Abstract:
A flow meter and method for measuring flow in liquids which may have entrained bubbles or foreign matter. The meter performs alternate transit time and Doppler measurements. The transit time measurements are used to calculate flow so long as they are successful. If the transit time measurements are not successful, the Doppler measurements are used.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The measurement of flow of a liquid which may be contaminated with foreign particles or gas bubbles presents problems. Transit time measurements provide accurate flow measurement of uncontaminated liquid. However, when the liquid is contaminated, Doppler measurement provides more reliable flow measurement. For example, water pumped from the ground during the production of methane gas from a coal seam or other underground shale varies from crystal clear to milky white with entrained methane. Many applications also have intermittent suspended particulates of coal, rocks or sand in the water. Dual mode meters are known, see Oldenziel et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,408, Shekarriz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,861, Morgen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,148, and Ishikawa published application 2006/0174717. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The meter and method of this invention perform alternate periods of transit time and Doppler measurements. Transit time measurements are used to determine flow so long as the transit time measurements are successful, e.g., 10% of transit time sing-arounds (SARs) are successful. If the transit time measurements are not successful, the Doppler measurements are used. 
     Another feature is that flow is calculated from the average of successive transit time flow measurements; and further that an expected difference time range is established based on the average difference time and that measured difference times outside the expected range are discarded. 
     A further feature is the method for developing an “empty pipe” indication in the absence of transit time SAR success and Doppler flow measurements. 
     Yet another feature is a start-up method for circuitry for conducting Doppler flow measurements which establishes a gain limit for the automatic gain control of an amplifier for the Doppler difference frequency signal. 
     And another feature for a sing-around transit time flow meter in which transmission of a pulse is triggered by receipt of the preceding pulse is a method identifying an erroneous trigger which comprises comparing the results of first and second sing-around measurements, the first and second measurements used comprising different numbers of sing-around measurements. 
     Further features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and from the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a longitudinal section of a transducer assembly for the meter; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the meter; 
         FIG. 3  is a timing diagram for the sing-around transit time mode of operation of the meter; and 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  comprise a simplified logic diagram useful in an explanation of the transit time/Doppler decision logic operation of the meter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A pipe section  10 ,  FIG. 1 , serves as a housing for the transducers used in conducting the transit time and Doppler flow measurements. The pipe section  10  is connected in the pipe line for the flow of liquid to be measured with the primary flow direction as indicated by arrow  12 . The transit time transducers  14 ,  16  are mounted in alignment on opposite sides of the housing with a signal path  18  between them, at an angle of the order of 45 degrees to the pipe axis. When the transducer  14  serves as transmitter and transducer  16  as receiver, the sonic signal travels downstream with the liquid flow and transit time is reduced. When the transducer  16  serves as transmitter and transducer  14  as receiver, the sonic signal travels upstream against the liquid flow and transit time is increased. Doppler transducers  20 ,  22  are both directed toward the center of housing  10 . The signal from transmitting transducer  22  is reflected to receiving transducer  20  along signal path  24  by bubbles or particulate matter if present in the liquid. A flow display (not shown) may be mounted on the transducer housing  10 . 
     During the course of the following description of the operation of the meter, specific information will be given regarding operating parameters. This information is exemplary and should not be considered limiting unless specifically so stated. 
     The flow meter circuitry is illustrated in block form in  FIG. 2 . Transit time section  30  and Doppler section  32  are both controlled by a programmed processor  34  which also receives the transit time and Doppler measurements to calculate flow signals for display  36  and for other output circuits  38 , and to perform other calculations and analyses of the measurements, as will appear. A keypad  40  provides for user input, to select display parameters, for example. 
     The transit time section  30  comprises an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)  42  which conducts sing-around transit time flow measurements. A suitable circuit is the D-Flow UFO ASIC, available from D-Flow Technology AB, Lulea, Sweden. The ASIC  42  measures the transit time for sonic pulses downstream and upstream between transducers  14  and  16  as described in more detail below. Additional information regarding sing-around measurements can be found in Delsing U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,214,966 and 5,796,009. 
     ASIC  42  is connected through multiplexer/demultiplexer  44  with transducers  14 ,  16 . A transit time measurement is initiated by a pulse  43   a  from ASIC  42  which is connected with the transmitting transducer. The square wave pulse  43   a  excites a piezo transducer to generate a sinusoidal burst. The received signal  43   b  is connected through the demultiplexer from the receiving transducer to an input of ASIC  42 . After several pulses are transmitted downstream from transducer  14  to transducer  16 , a like number of pulses are transmitted upstream from transducer  16  to transducer  14 . ASIC  42  measures the upstream and downstream sound travel durations and provides this information to processor  34 . The processor  34  utilizes these travel durations to calculate difference time. 
