Patent ID: 8694271
Filing Date: 2014-04-08
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for noninvasive measurement of the sound velocity of a fluid flowing in a tubing, comprising: a measuring head having an open slot with flat planar walls in which the tubing is placed, said slot having three orthogonal wall portions arranged such that both ends of a bottom wall section are contacted by one end of each of two opposing side wall sections, which wall portions contact the tubing, said slot having first and second points of different transverse length positioned at, at least one location of the slot longitudinal length, each slot transverse length at said first and second points forming a respective acoustic path of a different length; a source of energy signals; a respective first and second transmit/receive sensor mounted in said measuring head adjacent said slot first and second points of different transverse length, each said sensor transmitting signals from said energy source along a respective path through a wall of the tubing and the fluid flowing therein and receiving the signals reflected from the tubing internal wall back to a said sensor; and a circuit for measuring for each said first and second sensor the round-trip transit time of the signals from the time of transmission to the time of reception after reflection from the tubing internal wall, and for calculating the sound velocity of the flowing fluid from the round-trip transit times measured for the signals of the first and second sensors.