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    • 专利摘要:
    ULTRASONIC FLOW MEASUREMENT SYSTEM, AND, ULTRASONIC MEASUREMENT METHOD. Apparatus and method of measuring ultrasonic flow of viscous fluids. In one embodiment, an ultrasonic flow measurement system includes an ultrasonic flow meter, a flow conditioner, and a reducer. The ultrasonic flowmeter includes a pair of ultrasonic transducers arranged to exchange ultrasonic signals through a continuous transfer of fluid flowing between the transducers. The flow conditioner is arranged upstream of the ultrasonic flow meter. The reducer is arranged between the flow conditioner and the ultrasonic flow meter, to reduce the cross-sectional area of the continuous transfer of fluid flowing from the flow conditioner to the ultrasonic flow meter.
    公开号:BR112015020609B1
    申请号:R112015020609-3
    申请日:2014-02-25
    公开日:2020-11-10
    发明作者:Paththage Jayampathi Anuradha Priyadarshana；Drew Shine Weaver；Peter Syrnyk；Dale Goodson
    申请人:Daniel Measurement And Control, Inc.；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    FIELD OF THE INVENTION
    [001] Hydrocarbon fluids are transported from place to place via pipes. It is desirable to know precisely the amount of fluid flowing in the pipeline, and particular precision is required when the fluid changes hands, or “custody transfer” occurs. Even where custody transfer does not occur, however, measurement accuracy is desirable and, in these situations, flow meters can be used.
    [002] Ultrasonic flow meters are a type of flow meter that can be used to measure the amount of fluid flowing in a pipe. Ultrasonic flowmeters are sufficiently accurate to be used in custody transfer. In an ultrasonic flow meter, acoustic signals are sent back and forth through the continuous transfer of fluid to be measured. Based on the parameters of the received acoustic signals, the speed of the fluid flow in the flow meter is calculated. The volume of fluid flowing through the meter can be determined from the calculated flow rates and the cross-sectional area of the flow meter.
    [003] Accurate measurement of flow velocity in an ultrasonic flow meter requires a well-developed flow profile. Conventional ultrasonic flow measurement systems provide such a flow profile by positioning a long straight tube stretch or flow conditioning device upstream of the ultrasonic flow meter. SUMMARY
    [004] Ultrasonic flow measurement systems and methods for viscous fluids are described here. In one embodiment, an ultrasonic flow measurement system includes an ultrasonic flow meter, a flow conditioner, and a reducer. A pipe reducer is a device that transitions a pipe from a larger bore diameter upstream to a smaller bore diameter downstream. The ultrasonic flowmeter includes a pair of ultrasonic transducers arranged to exchange ultrasonic signals through a continuous transfer of fluid flowing between the transducers. The flow conditioner is arranged upstream of the ultrasonic flow meter. The reducer is arranged between the flow conditioner and the ultrasonic flow meter, to reduce the cross-sectional area of the continuous transfer of fluid flowing from the flow conditioner to the ultrasonic flow meter.
    [005] In another embodiment, a method includes connecting one end downstream of a reducer to an end upstream of an ultrasonic flowmeter, and connecting one end upstream of the reducer with one end downstream of a flow conditioner. The internal cross-sectional area of the downstream end of the reducer is smaller than the internal cross-sectional area of the end upstream of the reducer.
    [006] In another embodiment, an ultrasonic flow measurement system includes a flow conditioner, a reducer, and an ultrasonic flow meter. The flow conditioner is coupled to one end upstream of the reducer, and the ultrasonic flowmeter is coupled to one end downstream of the reducer. The flow conditioner and reducer condition a continuous transfer of fluid flowing through the ultrasonic flow meter, so that the ultrasonic flow meter measures the speed of the continuous fluid transfer with less than 0.2% error, while the continuous fluid transfer has the Reynolds number less than 5000. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
    [007] For a detailed description of the exemplary modalities of the invention, reference will now be made to the attached drawings, in which:
    [008] Figure 1 shows a plot of flow profiles illustrative of laminar, transitional and turbulent fluid flows;
    [009] Figure 2 shows an exemplary percentage error plot characteristic of laminar, transitional and turbulent fluid flows;
    [0010] Figure 3 shows an ultrasonic measurement system for dosing viscous fluids, which provides transition control from laminar to turbulent flow, according to the principles described here;
    [0011] Figure 4 shows an aerial cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic flowmeter, according to the principles described here;
    [0012] Figure 5 shows an extreme elevation view of a four-path ultrasonic flow meter, according to the principles described here;
    [0013] Figure 6 shows a plot of variation of measurement error of volumetric flow rate versus Reynolds number of an ultrasonic flow measurement system, according to the principles described here;
    [0014] Figure 7 shows a plot of variation of calculated and actual profile factor versus Reynolds number of an ultrasonic flow measurement system, according to the principles described here;
    [0015] Figure 8 shows a plot comparing the actual Reynolds number of the fluid with the Reynolds number calculated by an ultrasonic flow measurement system, according to the principles described here;
    [0016] Figure 9 shows an error plot of the calculated Reynolds number versus the actual Reynolds number, according to the principles described here;
    [0017] Figure 10 shows a plot of the actual kinematic viscosity of the fluid and the kinematic viscosity calculated by an ultrasonic flow measurement system, according to the principles described here;
    [0018] Figure 11 shows an error plot of the calculated kinematic viscosity versus Reynolds number, according to the principles described here;