     Doppler section  32  has a signal generator  46  which is connected with transmitting transducer  22 . The signal generator  46  is connected to a clock  60  to generate a short burst of RF signal. Sound travels into the liquid and is reflected off of particulates or bubbles that are suspended in the liquid and moving at a velocity that is substantially similar to the velocity of the liquid. If the suspendeds are moving away from the transmitter source the reflected signal will be at a lower frequency than the transmitted frequency. If the suspendeds are moving towards the transmitter source the reflected signal will be at a higher frequency than the transmitted frequency. The magnitude of the frequency change is directly proportional to the velocity of the suspendeds. The reflected signal received at transducer  20  is connected with mixer  48  where it is mixed with the transmitted frequency. The mixer  48  is also connected to the clock  60  and undersamples the received signal synchronously with the transmitted signal so that an alias frequency is created that is equal to the Doppler. The frequency difference signal or Doppler signal is connected with amplifier  50  and to processor  34 . Amplifier  50  has gain controlled by AGC circuit  52  to optimize the amplitude of the Doppler signal for processing. The output of amplifier  50  is also connected with signal strength amplifier  54 , the output of which is rectified by diode  56  and a DC signal representing the Doppler signal strength is connected with processor  34 . In turn, an AGC control signal is connected from processor  34  with AGC circuit  52 , controlling the gain of Doppler signal amplifier  50 . 
     Clock  60  also provides time signals to processor  34  and ASIC  42 . 
     Briefly, under the control of processor  34 , alternate periods of transit time and Doppler flow measurements are conducted. If a predetermined percentage of the transit time measurements are successful, as will be described below, processor  34  calculates flow from the transit time measurements. If, however, a predetermined percentage of the transit time measurements are not successful, processor  34  calculates flow from the Doppler signal provided by amplifier  50 . Alternate transit time and Doppler measurements continue and if the predetermined percentage of the transit time measurements are again successful the flow signal is calculated from the transit time measurements. The percentage of successful transit time measurements is greater for switching from Doppler to transit time than for switching from transit time to Doppler, to avoid instability. 
     Outputs from processor  34  are provided to display  36  showing flow rate and total flow, and/or to other output circuits  38  which might include a 4-20 milliamp transmitter to a remote display, a recorder, or the like. Keypad  40  may be used to select display parameters, as milliliters per minute or gallons per hour, for example. 
     The sing-around (SAR) transit time measurements are preferably made as illustrated by the timing diagrams F 1 -F 7 ,  FIG. 3 . The time relationships of  FIG. 3  are enlarged for clarity. A pulse  66 , F 1 , is a start signal from processor  34  to ASIC  42 . The ASIC generates pulse  68 - 1 , F 2 , which is connected with transducer  14  and a sinusoidal burst is transmitted in the downstream direction. The received signal  70 - 1 , F 3 , comprises several cycles of a sinusoid. When a lobe of the received signal exceeds a trigger level  71  set by processor  34 , a second transmitted pulse  68 - 2  is generated. A plurality, here five, downstream signals are transmitted. ASIC  34  then generates an interrupt to processor  34  which uploads the total downstream sing-around time from the ASIC. Processor  34  then sends a command to ASIC  34  to reverse direction and transmit the same plurality of signals in the upstream direction, as shown at F 5 -F 7 . ASIC generates transmitted pulse  72 - 1 . Received signal  74 - 1  triggers the second transmitted pulse  72 - 2 . After five upstream sing-arounds have been completed the elapsed upstream sing-around time is uploaded to processor  34  for calculation of the difference time between downstream and upstream sing-around. The sing-around measurements are repeated ten times, approximately 500 milliseconds. Processor  34  then ceases transit time measurements and initiates Doppler measurements for 500 milliseconds. 
     The transit time and Doppler measurements are collected in first-in, first-out (FIFO) buffers in the processor  34 . An average of several most recent measurements is used in calculating flow for display  46  and output circuits  38 . 
     Further features of the meter will be explained in connection with the simplified logic diagram of  FIGS. 4A and 4B . 
     A sequence of the logic is initiated by call to function at block  80 . The success rate is calculated at block  82  every 20 transit time attempts. The number of successful attempts is divided by the total number of attempts (20) and the resulting percentage is placed in a FIFO buffer which holds the last six values of success percentage. If the average success rate of all samples in the FIFO buffer drops below a selected level, e.g., 10%, the meter will use the Doppler measurements. The success rate buffer continues to collect transit time success rates. When the success rate exceeds a different and higher selected level, e.g., 12%, the meter will again display flow based on the transit time measurements. 
