Patent ID: 7963177

Claim:
A damping device for a fluid flow meter mountable on the exterior of a pipe to meter fluid flow traveling within the pipe, which flow meter has at least one ultrasonic sensor operable to transmit ultrasonic signals through a pipe wall in a direction normal to the pipe wall and into a fluid flow disposed within the pipe, which signals create secondary ultrasonic signals circumferentially traveling within the pipe wall at a frequency, the device comprising: a base having a pipe-side surface, a tine-side surface, a width, and a length, which base is conformable to an exterior surface of the pipe wall in a manner such that the length of the base is substantially aligned with the fluid flow in the pipe; a plurality of tines attached to the base spaced apart from one another along the width of the base and extending outwardly from the tine-side surface and extending along the length of the base, wherein each tine is spaced apart from an adjacent tine by a tine-to-tine distance that is less than the wavelength of the secondary ultrasonic signals circumferentially propagating within the pipe wall.