    [0019] Figure 12 shows a block diagram of the circuits of an ultrasonic flow meter, according to the principles described here;
    [0020] Figure 13 shows a block diagram of a flow processor of an ultrasonic flow meter, according to the principles described here; and
    [0021] Figure 14 shows a flow chart of a method for measuring viscous liquids using an ultrasonic flow meter according to the principles described here. NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE
    [0022] In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in an expandable model and thus should be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to". In addition, the term “couple” or “couple” is intended to mean an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device is coupled to a second device, this connection can be through a direct connection, or through an indirect connection made via other devices and connections. The recitation "based on" is meant to mean "based at least in part on". Therefore, if X is based on Y, X can be based on Y and any number of other factors. The term "fluid" includes liquids and gases. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
    [0023] The following description is directed to several exemplary embodiments of the invention. The drawn figures are not necessarily to scale. Certain aspects of the modalities may be shown in an exaggerated scale or in a somewhat schematic form, and some details of the conventional elements may not be shown in the interest of clarity and accuracy. The described modalities should not be interpreted, or otherwise used, to limit the scope of the description, including the claims. In addition, a person skilled in the art will understand that the following description has wide application, and the discussion of any modality only means being exemplary of that modality, and is not intended to imply that the scope of the description, including the claims, is limited to that modality . It is to be fully recognized that the different teachings of the modalities discussed below can be used separately or in any suitable combination to produce desired results. In addition, the various modalities have been developed in the context of measuring hydrocarbon flows (for example, crude oil or refined products) and in the following description of the developed context; however, the systems and methods described are equally applicable to the measurement of any fluid flow.
    [0024] A conventional ultrasonic liquid flow measurement system may include a pipe diameter reducer upstream of a flow conditioner, which is upstream of a straight pipe extension (eg eight pipe diameters) which provides fluid flow to the flow meter. Such a conventional system is sufficient to provide flow rate measurement with ultrasonic flowmeters for liquids in the turbulent flow regime. However, such systems are unsuitable for measuring the flow of non-turbulent flow regimes that are associated with high viscosity fluids. Such systems, which use in-line flow conditioning devices, also introduce a pressure drop, which increases significantly with the viscosity of the working fluids.
    [0025] A flow is called "turbulent" for liquids with low viscosities flowing in moderate speeds through a pipe. The turbulent flow has a single, well-defined speed profile. Similarly, a flow is called “laminar” for liquids with very high viscosity flowing at low speeds. The laminar flow has a different speed profile than the turbulent flow. When the flow velocity is increased from zero in a high viscosity fluid, depending on the system parameters, the flow regime changes from laminar to turbulent. The change from laminar to turbulent flow is not abrupt and occurs across a wide flow speed range. The flow state during this regime change is known as a “transitional” flow. Speed profiles in the transitional region are typically not well defined and can be unstable.
    [0026] Figure 1 shows transitional, laminar, and turbulent speed profiles in a tube having a circular cross section. The speed profiles on tubes having non-circular cross sections are similar to those shown. The different flow regimes can be distinguished by a dimensionless parameter called the Reynolds number (Re) defined as:

    [0027] The flow is laminar when the Reynolds number is below 2300, it is turbulent when Re is above 5000, and transitional when the Reynolds number is between 2300 and 5000. Within the transitional zone, the flow characteristics change rapidly between laminar and turbulent flows. Consequently, the flow velocity profile fluctuates rapidly between laminar and turbulent velocity profiles, which is known as intermittent behavior. The time-weighted transitional velocity profile can admit a format dependent on the flash in a particular Reynolds number. The intermittent nature of the transitional average velocity profile makes it difficult to obtain a stable flow measurement using a conventionally arranged liquid ultrasonic flow measurement system. Under these conditions, the flow rate measurement error curve is highly non-linear. Figure 2 shows an exemplary percentage error characteristic plot of laminar, transitional and turbulent fluid flows. The error is uniform and linear within the preliminary turbulent region, and is non-uniform and non-linear within the laminar and transitional regions. Therefore, when the Reynolds number decreases, the percentage error of volumetric flow rates measured with conventional ultrasonic liquid flow measurement systems increases beyond the allowable limit for custody transfer applications.
    [0028] The modalities of the present description include an ultrasonic liquid flow measurement system that extends to the linearity of the ultrasonic liquid flow measurement for fluids having Reynolds numbers less than 1000. In contrast, with conventional ultrasonic systems, the linearity is limited to fluids having a Reynolds number above about 5000. Thus, the modalities can be applied to ultrasonic measurement of viscous fluids, such as heavy crude oil or viscous refined products having relatively low Reynolds numbers.
