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Title: Method for noninvasive determination of acoustic properties of fluids inside pipes

Abstract

A method for determining the composition of fluids flowing through pipes from noninvasive measurements of acoustic properties of the fluid is described. The method includes exciting a first transducer located on the external surface of the pipe through which the fluid under investigation is flowing, to generate an ultrasound chirp signal, as opposed to conventional pulses. The chirp signal is received by a second transducer disposed on the external surface of the pipe opposing the location of the first transducer, from which the transit time through the fluid is determined and the sound speed of the ultrasound in the fluid is calculated. The composition of a fluid is calculated from the sound speed therein. The fluid density may also be derived from measurements of sound attenuation. Several signal processing approaches are described for extracting the transit time information from the data with the effects of the pipe wall having been subtracted.

Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1280744
Patent Number(s):
9404890
Application Number:
13/226,444
Assignee:
Los Alamos National Security, LLC (Los Alamos, NM)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01F - MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
DOE Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2011 Sep 06
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS

Citation Formats

. Method for noninvasive determination of acoustic properties of fluids inside pipes. United States: N. p., 2016. Web.
. Method for noninvasive determination of acoustic properties of fluids inside pipes. United States.
. Tue . "Method for noninvasive determination of acoustic properties of fluids inside pipes". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1280744.
@article{osti_1280744,
title = {Method for noninvasive determination of acoustic properties of fluids inside pipes},
author = {},
abstractNote = {A method for determining the composition of fluids flowing through pipes from noninvasive measurements of acoustic properties of the fluid is described. The method includes exciting a first transducer located on the external surface of the pipe through which the fluid under investigation is flowing, to generate an ultrasound chirp signal, as opposed to conventional pulses. The chirp signal is received by a second transducer disposed on the external surface of the pipe opposing the location of the first transducer, from which the transit time through the fluid is determined and the sound speed of the ultrasound in the fluid is calculated. The composition of a fluid is calculated from the sound speed therein. The fluid density may also be derived from measurements of sound attenuation. Several signal processing approaches are described for extracting the transit time information from the data with the effects of the pipe wall having been subtracted.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2016},
month = {8}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter
patent, August 2005


Ultrasonic characterization of high concentration particles
patent, August 2007


Band excitation method applicable to scanning probe microscopy
patent, August 2010


Non-Contact Feature Detection Using Ultrasonic Lamb Waves
patent-application, March 2009


20030164038
patent-application, October 2009