A microfluidic flow sensor may include a substrate having a microfluidic channel, a bubble generator to introduce a bubble into fluid that is directed through the microfluidic channel and a sensor element along the microfluidic channel and spaced from the bubble generator. The sensor element outputs a signal based upon a sensed passage of the bubble with respect to the sensor element. Portions of the microfluidic channel proximate the sensor element have a first size and wherein the bubble generated by the bubble generator is to have a second size greater than one half the first size.

A microfluidic flow sensor may include a substrate having a microfluidic channel, an inert particle source to supply a fluid carrying an inert particle to the microfluidic channel and a sensor element along the microfluidic channel and spaced from the inert particle source. The sensor element outputs a signal based upon a sensed passage of the inert particle with respect to the sensor element. Portions of the microfluidic channel proximate the sensor element have a first size and wherein the inert particle provided by the inert particle source is to have a second size greater than one half the first size.

An apparatus for measuring a parameter of a fluid flow passing within a pipe is provided. The apparatus includes a sensing device and a processing unit. The sensing device has a sensor array that includes at least one first macro fiber composite (MFC) strain sensor disposed at a first axial position, and at least one second MFC strain sensor disposed at a second axial position. The first axial position and the second axial position are spaced apart from one another. The at least one first MFC strain sensor and the at least one second MFC strain sensor are both configured to produce signals representative of pressure variations of the fluid flow passing within the pipe. The processing unit is configured to receive the signals from the sensor array and measure one or more fluid flow parameters based on the signals.

An integrated circuit includes one or more central processing unit (CPU) cores configured to cause a first ultrasonic transducer to generate ultrasonic signals into a fluid moving in a pipe and the first or a second ultrasonic transducer to receive the ultrasonic signals from the fluid. The CPU core(s) also compute a first value indicative of at least one of a standard deviation and a time correlation based on the received ultrasonic signals. The CPU core(s) further determine a second value indicative of a volume of gas bubbles in the fluid using the computed first value indicative of the at least one of the standard deviation and time correlation.

A method to control an ultrasonic flowmeter, the ultrasonic flowmeter including a pipe segment; a first pair of transducers defining a first ultrasonic path; and a second pair of transducers defining a second ultrasonic path is provided. The method includes: a) transmitting a first code along the first ultrasonic path; b) simultaneously transmitting a second code along the second ultrasonic path, wherein the first and second code are non-correlated; c) receiving a first ultrasonic signal by the first pair of transducers; d) receiving a second ultrasonic signal by the second pair of transducers; e) correlating the transmitted first code with the first ultrasonic signal; and f) correlating the transmitted second code with the second ultrasonic signal.

Method for measuring a speed of a fluid, implemented by an ultrasonic flow meter including a reflector mirror positioned between two transducers. The measuring method includes measurement phases in which: one of the two transducers emits an ultrasonic measurement signal; the other of the two transducers receives the ultrasonic measurement signal after it has completed a measurement trip; evaluate the speed of the fluid depending on a measurement trip time. The measurement method furthermore includes compensation phases in which: one of the two transducers emits an ultrasonic compensation signal; the transducer receives the ultrasonic compensation signal after it has completed a compensation trip during which it was reflected by the reflector mirror; compensate for a measurement drift of the transducer by adjusting the measurement trip time depending on a compensation trip time.

A measurement device for ascertaining a pressure in a measurement volume which receives a fluid or through which fluid flows. The measurement volume is bounded at least sectionally by a side wall and a vibration transducer is arranged on the side wall. The vibration transducer is actuable by a control device of the measurement device to excite a wave that is guided through the side wall. The guided wave is able to be guided through the side wall along a propagation path back to the vibration transducer or to at least one further vibration transducer and it is captured there by the control device in order to ascertain measurement data. The pressure in the measurement volume is then ascertained by the control device in dependence on the measurement data.

Apparatus features a signal processor or signal processing module configured to: receive signaling containing information about a central air-core of an overflow pipe of a hydrocyclone where fluid flow is concentrated in an outer annular region of the overflow pipe that is against an inner wall of the overflow pipe during a normal operation of the hydrocyclone; and determine corresponding signaling containing information about a collapse of the central air-core of the overflow pipe of the hydrocyclone during an abnormal operation of the hydrocyclone, based upon the signaling received. The signaling contains information about a fluid flow rate of the fluid flow by detecting a change in the magnitude of a force and/or a moment on the probe.

Apparatus (10) and methods for making simultaneous measurements of composition (water-cut), fluid flow, and sound attenuation in a multiphase fluid flowing (15) through a pipe (12) in real-time, using the same apparatus (10) are described. Additionally, the apparatus (10) provides real-time pipe wall thickness monitoring for observing pipe corrosion or internal deposition. Knowledge of wall thickness is necessary to correct for water-cut (oil-water composition) automatically by adjusting the liquid path length internal to the pipe (spool). The use of short duration frequency chirp excitation signals (24) enables the apparatus to provide information that can be used to extract multiple levels of information from the same measurement in multiphase fluids including the presence of a significant quantity of gas (60% gas volume fraction) in different flow regimes. Besides measuring steady flow, this device is useful for measurements during fast changing flows, such as for a rod-pumped well. Measurements up to about 1000 times a second can reliably be made.

Provided herein are improved methods for estimating the flow velocity of a fluid in a vessel. Systems and methods are provided herein related to making and/or refining velocity measurements for flowing fluids, both single and multi-phase fluids, in vessels, such as pipes or conduits, utilizing contrast media property agent variations. In one aspect, this disclosure provides a method of determining a flow velocity of a fluid flow in a vessel including: providing a fluid flow having contrast media, the contrast media having a contrast media property variation; providing a detectable signal corresponding to the contrast media property variation; collecting the detectable signal at an upstream receiver to produce a first received signal; collecting the detectable signal at a downstream receiver to produce a second received signal, the downstream receiver being located downstream of the upstream receiver at a distance (L); filtering the first received signal and the second received signal through a contrast media variant filter to produce a first filtered signal and a second filtered signal; cross-correlating the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal to determine a time shift (t) between the first filtered signal and the second filtered signal; and estimating the velocity of the fluid flow using this relationship vflow=L/t.