    [0029] Figure 3 shows an ultrasonic flow measurement system 30 for measuring viscous fluids, according to the principles described here. The system 30 provides improved viscous fluid flow measurement, controlling the transition from laminar to turbulent flow. System 30 includes an ultrasonic flow meter 100, a reducer 140, and a flow conditioner 126. Flow conditioner 126 is positioned upstream of reducer 140, and reducer 140 is positioned upstream of ultrasonic flowmeter 100. System 30 is coupled to the fluid flow, via a straight pipe section 134 that can be at least three pipe diameters (pipe section diameter 134) in length (eg, 3 to 5 pipe diameters), upstream of the flow conditioner 126. Tube section 134 may include a fully open isolating valve. Some embodiments of system 30 may also include an expander 142 upstream of tube section 134. Expander 142 adapts tube section 134 to a smaller diameter tube section 144 upstream of expander 142. For example, where the tube 134 has hole diameter D1, expander 142 couples tube section 134 to tube section 144, which has hole diameter D2, where D2 <D1. In some embodiments, tubes 144 and 138 may have the same bore diameter (eg, D2).
    [0030] The ultrasonic flowmeter 100 includes a measuring body or spool piece 102 that defines a central passage or hole. The upstream end of the spool piece 102 is coupled to the reducer 140, so that the fluids flowing in the tube 134 travel through the central hole. As the fluids travel through the central bore, the ultrasonic flow meter 100 measures the flow rate (therefore, the fluid can be referred to as the measured fluid). The spool part 102 includes flanges 106 that facilitate the coupling of the spool part 102 with the reducer 140, the tube 138, or other structures. Any system suitable for coupling the spool part 102 with a frame can be used (eg, dowels, clamps, solder connections, etc.).
    [0031] In order to measure the fluid flow within the spool part 102, the ultrasonic flow meter 100 includes a plurality of transducer units. In the view of Figure 3, four such transducer units 108, 112, 116 and 120 are shown. The transducer units are paired (e.g., transducer unit 108 is paired with a transducer on the opposite side of the spool part, which is not shown in Figure 3), as will be discussed further below. In addition, each transducer unit electrically couples with control electronics 124. More particularly, each transducer unit is electrically coupled to control electronics 124 by means of a respective cable or equivalent signal driving unit.
    [0032] Figure 4 shows an aerial cross-sectional view of the ultrasonic flowmeter 100. The spool piece 102 has a predetermined size and defines the central hole 104 through which the measured fluid flows. An illustrative pair of transducer units 112 and 114 is located along the length of the spool piece 102. Transducers 112 and 114 are acoustic transceivers and, more particularly, ultrasonic transceivers. Ultrasonic transducers 112, 114 both generate and receive acoustic signals having frequencies above about 20 kilohertz. The acoustic signals can be generated and received by a piezoelectric element in each transducer. To generate an ultrasonic signal, the piezoelectric element is electrically stimulated by means of a signal (eg, a sinusoidal signal), and the element responds by vibration. The vibration of the piezoelectric element generates the acoustic signal that travels through the measured fluid to the corresponding transducer unit of the pair. Similarly, when hit by an acoustic signal, the piezoelectric element vibrates and generates an electrical signal (eg, a sinusoidal signal), which is detected, digitized, and analyzed by the control electronics 124 associated with flowmeter 101.
    [0033] A path 200, also referred to as a "string", exists between the illustrative transducer units 112ell4 at an angle θ to the center line 202. The length of the string 200 is the distance between the face of the transducer unit 112 and the face of the unit transducer 114. Points 204 and 206 define the locations where acoustic signals generated by transducer units 112 and 114 enter and let fluid flow through the spool piece 102 (i.e., the entrance to the bore of the spool piece). The position of the transducer units 112 and 114 can be defined by the angle θ, by a first length L, measured between the faces of the transducer units 112 and 114, a second length X, corresponding to the axial distance between points 204 and 206, and a third length d, corresponding to the spool piece within the diameter. In most cases, the distances d, X and L are precisely determined during flowmeter manufacturing. A measured fluid, such as crude oil (or a refined product), flows in a direction 208 with a speed profile 210. Speed vectors 212, 214, 216, and 218 illustrate that the speed of the fluid through the spool piece 102 increases towards the center line 202 of the spool piece 102.
    [0034] Initially, the downstream transducer unit 112 generates an ultrasonic signal that is incident on and, thus, detected by the upstream transducer unit 114. Sometime later, the upstream transducer unit 114 generates an ultrasonic feedback signal that it is subsequently incident on, and detected by the downstream transducer unit 112. Thus, the transducer units exchange or play, “launch and capture”, with ultrasonic signals 220 along the 200 chord path. During operation, this sequence can occur thousands of times per minute.