     At block  84 , a coarse SAR transit time measurement is made as a reference measurement to compare with the succeeding standard 10 SAR measurements to identify possible false triggers that can become masked inside of multiple SARs. For example, at full flow, a meter with a one inch diameter transducer housing has a difference time on the order of 90-100 nanoseconds (nSec). A measurement limit of 120 nSec can be integrated into the software that rejects measurements that exceed absolute 120 nSec. If the transit time system generates 2 MHz pulses, then the period is 500 nSec. As a result, a single erroneous trigger in one of the multiple SARs will influence the SAR time cycle by 500 nSec—or one 2 MHz cycle. If the standard SAR count is 5, an effective 100 nSec (500 nSec/5) error will be introduced to the transit time measurement. This error can fall within the 120 nSec limit and may not be caught and rejected, leading to a large measurement error. If the coarse 2 SAR cycle, which does not contain sufficient timing resolution to be utilized for flow rate measurement, has the identical 500 nSec error occur, the result will be 250 nSec (500 nSec/2)—an obvious error. A successful coarse SAR measurement that computes less than 120 nSec of difference time is considered to be valid. If the standard SAR measurement computes to within 50 nSec of the coarse measurement difference time it is considered valid. 
     To detect this situation, a coarse measurement is made every twenty standard SAR measurements using two SARs as shown in  FIG. 3  at F 8 - 11 . The coarse measurement is initiated by a pulse  73 , F 8 , from the processor which causes the ASIC to generate signal  75 - 1 , F 9 . Received signal  76 - 1 , F 10  in turn triggers transmitted pulse  75 - 2  and received signal  76 - 2 . Similarly, the upstream transmitted signal  77 - 1 , initiated by the ASIC, results in received signal  78 - 1  which triggers transmitted signal  77 - 2  and received signal  78 - 2 . A missed trigger on a two SAR cycle would lead to a 250 nSec error which is very obvious. The results of the two SAR measurements are compared with the following twenty SAR measurements to make sure that the difference times are within 50 nSecs of each other. Any readings from the twenty SAR measurements outside the 50 nSec window are discarded. 
     If there is no error at decision block  86 , the program continues to calculate the difference time at block  90 . If there is an error, an error count is incremented at block  88 . 
     If no echo is received within 2 milliseconds, a time-out error is identified at decision block  92  and the error counter incremented at block  88 . The difference time is compared with an expected difference time for a valid coarse measurement, to be described below, at decision block  94 . If the time is within the expected difference time, the success counter is incremented at block  96  and the error counter is reset. A hysteresis band is established around the current expected decision time. If the calculated difference time is within the hysteresis band, a bad data reject counter, to be described, is reset at block  100 . The difference time sample is put in a FIFO buffer where it is averaged with other difference times to establish the expected difference time used in decision block  94 . The average of difference times in the difference time FIFO buffer is converted to a flow velocity at block  104 . This information is filtered and displayed and the program returns to the call to function block  80 . 
     DT readings outside the hysteresis band are discarded. However, provision is made for recognizing a trend of several successive DT measurements either above or below the hysteresis band. When this occurs, DT measurements are added to the difference time buffer and influence the expected difference time. This provides relatively stable flow reading values when at times the actual flow rate can be erratic. 
     Decision blocks  110 ,  112  identify the difference time measurements above and below the hysteresis band, respectively. High and low counters are preset for a selected number of out of hysteresis measurements. When an out of hysteresis measurement occurs, the appropriate counter is decremented at blocks  114 ,  116 . If several successive out of hysteresis measurements occur, the associated counter goes to zero and the last discarded measurement is added to the difference time buffer. The high and low counters are then reset. 
     If successive errors at decision blocks  86 ,  92 , and  94  exceed a selected number, decision block  120  flags a transit time error at block  122 . This in turn initiates a success rate calculation at block  82 . 
     In initiating operation of the meter, a gain limit for the Doppler signal amplifier is established to minimize interference from ambient electrical noise. With signal generator  46  off and the AGC at a minimal gain level, a base signal strength at the output of amplifier  50  is established. AGC is increased until the signal strength from the amplifier begins to increase. The gain at which this occurs is established as the gain limit to be used during Doppler flow measurements. The amplifier gain is then reduced to the minimal value and a signal transmitted. The AGC is then adjusted as needed, up to the gain limit, to provide Doppler signals to processor  34  at an optimum amplitude. 
     An “empty pipe” indication is provided on display  36  in the absence of both successful sing-arounds in the transit time mode and Doppler frequency measurements with amplifier  60  at maximum gain.