Fiat Societa Per Azioni

Mauro Lagonigro

Massimo Husse

In a device for measuring ultrasonically the flow of gas, for example the air flow in the induction duct of an internal combustion engine, an upstream piezo-electric transducer is located in a plenum chamber upstream of a measurement duct and a downstream piezoelectric transducer is located in a seating in the measurement duct. To reduce vorticity in the gas flow the upstream transducer is seated at the apex of a frusto-conical element in the inlet chamber and the seating of the downstream transducer is tapered externally.

Device for use in the ultrasonic measurement of mass flow of gas

An ultrasonic device for determining the air flow rate in a conduit, comprising a duct, which may form part of the conduit or may be connectable thereto, at each end of which is a respective enlarged cylindrical chamber communicating axially with the duct and housing a respective piezoelectric transducer. In use of the device the piezoelectric transducers both transmit ultrasonic signals towards each other along the duct and the air speed in the duct is determined by the difference in transit times of the ultrasonic signals in the two directions. The air flow through the chambers is largely radial and the piezoelectric transducers are located axially at positions where the air speed is very low to minimize disturbances thereto.

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Turin, Italy

Mauro Lagonigro