    [0035] The transit time of an ultrasonic signal 220 between illustrative transducer units 112 and 114 depends, in part, on whether the ultrasonic signal 220 is traveling upstream or downstream with respect to the fluid flow. The transit time for an ultrasonic signal to travel downstream (that is, in the same direction as the fluid flow) is less than its transit time when traveling upstream (that is, against the fluid flow). Upstream and downstream transit times can be used to calculate the average speed along the signal path and the speed of sound in the measured fluid. Given the cross-section measurements of the flow meter 100 carrying the fluid, the average velocity through the area of the central hole 104 can be used to find the volume of fluid flowing through the spool piece 102.
    [0036] Ultrasonic flowmeters can have one or more strings. For example, Figure 5 shows an extreme elevation view of the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 showing four chord paths at elevations varying within the spool piece 102. Chord path A is formed between transducers 108 and 110. Chord path B is formed between transducers 112 and 114. The chordal path C is formed between transducers 116 and 118. The chordal path D is formed between transducers 120 and 122. The flow rate of the fluid can be determined on each string to obtain speeds of chordal flow rates, and chordal flow rates combined to determine an average flow rate through the entire tube. From the average flow velocity, the amount of fluid flowing in the spool part and thus in the piping can be determined.
    [0037] Typically, control electronics 124 cause transducers (eg, 112, 114) to trip and receive output signals from the transducers. Control electronics 124 can also calculate the average flow rate for each string, calculate the average flow rate for the meter, calculate the volumetric flow rate through the meter, calculate the speed of sound through the fluid, perform meter diagnostics , etc.
    [0038] For a given chord, the chordal flow velocity v is given by:
    where: Léo the length of the path (that is, face-to-face separation between upstream and downstream transducers), X is the component of L inside the meter bore in the flow direction, and TUp and Tdn are the transit times upstream and downstream of the sound energy through the fluid
    [0039] The average flow speed through meter 101 is given by:
    where: Wi is a chord weighting factor V is the measured chord flow velocity, and the sum i is that of all strings.
    [0040] Based on the measured speeds for each chord, the control electronics 124 can calculate a profile factor value as a ratio of internal chord speeds to external chord speeds. As for the four strings of the ultrasonic flowmeter 100, the control electronics 124 can calculate the profile factor (PF) as:

    [0041] Returning now to Figure 3, flow conditioner 126 reduces swirling and large-scale turbulence, and improves the average speed profile of the continuous transfer of fluid provided to flowmeter 100. Flow conditioner 126 can be, for example, a tube bundle or a perforated plate that conditions the flow of fluid, directing the continuous transfer of fluid through a series of tubes or small holes.
    [0042] Reducer 140 is a concentric Venturi reducer, having a reduction angle oc in a range of 8 ° to 16 °. Some types of reducer 140 apply a reduction angle of 12 °. The reducer 140 can be coupled to the ultrasonic flow meter 100, using a type of ring or other flange fitting that provides a smooth transition from the inner wall of the reducer 140 to the ultrasonic flow meter 100. The upstream flange 106 of the ultrasonic flow meter 100 and the downstream flange 128 of the reducer 140 can align the inner wall surfaces of the reducer 140 and the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 to provide specific alignment of the flange hole with the meter hole. For example, the inner wall surfaces of the reducer 140 and the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 may be misaligned by no more than ± 0.0051 cm, in some embodiments. Reducer 140, in combination with upstream flow conditioner 126, reduces the variation of the continuous fluid transfer profile factor of the ultrasonic meter 100 during transitional flow to values in the range of approximately 1.18 to 1.8.
    [0043] To promote a smooth laminar for turbulent flow transition, the inner walls of the reducer 140 and other components of the flow measurement system 30 (eg, tubes 134, 138, ultrasonic flow meter 100, etc.) can be finished to reduce surface roughness and friction with continuous fluid transfer. For example, some modalities of reducer 140 and / or other components may include internal wall surfaces finalized by sharpening, polishing or other techniques to provide heights of surface roughness ranging from about 40.6 to 162.6 microcentimeters or less (p eg 16G to 64G on the S-22 surface roughness scale).
    [0044] Flow conditioner 126 and downstream reducer 140 combine to extend the linearity of the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 to accommodate the measurement of fluid flows having substantially smaller Reynolds numbers than is possible with conventional ultrasonic measurement systems. Figure 6 shows a plot of variation variation of volumetric flow rate measurement (with respect to a standard) versus Reynolds number of a modality of the ultrasonic flow measurement system 30, according to the principles described here. The standard can be provided via a provider, a master meter, etc. As shown in Figure 6, the flow measurement system 30 can measure volumetric flow of fluids with more error than about 0.2% in fluids having Reynolds numbers as low as 500. In contrast, flow measurement systems Conventional ultrasound devices are limited by measurement error of fluids having Reynolds numbers above about 6000.
    [0045] Control electronics 124 calculate the volumetric flow rate, g, through flow meter 100 as a product of the average flow rate, Vmg, for flow meter 100 and the predetermined cross-sectional area of flow meter 100. Control 124 can apply corrections to the volumetric flow rate, Q, based on the calculated instantaneous profile factor, PF, and the meter factor, MF, using up to the eighth order polynomial curve, as shown below in Equation (6 ).
