Method and apparatus for measuring a parameter of a high temperature fluid flowing within a pipe using an array of piezoelectric based flow sensors

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system are provided to measure the process flow of a fluid or medium traveling in a pipe. The system and apparatus feature a standoff and piezoelectric-based sensor arrangement having a plurality of standoffs arranged on a pipe and a plurality of sensor bands, each arranged on a respective plurality of standoffs, each having at least one sensor made of piezoelectric material arranged thereon to detect unsteady pressure disturbances in the process flow in the pipe which in turn can be converted to the velocity of and/or speed of sound propagating within the pipe, and a cooling tube arranged in relation to the plurality of standoffs for actively cooling the sensor band; and further comprise a processing module for converting one or more sensor signals into a measurement containing information about the flow of the fluid or medium traveling in the pipe, as well as a pump and heat exchanger for processing the cooling fluid flowing through the cooling tube. The processing includes maintaining the cooling fluid at a desired operating temperature.