APPARATUS AND METHOD USING AN ARRAY OF ULTRASONIC SENSORS FOR DETERMINING THE VELOCITY OF A FLUID WITHIN A PIPE

摘要

An apparatus and method for measuring the flow velocity of a fluid flowing through a pipe that includes an array of at least two ultrasonic sensor unit s (with as many as 16 sensor units) disposed at predetermined locations along the pipe. Each sensor unit includes an ultrasonic transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver. Each sensor unit provides a respective signal indicativ e of a parameter of the transit time or amplitude of the ultrasonic signal propagating between each respective ultrasonic transmitter and ultrasonic receiver. A signal processor defines a convective ridge in the k-.omega. pla ne in response to the ultrasonic signals using an adaptive beamforming algorith m, such as Capon and Music. The signal processor further determines the slope o f at least a portion of the convective ridge to determine the flow velocity of the fluid.