    PF is calculated as shown in Equation (5). MF is defined as the ratio of the reference volume of the discharge to the volumetric discharge by the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 within a predetermined period of time as:
    where, Qrefé the volume of a standard reference, and QLUSMQ The volume of the ultrasonic liquid flow meter, and the coefficients at a as are determined by factory calibration, via curve fitting (eg, least squares).
    [0046] By positioning the reducer 140 downstream of the flow conditioner 126, the speed of the continuous transfer of fluid flowing through the flow conditioner 126, and the pressure drop through the flow conditioner 126 are reduced due to conventional systems . Table 1 shows that the reduction in pressure drop provided by system 30 ranges from 79% to 89% for various pipe diameters. Table 1: Tube Sizes and Associated Pressure Drop Reduction Percentages

    [0047] The flow measurement system 30, via the control electronics 124, can measure the Reynolds number and the viscosity of the fluid flowing through the system 30. More particularly, the control electronics 124 can measure the Reynolds number and the viscosity of the fluid during any of the laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow regimes. Electronics 124 calculate the Reynolds number and viscosity by correlating the profile factor and the Reynolds number. Some modalities calculate the Reynolds number as a polynomial function of the profile factor, as shown in equation (8):
    where the instantaneous profile factor (PF) is calculated as shown in Equation (5), and the coefficients are determined in the factory calibration, via curve fitting (eg, least squares).
    [0048] Fig. 7 shows a plot of variation of profile factor versus Reynolds number for the ultrasonic flow measurement system 30, according to the principles described here. More specifically, Figure 7 shows that the modalities of the ultrasonic flow measurement system 30 produces a profile factor ranging from about 1.18 to 1.8 for fluid flows having Reynolds numbers between about 5500 and 500. The electronics 124 can calculate the Reynolds number for fluids flowing through the system 30 with Reynolds numbers below about 5500, which covers laminar, transitional and pre-turbulent flow regimes.
    [0049] Figure 8 shows a plot comparing the actual Reynolds number of the fluid flowing in the system 30 with the Reynolds number calculated by electronics 124 for the fluid according to the principles described here. Figure 8 shows that the actual Reynolds numbers and the Reynolds numbers calculated by electronics 124, according to equation (8), are very close in value to the Reynolds numbers from 500 to 5500. Figure 9 shows that the error of the Reynolds number calculated with respect to the actual Reynolds number is less than 5% for Reynolds numbers between 500 and 5500.
    [0050] Electronics 124 calculate the kinematic viscosity of the fluid based on the calculated Reynolds number. Electronics 124 can calculate viscosity as:
    where: U is the average velocity of the fluid flowing through the system 30 calculated by electronics 124, using, for example, a Gaussian quadrature integration (equation (4)); d is the diameter of the central hole 104; and Re is the Reynolds number of the fluid flowing through the system 30 calculated by electronics 124 according to equation (8).
    [0051] Figure 10 shows a plot of the actual kinematic viscosity of the fluid and the viscosity calculated by electronics 124, according to equation (9), for Reynolds numbers between 500 and 5500. As shown in Figure 11, the values viscosity values calculated by electronics 124 differ from the actual viscosity by less than 5% for Reynolds numbers between 500 and 5500.
    [0052] Figure 12 shows a circuit block diagram of the ultrasonic flowmeter 100, according to the principles described here. The circuits include transducer pairs 1202 and a flow processor 1204. Transducer pairs 1202 include paired ultrasonic transducers 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 as shown in Figure 5. Some modalities may include a number different from ultrasonic transducers. Flow processor 1204 can be included in electronics 124. Flow processor 1204 includes circuits that calculate the various flow parameters, such as speed, Reynolds number, etc., discussed here.
    [0053] Flow processor 1204 includes speed mechanism 1206, volume mechanism 1208, flow profile mechanism 1212, Reynolds number mechanism 1214, and viscosity mechanism 1210. Flow processor 1204 can controlling the generation time of the ultrasonic signal by the pairs of transducers 1202, and receiving signals from the pairs of transducers 1202 indicative of the reception of ultrasonic signals exchanged by a pair of transducers. Based on the propagation time of the ultrasonic signals exchanged by the pairs of transducers 1202, the speed mechanism 1206 calculates the flow velocity of the fluid flowing through the string formed by each pair of transducers, as shown in equation (2), and calculates the average flow speed according to equation (4). Based on the average flow velocity calculated by the velocity mechanism and the predetermined cross-sectional area of the central hole 104, the volume mechanism 1208 calculates the volume of fluid flowing through the system 30.
    [0054] The flow profile mechanism 1208 calculates an instantaneous value of the flow profile factor for the continuous transfer of fluid flowing through the ultrasonic flow meter 100. The flow profile mechanism can calculate the value of the flow profile factor, applying the chordal flow velocities calculated by the 1206 velocity mechanism in combination with equation (5).
