The present invention discloses an integrated thermocouple waveguide sensor system comprise one or more of compatible wave propagation mediums joined at one junction with at least one ultrasonic energy transducer on at least one open end of one or more wave guides and a method using the integrated thermocouple waveguide sensor system with arrangement of at least one waveguide thermocouple for integrated measurement of multiple and simultaneous physical properties of the waveguide material itself and that of the surrounding media using the Seebeck phenomena and the ultrasonic guided wave phenomena. The surrounding media properties and waveguide material properties are measured based on the ultrasonic waveguide parameters and the temperature is measured by the thermocouple.

A turbidity measurement device for measuring turbidity of a fluid flowing in a flow tube. A first transducer transmits ultrasonic signals through the fluid in the turbidity measurement section so as to provide a first ultrasonic standing wave between the first and second section ends. A receiver transducer receives the ultrasonic scattered response from particles in the fluid flowing through the turbidity measurement section. A control circuit operates the transducers and generates a signal indicative of the turbidity of the fluid in response to signals received from the receiver transducer. Preferably, the device may comprise a second transducer for generating a second ultrasonic standing wave with the same frequency, and further the two transducers may be used to generate a measure of flow rate by means of known ultrasonic techniques. This flow rate may be used in the calculation of a measure of turbidity. Both turbidity facilities and flow rate facilities may be integrated in a consumption meter, such as a heat meter or a water meter.

A method of measuring a flow rate of a fluid flowing along a path, the method comprising: transmitting successive pairs of periodic signals through the fluid, the respective signals of each pair being transmitted in opposite directions along, and from opposite ends of, the path; determining a difference in propagation times of each signal of each pair along the path; and determining a flow rate of fluid along the path based on the difference in propagation times of the signals of each pair along the path; wherein a phase of each signal is altered with respect to a phase of at least one other signal transmitted along the path.

Provided is an automatic analyzer provided with a liquid level sensing function in which liquid levels in sample containers having various heights can be precisely detected using ultrasonic waves. This device is provided with: a conveyance rack for conveying a sample container which contains a sample and is loaded thereon; a fixed ultrasonic distance sensor for measuring the liquid level position in the sample container loaded on the conveyance rack; sound wave guides for suppressing diffusion of sound waves transmitted from the ultrasonic distance sensor, the sound wave guides being disposed between the sample container and the ultrasonic distance sensor; and a sound wave guide control unit for adjusting the length or switching the length of the sound wave guides in accordance with the distance between the ultrasonic distance sensor and the sample container.

An ultrasonic measuring includes a housing having a measuring channel and ultrasonic transducers. The housing is releasable attached to a pipe such that the measuring channel is capable of receiving the pipe and fixing the pipe with respect to the housing. The ultrasonic transducers emit and receive ultrasonic signals, and include first and second ultrasonic transducers. The first ultrasonic transducers define a first measuring section so as to be capable of exchanging ultrasonic signals, and the second ultrasonic transducers define a second measuring section so as to be capable of exchanging ultrasonic signals. The ultrasonic transducers are aligned such that the first and second measuring sections extend obliquely to a flow direction, and such that a measuring plane is defined by a center axis of the measuring channel and is different from a measuring plane defined by the center axis of the measuring channel and the second measuring section.

Propagation of leaky Lamb waves in pipe walls is used to provide a clamp-on acoustic flow meter for single-phase fluid flow in pipes. The received acoustic signals can be analyzed analytically, or by matching to numerical models, or with machine learning. In a preferred embodiment, variation of penetration depth of the leaky Lamb waves into the fluid flow with frequency provides an approach for measuring flow rate vs. radius with a clamp-on flow meter.

A method includes receiving data characterizing a speed of an acoustic signal through a gas mixture in a pipe. The speed of the acoustic signal can be detected by an ultrasonic flow meter coupled to the pipe. The method also includes receiving data characterizing a concentration of one or more inert gases in the gas mixture detected by an inert gas analyzer. The method further includes determining, based on the received data characterizing the speed of the acoustic signal and the received data characterizing the concentration of the one or more inert gases in the gas mixture, a net heating value of the gas mixture. The method also includes adjusting a processing of the gas mixture based on the determined net heating value.

A system and method for monitoring fluid flow in a downhole reservoir, characterized by at least one energy source (1), which simultaneously sends two or more utility pulses. The pulse can be a fast propagating and flow-independent acoustic pulse, a somewhat slower propagating and flow-dependent pressure pulse, a slow propagating heat pulse or a slow-propagating tracer pulse. The energy sources are connected via said pulses, without cable, and at least an upper heat source (1′) is connected to equipment on the surface via a cable (4).

An ultrasonic transducer for an ultrasonic flowmeter includes: a transducer housing with an ultrasound window; a transducer element in the transducer housing that transmits ultrasonic signals onto a signal path and receives ultrasonic signals from the signal path; a control and evaluation unit that controls the transducer element and evaluates the ultrasonic signals; and a buffer element that forms at least one at least partially reflective boundary layer in the signal path. In an operating state, the transducer element transmits an ultrasonic signal that is at least partially reflected at the boundary layer of the buffer element, and the reflected signal component is received by the transducer element. The control and evaluation unit monitors the reception of the reflected signal component and, in the absence of reception of a reflected signal component, detects an error state of the ultrasonic transducer.

An imaging device includes a transducer that includes an array of piezoelectric elements formed on a substrate. Each piezoelectric element includes at least one membrane suspended from the substrate, at least one bottom electrode disposed on the membrane, at least one piezoelectric layer disposed on the bottom electrode, and at least one top electrode disposed on the at least one piezoelectric layer. Adjacent piezoelectric elements are configured to be isolated acoustically from each other. The device is utilized to measure flow or flow along with imaging anatomy.