Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080208483 | Sonar-Based Flow Meter Operable To Provide Product Identification - An apparatus and method for identifying one or more fluid products flowing within a pipe are provided having a flow meter mounted on the pipe and a processing unit. The flow meter has a plurality of sensors operable to detect vortical disturbances flowing with the fluid products and acoustic waves propagating through the fluid. The sensors produce signals indicative of the vortical disturbances and acoustic waves. The processing unit is operable to determine the speed of sound and volumetric flow rate of the one or more fluid products using the signals from the flow meter. The processing unit includes a database having speed of sound data for a predetermined group of products. The processing unit is operable to identify the type of each product flowing within the pipe given a temperature and pressure value of the products within the pipe. | 08-28-2008 |
20080223129 | Apparatus and method for providing a density measurement augmented for entrained gas - A flow measuring system combines a density measuring device and a device for measuring the speed of sound (SOS) propagating through the fluid flow and/or for determining the gas volume fraction (GVF) of the flow. The GVF meter measures acoustic pressures propagating through the fluids to measure the speed of sound α | 09-18-2008 |
20090044638 | VELOCITY BASED METHOD FOR DETERMINING AIR-FUEL RATIO OF A FLUID FLOW - A method for determining one or more fluid flow parameters for a fluid flowing within a pipe is provided. The fluid is a mixture of solid particles and gas. The method includes the steps of: a) providing a meter operable to determine the velocity of the fluid flow through the pipe, which meter is substantially insensitive to the particulate/gas mass ratio of the fluid flow; b) determining the velocity of the fluid flow within the pipe using the meter; and c) determining a particulate/gas mass ratio using a density value for the gas within the flow and the determined fluid flow velocity. | 02-19-2009 |
20100107727 | MEASUREMENT OF ENTRAINED AND DISSOLVED GASES IN PROCESS FLOW LINES - A device for measurement of entrained and dissolved gas has a first module arranged in relation to a process line for providing a first signal containing information about a sensed entrained air/gas in a fluid or process mixture flowing in the process line at a process line pressure. The device features a combination of a bleed line, a second module and a third module. The bleed line is coupled to the process line for bleeding a portion of the fluid or process mixture from the process line at a bleed line pressure that is lower than the process pressure. The second module is arranged in relation to the bleed line, for providing a second signal containing information about a sensed bleed line entrained air/gas in the fluid or process mixture flowing in the bleed line. The third module responds to the first signal and the second signal, for providing a third signal containing information about a dissolved air/gas flowing in the process line based on a difference between the sensed entrained air/gas and the sensed bleed line entrained air/gas. | 05-06-2010 |
20100332154 | Velocity Based Method for Determining Air-Fuel Ratio of a Fluid Flow - A method for determining one or more fluid flow parameters for a fluid flowing within a pipe is provided. The fluid is a mixture of solid particles and gas. The method includes the steps of: a) providing a meter operable to determine the velocity of the fluid flow through the pipe, which meter is substantially insensitive to the particulate/gas mass ratio of the fluid flow; b) determining the velocity of the fluid flow within the pipe using the meter; and c) determining a particulate/gas mass ratio using a density value for the gas within the flow and the determined fluid flow velocity. | 12-30-2010 |
20110118998 | APPLICATIONS OF PUMP PERFORMANCE MONITORING - The present invention provides a processor or signal processing module that features one or more modules configured to receive an input signal containing information about the unsteady pressures or acoustic emissions caused by a medium flowing through a pump, and also configured to provide of an output signal containing information about the performance of the pump. The information about the performance of the pump may include information about pump performance monitoring by a slip flow measurement, about predicting impeller wear, about pump impeller cavitation monitoring, about pump monitoring through acoustic emissions, about pump leak detection, about pump efficiency monitoring and about positive displacement pump monitoring. | 05-19-2011 |
20120017699 | APPLICATIONS FOR REAL-TIME MASS RATIO, MASS FLOW AND PARTICLE SIZE MEASUREMENT OF PARTICLE LADEN FLOWS - Techniques are provided for monitoring particle laden flows in a pipe, that include receiving signalling containing information about a parameter related to a particle laden flow in a pipe, the parameter including either (a) a sound level propagating through the particle laden flow in the pipe, or (b) a static pressure due to an acceleration of the particle laden flow in the pipe; and determining a measurement of a particle size and either a mass flow rate, or a particle-to-air mass ratio, or both the mass flow rate and the particle-to-air mass ratio, associated with the particle laden flow, based at least partly on a change in the parameter. | 01-26-2012 |
20120209550 | PERFORMANCE MONITORING OF INDIVIDUAL HYDROCYCLONES USING SONAR- BASED SLURRY FLOW MEASUREMENT - Apparatus, including a signal processor, featuring at least one module configured to respond to signals containing information about sound propagating through a slurry flowing in part, including overflow pipes, of cyclones operating in parallel on a cyclone battery, and determine the performance of individual cyclones based at least partly on the information contained in the signals. The signal process may form part of a non-invasive acoustic-based passive monitoring system, comprising: cyclones and sensors; where the cyclones are configured in parallel to form a cyclone battery in order to process a slurry, each cyclone having an overflow pipe for providing some portion of the slurry flowing in the cyclone battery, where each sensor is configured to mount on a respective overflow pipe of a respective cyclone, to respond to sound propagating through the slurry flowing in the respective overflow pipe of the respective cyclone, and to provide a respective signal containing information about the sound propagating through the slurry flowing in the respective overflow pipe of the respective cyclone; and where the signal processor is configured to respond to respective signals from the sensors and determine the performance of individual cyclones based at least partly on the information contained in the respective signals. | 08-16-2012 |
20130192351 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING GVF (GAS VOLUME FRACTION) FOR AERATED FLUIDS AND LIQUIDS IN FLOTATION TANKS, COLUMNS, DRUMS, TUBES, VATS - The invention provides a signal processor that receives a signal containing information about an acoustic signal that is generated by at least one acoustic transmitter, that travels through an aerated fluid in a container, and that is received by at least one acoustic receiver arranged in relation to the container, including inside the container; and determines the gas volume fraction of the aerated fluid based at least partly on the speed of sound measurement of the acoustic signal that travels through the aerated fluid in the container. The signal processor also sends an output signal containing information about the gas volume fraction of the aerated fluid. The signal processor may be configured together with at least one acoustic transmitter, the at least one acoustic receiver, or both. | 08-01-2013 |
20140297204 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING REAL TIME AIR MEASUREMENT APPLICATIONS IN WET CONCRETE - Apparatus is provided having an acoustic-based air probe with an acoustic source configured to provide an acoustic signal into a mixture of concrete; and an acoustic receiver configured to be substantially co-planar with the acoustic source, to respond to the acoustic signal, and to provide signaling containing information about the acoustic signal injected into the mixture of concrete. | 10-02-2014 |
20150082862 | SPEED OF SOUND AND/OR DENSITY MEASUREMENT USING ACOUSTIC IMPEDANCE - Apparatus is provided featuring a signal processor or signal processing module configured at least to: receive signaling containing information about a radiation impedance of a piston vibrating a process medium, including a fluid or slurry; and determine a speed of sound or density measurement related to the process medium, based at least partly on the signaling received. The signal processor or signal processing module may determine a speed of sound measurement related to the process medium, based on at least partly on the density of the process medium, including where the density of the process medium is known, assumed or determined by the signal processor or signal processing module, or determine a density measurement related to the process medium, based on at least partly on the speed at which sound travels in the process medium, including where the speed of sound of the process medium is known, assumed or determined by the signal processor or signal processing module. | 03-26-2015 |