    [0055] The Reynolds number mechanism 1214 calculates a Reynolds number for the fluid flowing through the system 30 (eg, in the transitional flow regime). The Reynolds number can be calculated as a function of instantaneous profile factor determined by the flow profile mechanism 1212. The Reynolds number mechanism 1214 can calculate the Reynolds number, as shown in equation (8). The viscosity mechanism 1210 calculates the kinematic viscosity of the fluid flowing in the system 30 (eg, in the transitional flow regime) based on the Reynolds number provided by the Reynolds number mechanism 1214, the average flow speed determined by the mechanism speed 1206, and the known diameter of the central hole 104, as shown in equation (9).
    [0056] Flow parameters calculated by flow processor 1204 can be provided to other systems, and / or transmitted to system operators 30. Such information, for example, calculated Reynolds numbers, can provide information regarding the possible transition between flow regimes and the potential increase in measurement error.
    [0057] Figure 13 shows a block diagram for the flow processor 1204 of the ultrasonic flow meter 100, according to the principles described here. Flow processor 1204 includes a processor 1302 coupled to storage 1304. Processor 1302 can be, for example, a general purpose microprocessor, digital signal processor, microcontroller, or other device configured to execute instructions for performing data analysis operations. flow described here. Processor architectures generally include execution units (eg, fixed point, floating point, integral, etc.), storage (eg, registers, memory, etc.), instruction decoding, peripherals (eg. interrupt controllers, timers, direct memory access controllers, etc.), input / output systems (eg, serial orifices, parallel orifices, etc.), and various other components and subsystems.
    [0058] Storage 1304 stores the instructions that processor 1302 executes to perform the flow parameter calculations described here. Storage 1304 is a non-transitory, computer-readable storage device. A computer-readable storage device may include volatile storage, such as random access memory, non-volatile storage (eg, a hard drive, an optical storage device (eg, CD or DVD), storage FLASH, read-only memory), or combinations thereof. Processors execute software instructions. Software instructions alone are unable to perform a function. Therefore, in the present description, any reference to a function performed by the software instructions, or to the software instructions performing a function, is simply a shorthand means of determining that the function is performed by a processor executing the instructions.
    [0059] Storage 1304 includes a speed module 1306, a volume module 1308, a viscosity module 1310, a flow profile module 1312, and a Reynolds number module 1314, which include instructions that, when executed by the processor 1302, make processor 1302 perform the functions of speed mechanisms 1206, volume mechanism 1208, viscosity mechanism 1210, flow profile mechanism 1212, and Reynolds number mechanism 1214, respectively.
    [0060] Figure 14 shows a flow chart of a 1400 method for measuring viscous liquids using an ultrasonic flow meter 100, according to the principles described here. Although represented sequentially as a matter of convenience, at least some of the actions shown can be performed in a different order and / or performed in parallel. Additionally, some modalities can perform only some of the actions shown. In some embodiments, at least some of the operations of method 1400, as well as other operations described here, can be implemented as instructions stored in the computer-readable storage device 1304 and executed by processor 1302.
    [0061] In block 1402, the downstream end of a tapered reducer 140 is connected to the upstream end of the ultrasonic meter 100. The reducer 140 includes a reduction angle in a range of 8 degrees to 16 degrees, between the upstream ends and downstream of reducer 140. The flanges couple the reducer 140, and the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 provides a smooth transition from the inner wall of the reducer 140 to the gauge 100. The internal surfaces of the flanges can be machined to provide specific hole alignment of the reducer. flange with the meter hole. For example, in some embodiments, the misalignment of the internal walls of the reducer 104 and the meter 100 cannot be greater than 0.0051 cm. To reduce the friction between the inner walls and the continuous transfer of fluid flowing through the system 30 and promote smooth transition from laminar to turbulent flow, the inner walls of the reducer 140 can be polished to provide surface roughness heights in a range of fence of 40.6-162.6 microcentimeters.
    [0062] In block 1404, the upstream end of a tapered reducer 140 is connected to the downstream end of a flow conditioner 126. Flow conditioner 126 can be, for example, a tube bundle or a perforated plate. The upstream end of the reducer 140 has a larger diameter than the downstream end of the reducer 140. The upstream end of the flow conditioner 126 can be connected to a section of pipe 134 having a diameter equivalent to that of the flow conditioner 126. The upstream end of tube section 134 can be connected to an expander 142, which couples tube section 134 to a smaller diameter tube 144 upstream of expander 142.
    [0063] In block 1406, a continuous transfer of fluid is flowing through flow conditioner 126 to reducer 140, and from reducer 140 to ultrasonic flowmeter 100. Flow conditioner 126 and downstream reducer 104 condition continuous transfer of fluid to allow the ultrasonic flow meter 100 to accurately measure the flow of fluids over a Reynolds number range of about 500 to 5500, with no more than about 0.2% error. Conventional ultrasonic flow measurement systems are unable to accurately measure flow across such a range. To measure the flow of continuous fluid transfer, the ultrasonic meter 100 determines the speed of the fluid flow in each of a plurality of strings, and calculates the average flow velocity across the strings.
