Transit-time flowmeters, sometimes called counter propagation flowmeters, are an alternative to Doppler ultrasonic flowmeters. A transit-time ultrasonic flowmeter uses a pair of opposed sensors to measure the time difference between a sound pulse traveling with the fluid flow versus a sound pulse traveling against the fluid flow. Since the motion of fluid tends to carry a sound wave along, the sound pulse transmitted downstream will make the journey faster than a sound pulse transmitted upstream:
The rate of volumetric flow through a transit-time flowmeter is a simple function of the upstream and downstream propagation times:
Where:
Q = Calculated volumetric flow rate
k = Constant of proportionality
tup = Time for sound pulse to travel from downstream location to upstream location (upstream, against the flow)
tdown = Time for sound pulse to travel from upstream location to downstream location (downstream, with the flow)
An interesting characteristic of transit-time velocity measurement is that the ratio of transit time difference over transit time product remains constant with changes in the speed of sound through the fluid. When this equation is cast into terms of path length (L), fluid velocity (v), and sound velocity (c), the equation simplifies to Q=2kv/L, proving that the transit-time flowmeter is linear just like the Doppler flowmeter, with the advantage of being immune to changes in the fluid’s speed of sound. Changes in bulk modulus resulting from changes in fluid composition, or changes in density resulting from compositional, temperature, or pressure variations therefore have little effect on a transit-time flowmeter’s accuracy.
Reprinted from "Lessons In Industrial Instrumentation" by Tony R. Kuphaldt – under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License.
An interesting characteristic of transit-time velocity measurement is that the ratio of transit time difference over transit time product remains constant with changes in the speed of sound through the fluid. When this equation is cast into terms of path length (L), fluid velocity (v), and sound velocity (c), the equation simplifies to Q=2kv/L, proving that the transit-time flowmeter is linear just like the Doppler flowmeter, with the advantage of being immune to changes in the fluid’s speed of sound. Changes in bulk modulus resulting from changes in fluid composition, or changes in density resulting from compositional, temperature, or pressure variations therefore have little effect on a transit-time flowmeter’s accuracy.
Reprinted from "Lessons In Industrial Instrumentation" by Tony R. Kuphaldt – under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License.
