Patent ID: 11879759
Assignee: nan
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 13:
14. A method for operating an ultrasonic flowmeter, wherein the ultrasonic flowmeter has a first ultrasonic transducer, a second ultrasonic transducer and a control and evaluation unit, wherein the ultrasonic transducers are designed to transmit an ultrasonic signal onto a signal path and/or to receive an ultrasonic signal from the signal path and are operatively connected to one another via the signal path of the ultrasonic signal, wherein at least the ultrasonic transducer configured for transmission has a buffer element, the buffer element is arranged in or on the transducer housing in the signal path of the ultrasonic signal, and the buffer element forms at least one at least partially reflective boundary layer in the signal path, the method comprising:
a transmitting step, in which the transmitting transducer element transmits an ultrasonic signal, wherein the ultrasonic signal is at least partially reflected and partially transmitted at the boundary layer of the buffer element;
a receiving step, in which the transducer element of the transmitting ultrasonic transducer or a second transducer element arranged in the transmitting ultrasonic transducer receives the reflected signal component and the transducer element of the receiving ultrasonic transducer receives the transmitted signal component;
a monitoring step, in which the control and evaluation unit monitors the reception of the reflected signal component and the reception of the transmitted signal component; and
a signaling step, in which one of the following operating states of the ultrasonic flowmeter is signaled by the control and evaluation unit:
if the reflected signal component is received and the transmitted signal component is received: ultrasonic flowmeter operational;
if the reflected signal component is received and the transmitted signal component is not received: measuring tube empty;
if the reflected signal component is not received and the transmitted signal component is not received: ultrasonic flowmeter in error state.