    [0064] In block 1410, the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 calculates the flow volume based on the average flow velocity and the known cross-sectional area of the central hole 104 of the ultrasonic flowmeter 100. The volumetric flow can be calculated using the correction based on the instantaneous profile factor of continuous fluid transfer and meter factor, as shown in equations (6) and (7).
    [0065] In block 1412, the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 calculates the Reynolds number and the kinematic viscosity of the continuous transfer of fluid flowing through the meter 100. To calculate the Reynolds number, the ultrasonic flowmeter 100 determines the instantaneous transfer profile factor fluid flow and calculates the Reynolds number as a polynomial function of the profile factor, as shown in equation (8). The polynomial coefficients can be determined for each 100 meter at the time of manufacture. The ultrasonic flowmeter 100 calculates the kinematic viscosity of the continuous fluid transfer based on the calculated Reynolds number, as shown in equation (9).
    [0066] The above discussion is intended to be illustrative of the principles and the various exemplary modalities of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications will become evident to those skilled in the art, since the above description is fully evaluated. The following claims are intended to be interpreted to cover all variations and modifications.
    权利要求:
    Claims (24)
    [0001]
    1. Ultrasonic flow measurement system comprising: an ultrasonic flow meter (100) comprising at least four pairs of ultrasonic transducers (108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122) arranged to exchange ultrasonic signals via a continuous transfer of fluid flowing between the ultrasonic transducers (108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122); a flow conditioner (126) arranged upstream of the ultrasonic flow meter (100); a reducer (140) disposed between the flow conditioner and the ultrasonic flow meter (100) to reduce a cross-sectional area of the continuous transfer of fluid flowing from the flow conditioner to the ultrasonic flow meter (100); an expander (142) arranged upstream of the flow conditioner, the system characterized by the fact that it comprises: flow computing logic (124), configured to compute the volumetric flow through the ultrasonic flowmeter (100) using correction based on a factor of instantaneous profile of continuous fluid transfer and meter factor, where the instantaneous profile factor is a ratio of internal chord velocities to external chord velocities, and where the metering factor is a ratio of a discharge reference volume to a discharged volume by the ultrasonic flow meter within a predetermined period of time.
    [0002]
    2. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the flow conditioner (126) and the reducer (140) condition the continuous transfer of fluid so that the ultrasonic flow meter (100) measures the speed of continuous fluid transfer with less than 0.2% error, where continuous fluid transfer has a Reynolds number less than 1000.
    [0003]
    3. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the flow conditioner (126) and the reducer (140) condition the continuous transfer of fluid so that the ultrasonic flow meter (100) measures the speed of continuous fluid transfer with less than 0.2% error and continuous fluid transfer has a maximum Reynolds number of 500.
    [0004]
    4. Ultrasonic flow measuring system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the reducer (140) is a concentric Venturi reducer comprising a reduction angle in a range of 8 degrees to 16 degrees.
    [0005]
    5. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the flow conditioner (126) and the reducer (140) condition the continuous fluid transfer so that a profile factor of the continuous fluid transfer vary during transitional flow of continuous fluid transfer in a range of approximately 1.18 to 1.8.
    [0006]
    6. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the flow conditioner (126) and the reducer (140) reduce the pressure loss in the system by more than 75% compared to a system flow measurement device comprising a flow conditioner having a diameter equivalent to that of the ultrasonic flow meter (100).
    [0007]
    7. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it also comprises computational logic configured to compute the Reynolds number and the viscosity of continuous fluid transfer during transitional flow based on the instantaneous profile factor of the continuous fluid transfer.
    [0008]
    8. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the computational logic is configured to calculate the Reynolds number and viscosity with less than 5% error, and in which the continuous transfer of fluid has a Reynolds number in the range of 500 to 5500.
    [0009]
    9. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that it also comprises a connection of the reducer with the ultrasonic flowmeter comprising a maximum surface roughness height of 162.6 microcentimeters.
    [0010]
    10. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the flow conditioner (126) is coupled to an end upstream of the reducer (140), in which the expander (142) is coupled to a upstream end of the flow conditioner (126), where the ultrasonic flowmeter (100) is coupled to a downstream end of the reducer (140), and where the flow conditioner (126) and the reducer (140) condition the continuous transfer of fluid flowing through the ultrasonic flow meter (100), so that the ultrasonic flow meter (100) measures the speed of the continuous transfer of fluid with less than 0.2% error, and with the continuous transfer of fluid having a Reynolds number less than 5000.
    [0011]
    11. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that it further comprises at least three diameters of straight tube coupled to an upstream end of the flow conditioner.
    [0012]
    12. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that the continuous fluid transfer has a Reynolds number as low as 500.
