An Algorithm to Minimize the Zero-Flow Error in Transit-Time Ultrasonic Flowmeters

Transit-time ultrasonic flowmeters are widely used in industry to measure fluid flow. In practice, ultrasonic flowmeters either show a zero-flow error or suffer from a significant random error due to a limited signal-to-noise ratio, requiring a significant amount of averaging to achieve good precisi...

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Veröffentlicht in:IEEE transactions on instrumentation and measurement 2021, Vol.70, p.1-9
Hauptverfasser: van Willigen, Douwe M., van Neer, Paul L. M. J., Massaad, Jack, de Jong, Nico, Verweij, Martin D., Pertijs, Michiel A. P.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Transit-time ultrasonic flowmeters are widely used in industry to measure fluid flow. In practice, ultrasonic flowmeters either show a zero-flow error or suffer from a significant random error due to a limited signal-to-noise ratio, requiring a significant amount of averaging to achieve good precision. This work presents a method that minimizes the zero-flow error while keeping the random error low, independent of the hardware used. The proposed algorithm can adjust to changing zero-flow errors, while a flow is present. The technique combines the benefits of two common methods of determining the transit time difference between the upstream and downstream ultrasonic waves: cross correlation and zero-crossing detection. The algorithm is verified experimentally using a flow loop. It is shown that the zero-flow error can be greatly reduced without compromising the random error or increasing circuit complexity.
ISSN:0018-9456
1557-9662
DOI:10.1109/TIM.2020.3007907