Patent ID: 8104359

Claim:
An apparatus for determining and/or monitoring volume- and/or mass-flow of a medium flowing in a stream direction through a pipeline, or measuring tube, comprising: a plurality of ultrasonic sensors which transmit and receive ultrasonic measuring signals along defined sound paths in, and opposite to, the stream direction of the medium; and a control/evaluation unit having a transmitting stage, a receiving stage and an evaluating stage, wherein: at least one of said plurality of ultrasonic sensors is situated in a first region of the pipeline, at least two of said plurality of ultrasonic sensors are situated in a second region of the pipeline, in such a manner that the ultrasonic measuring signals travel through the pipeline, on sound paths of different lengths, in, or opposite to, the stream direction of the medium; said transmitting stage excites one of said plurality of ultrasonic sensors or all said plurality of ultrasonic sensors of said first region simultaneously for transmitting the ultrasonic measuring signals; said receiving stage detects time-separated, ultrasonic, measuring signals incoming to said plurality of ultrasonic sensors of said second region, due to different lengths of the sound paths; and afterwards said transmitting stage excites one of said plurality of ultrasonic sensors or all said ultrasonic sensors of said second region simultaneously for transmitting the ultrasonic measuring signals; said receiving stage detects time-separated, ultrasonic, measuring signals incoming to said plurality of ultrasonic sensors of said first region, due to different lengths of the sound paths; and said evaluating stage, on the basis of travel-time difference of ultrasonic measuring signals on individual sound paths in, and opposite to, the stream direction, ascertains volume- and/or mass-flow of the medium in the pipeline, and said plurality of ultrasonic sensors lie in a plane, whereby a measuring of a flow profile of the medium in the pipeline occurs approximately simultaneously, and, wherein said plane is oblique to the stream direction of the medium.