    [0013]
    13. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that it also comprises flow computing logic, configured to compute volume of the continuous fluid transfer based on a correction derived from the instantaneous profile factor of the continuous transfer fluid and meter factor, where the meter factor is a ratio of a reference discharge volume to a volume discharged by the ultrasonic flowmeter within a predetermined period of time.
    [0014]
    14. Ultrasonic flow measuring system according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that the reducer (140) is a concentric Venturi reducer comprising a reduction angle in a range of 8 degrees to 16 degrees.
    [0015]
    15. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 10, characterized by the fact that it also comprises computational logic configured to compute the Reynolds number and the viscosity of continuous fluid transfer during transitional flow, based on the instantaneous profile factor of continuous fluid transfer.
    [0016]
    16. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 15, characterized by the fact that the computing logic is configured to compute the Reynolds number and viscosity with less than 5% error, in which the continuous fluid transfer has a Reynolds number in the range of 500 to 5500.
    [0017]
    17. Ultrasonic flow measurement system according to claim 15, characterized by the fact that the computational logic is configured to compute the Reynolds number, based on an eighth-order polynomial function of the instantaneous profile transfer factor fluid.
    [0018]
    18. Ultrasonic measurement method comprising: connecting one end downstream of a reducer (140) to one end upstream of an ultrasonic flowmeter (100); connect an end upstream of the reducer with an end downstream of a flow conditioner (126); connecting a downstream end of an expander (142) to the flow conditioner via a pipe section that is at least three pipe diameters in length; the method characterized by the fact of understanding: to compute the volumetric flow through the ultrasonic flowmeter using a correction based on an instantaneous profile factor of the continuous fluid transfer and measuring factor, where the instantaneous profile factor is a ratio of internal chord velocities with external chordal velocities measured by at least four pairs of ultrasonic transducers (108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122), where the measuring factor is a ratio of a reference discharge volume to a volume discharged by the ultrasonic flow meter within a predetermined period of time, and in which the internal cross-sectional area of the downstream end of the reducer is smaller than the internal cross-sectional area of the end upstream of the reducer.
    [0019]
    19. Ultrasonic measurement method according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that it also comprises measuring the average speed of the continuous transfer of fluid flowing through the ultrasonic flowmeter (100) with a maximum of 0.2% error, in which the transfer fluid flow has a Reynolds number as low as 500.
    [0020]
    20. Ultrasonic measurement method according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that the reducer (140) is a concentric Venturi reducer comprising a reduction angle in the range of 8 degrees to 16 degrees.
    [0021]
    21. Ultrasonic measurement method according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that it further comprises reducing, via the flow conditioner (126) and the reducer (140), the pressure drop through the flow conditioner (126) in one range from 79% to 89% in relation to the pressure drop in a system comprising a flow conditioner of diameter equivalent to the ultrasonic flow meter (100).
    [0022]
    22. Ultrasonic measurement method according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that it further comprises computing the Reynolds number and the viscosity of continuous fluid transfer during transitional flow, based on the instantaneous profile factor of continuous fluid transfer.
    [0023]
    23. Ultrasonic measurement method according to claim 22, characterized by the fact that it further comprises computing the Reynolds number and viscosity with less than 5% error, in which the continuous fluid transfer has a Reynolds number in one range 500 to 5500.
    [0024]
    24. Ultrasonic measurement method according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that it further comprises conditioning the continuous fluid transfer, via the fluid conditioner and reducer, so that a profile factor varies during transitional flow of the continuous fluid transfer in a range of approximately 1.18 to 1.8.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    CA2902166C|2018-01-02|
    CN203785713U|2014-08-20|
    US20150260558A1|2015-09-17|
    BR112015020609A2|2017-07-18|
    RU2609436C1|2017-02-01|
    MX2015011039A|2016-08-18|
    US9068870B2|2015-06-30|
    EP2962073A1|2016-01-06|
    WO2014134021A4|2014-10-23|
    CN104006854A|2014-08-27|
    RU2017102581A3|2020-03-17|
    US20140238148A1|2014-08-28|
    RU2017102581A|2018-12-19|
    RU2724454C2|2020-06-23|
    EP2962073B1|2020-04-08|
    CN104006854B|2017-07-07|
    EP2962073A4|2016-12-14|
    US10012521B2|2018-07-03|
    CA2902166A1|2014-09-04|
    MX355647B|2018-04-26|
    WO2014134021A1|2014-09-04|
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    法律状态:
    2018-11-13| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according art. 34 industrial property law|
    2020-02-04| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: suspension of the patent application procedure|
    2020-06-02| B09A| Decision: intention to grant|
    2020-11-10| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 25/02/2014, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |
    优先权:
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    US13/778,872|US9068870B2|2013-02-27|2013-02-27|Ultrasonic flow metering with laminar to turbulent transition flow control|
    US13/778,872|2013-02-27|
    PCT/US2014/018264|WO2014134021A1|2013-02-27|2014-02-25|Ultrasonic flow metering with laminar to turbulent transition flow control|
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