Third Devices : Ultra Sonic Flowmeter

Ultra Sonic Flow Meter

An ultrasonic flow meter is a type of flow meter that measures the
velocity of a fluid with ultrasound to calculate volume flow. Using
ultrasonic transducers, the flow meter can measure the average velocity
along the path of an emitted beam of ultrasound, by averaging the
difference in measured transit time between the pulses of ultrasound
propagating into and against the direction of the flow or by measuring the
frequency shift from the Doppler effect. Ultrasonic flow meters are
affected by the acoustic properties of the fluid and can be impacted by
temperature, density, viscosity and suspended particulates depending on
the exact flow meter. They vary greatly in purchase price but are often
inexpensive to use and maintain because they do not use moving parts,
unlike mechanical flow meters.

Operation Of Ultra Sonic Flow Meter

There are three different types of ultrasonic flow meters. Transmission or
contrapropagating transit-time flow meters can be distinguished into in-
line (intrusive, wetted) and clamp-on (non-intrusive) varieties. Ultrasonic
flow meters that use the Doppler shift are called reflection or Doppler
flow meters. The third type is the open-channel flow meter.
Two Types Of Ultra sonic Flow Meter

- Time transit Flow Meter

- Doppler Type

Time transit flow meter

Principle

Ultrasonic flow meters measure the difference between the transit time of
ultrasonic pulses propagating with and against the flow direction. This
time difference is a measure for the average velocity of the fluid along the
path of the ultrasonic beam. By using the absolute transit times t_{up}
and t_{down}, both the averaged fluid velocity v and the speed of sound
c can be calculated. Using these two transit times, the distance between
receiving and transmitting transducers L and the inclination angle
(alpha) , if we assume that sound has to go against the flow when going
up and along the flow when returning down, then one can write the
following equations from the definition of velocity.
1. The pulsed beam is directed through a blood vessel at a shallow angle
and its transit time is measured.
2. The transit time is shortened when the blood flows in the same directon
as the transmitted energy.
3. The transit time is lengthened otherwise.
Doppler Ultra Sonic Flow Meter

Another method in ultrasonic flow metering is the use of the Doppler

shift that results from the reflection of an ultrasonic beam off sonically
reflective materials, such as solid particles or entrained air bubbles in a
flowing fluid, or the turbulence of the fluid itself, if the liquid is clean.
Doppler flowmeters are used for slurries, liquids with bubbles, gases with
sound-reflecting particles.
This type of flow meter can also be used to measure the rate of blood
flow, by passing an ultrasonic beam through the tissues, bouncing it off a
reflective plate, then reversing the direction of the beam and repeating the
measurement, the volume of blood flow can be estimated. The frequency
of the transmitted beam is affected by the movement of blood in the
vessel and by comparing the frequency of the upstream beam versus
downstream the flow of blood through the vessel can be measured. The
difference between the two frequencies is a measure of true volume flow.
A wide-beam sensor can also be used to measure flow independent of the
cross-sectional area of the blood vessel.
1. A transducer sends an ultra sonic beam with a frequency F into the
flowing blood.
2. A small part of the transmitted energy is scattered back and is received
by a second transducer arranged opposite the first one.
3. The reflected signal has a different frequency F+Fo or F-Fd due to
Doppler effect
Transit Time Ultra Sonic Meter

Advantages
- Obstruction less flow
- uneffected by changes in temperature, density, and viscocity
- Low flow cut off
- Corrosion resistant
- Relative low power consumption

Disadvantages

- This type of meters are highly dependent on the Reynold number

- It requires nonporous pipe material
- It require periodic re calibration
- Liquid with entrained gases cannot be measured reliably

Doppler Type Utra Sonic Flow Meter

Advantages

- No aliasing
- Angle independent
- Increased sensitivity to detect low velocity flow
- Useful in imaging tortuous vessels

Disadvantages

- Do not provide velocity of flow

- Do not provide direction of flow
- Very motion sensitive ( poor temporal resoultion )