ULTRASONIC FLOW RATE MEASUREMENT DEVICE AND ULTRASONIC FLOW RATE MEASUREMENT METHOD

To provide an ultrasonic flow rate measurement device and an ultrasonic flow rate measurement method which are capable of accurately measuring a flow rate of the fluid flowing through a tubular member having a small diameter.SOLUTION: A downstream side element 4B in an ultrasonic transmission reception element pair 40 is connected to an upstream side element 5A in an ultrasonic transmission reception element pair 50 by an electric signal line 300, and a path through which the ultrasonic wave passes between elements of the ultrasonic transmission reception element pair 40 and a path through which the ultrasonic wave passes between elements of the ultrasonic wave transmission reception element pair 50 may be considered to be continuous. Making a distance through which the ultrasonic wave passes long in this way allows the time during which the ultrasonic wave propagates through the fluid to be made long and a propagation time difference between a positive direction duration and a reverse direction duration to be made long, and the measurement accuracy of the propagation time difference can be improved. As a result, even if a tube 10 has a small diameter, the flow rate of the fluid can be accurately measured.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6 【課題】小径な管状部材を流れる流体の流量を精度良く測定することができる超音波流量測定装置および超音波流量測定方法を提供する。【解決手段】超音波送受信素子対４０における下流側素子４Ｂが、超音波送受信素子対５０における上流側素子５Ａに対して電気信号線３００によって接続されており、超音波送受信素子対４０の素子間において超音波が通過する経路と、超音波送受信素子対５０の素子間において超音波が通過する経路と、が連続的になっているものと考えることができる。このように超音波が流体中を通過する距離を長くすることにより、超音波が流体中を伝搬する時間を長くし、正方向所要時間と逆方向所要時間との伝搬時間差を長くすることができ、伝搬時間差の測定精度を向上させることができる。これにより、チューブ１０が小径であっても、流体の流量を精度良く測定することができる。【選択図】図６