flowmeter which is inserted into a recess of a container that acoustically isolates the housing from the container. A method for detecting gas flow rates in a pipe. A transducer for an ultrasonic flowmeter.

Chordal gas flowmeter with transducers installed outside the pressure boundary, housing and method

An apparatus for analyzing fluid flow in a pipe includes an ultrasonic flowmeter having a plurality of transducers. The apparatus includes a flow element having a completely smooth bore through which the fluid flows, and a plurality of cavities, each of the cavities has one of the plurality of transducers disposed in it and which is in communication with the fluid flowing through the bore. An apparatus for analyzing fluid flow in a pipe includes an ultrasonic flowmeter having a plurality of transducers. The apparatus includes a flow element having a bore with an internal diameter and a surface through which fluid flows, a plurality of cavities each of which has an opening in the surface. Each of the cavities has one of the plurality of transducers disposed in it.

An apparatus for detecting and measuring gas voids in a pipe with a fluid includes a first ultrasonic transducer externally disposed on the pipe. The apparatus includes a second ultrasonic transducer externally disposed on the pipe. The apparatus includes a multiplexer, transmitter, receiver, controller and processor in communication with the first transducer and the second transducer which in combination identify a void in the pipe from ultrasonic measurements of properties of the fluid in the pipe. A method for detecting and measuring gas voids in a pipe with a fluid includes the steps of measuring properties of the fluid internal to the pipe with transmissions of ultrasonic energy from transducers externally disposed on the pipe. There is the step of identifying a void in the pipe from the properties of the fluid internal to the pipe using signals processed by processor.

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Annapolis, MD, United States of America

Herbert Estrada