Patent ID: 6766276
Filing Date: 2004-07-20
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
A method of detecting malfunction such as clogging or aging in an ultrasound flowmeter, said flowmeter having at least one transducer, said method also enabling a conditioned signal to be generated from an analog signal from said transducer, the method comprising the following steps:measuring the receive signal VIN output by the transducer; and comparing a characteristic of the receive signal with a predetermined reference characteristic VREF; said method being characterized in that it comprises the following additional steps:storing a peak voltage VPK of the receive signal VIN; generating an alarm signal VAL when a trigger characteristic VDEC of the receive signal VIN is less than the predetermined reference characteristic VREF; defining a threshold voltage VTH proportional to the peak amplitude VPK of the receive signal in such a manner that VTH=KÃ—VPK, K being a factor depending on the transducer; comparing the receive signal VIN with the threshold voltage VTH; and generating a conditioned output signal VOUT in a first state when the receive signal VIN is greater than the threshold voltage VTH, and in a second state when the receive signal VIN is less than the threshold voltage VTH.