15TH WORLD CONGRESS OF INTERNATIONAL MEASUREMENT CONFEDERATION IMEKO-XV, OSAKA, JAPAN, JUNE 13-18, 1999

High Sample Rate Ultrasonic Gas Flow Meter for

Pulsating Gas Flows
B. Nath and W. Löber

ELSTER Produktion GmbH, Steinernstr. 19-21, D-55252 Mainz-Kastel

Tel.: +49 6134 605356; Fax: +49 6134 605448
E-Mail: nath@elster.elster-group.com

Abstract
Measuring gas flow in practical applications often causes problems because the gas flow frequently is not steady. Swirls
and pulsations may occur when using bends, valves or regulators. Unfortunately, only few measuring techniques are
suitable for these conditions. Therefore, this paper will explain an ultrasonic gas flow meter for these applications. After
explaining the basic principle of ultrasonic metering, it is shown how a high sampling rate can be achieved. In order to
integrate the flow over the cross-section a special sound path configuration using the reflection on an elliptical surface is
used. This arrangement offers advantages regarding accuracy. Also, the influence of a changing speed of sound is
avoided. Next, experimental results measuring the unsteady flow of rotary piston meter with the ultrasonic meter are
analysed. Finally, the flow in a gas pipe with a shutting valve is presented.

Keywords: Ultrasonic gas meter, unsteady gas flow, high sample rate, rotary piston meter.

mechanically and thus ensure a high degree of robustness

1. Introduction
Ultrasonic gas meters are increasingly used in the area of
large volume gas measurement because they provide
considerable benefits compared to traditional measuring
techniques: the meter tube does not contain any disturbing
installations such as displacers or interfering units. That is
why the occurring pressure loss is extremely low and can
be compared with that of a simple straight tube. Since
ultrasonic gas meters are electronic measuring instru-
ments, they operate without any parts which are moved
as well as a stable measuring response. Considering that
these units usually operate by measuring the difference of
propagation times, a high sample rate for measuring
unsteady flow should be possible. However, this re-
lationship has not been examined very much. Therefore,
the objective of this article consists in presenting the high
sample rate measurements with an ultrasonic gas flow
meter.
1.1 Transit Time Principle
In order to have a better understanding of ultrasonic gas
flow meters, first the basic principle of operation will be
explained. This can be seen in Figure 1. In the cross-
section ac of the pipe where the measurement is to be
made, there are two ultrasonic transducers, A and B,
located diagonally opposite of each other at an angle ϕ to
the flow. These can be used both to transmit and receive
ultrasonic signals. If, for example, transducer A transmits
an ultrasonic pulse, this moves along the path length L at
the speed of sound c and reaches transducer B after a
certain transit time tAB (Equation 1).

L
t AB = (1)
Fig. 1: Transit time principle for ultrasonic meters c + v m cos ϕ

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15TH WORLD CONGRESS OF INTERNATIONAL MEASUREMENT CONFEDERATION IMEKO-XV, OSAKA, JAPAN, JUNE 13-18, 1999

If the pulse is then sent in the opposite direction, i.e.
transducer B transmits a pulse to transducer A, the
resultant is the transit time tBA. If no gas is flowing
through the pipe (mean flow velocity vm=0), then the
transit times in both directions are equal. If, however, gas
flows at a speed of vm, then the ultrasonic signal takes a
little less time when it is transmitted with the flow
(Equation 1) and a little more time when it travels against
the flow (Equation 2).
L
t BA = (2)
c − v m cos ϕ
The mean flow velocity vm is given from the different
transit times tAB and tBA (Equation 1 and 2).
necessary. This ultrasonic transit time measurement
principle is commonly used in most ultrasonic meters.
1.2 Signal Processing
In the case of measurements, which are based on the
procedure of measuring the difference between
propagation times, the primary task of a measurement
consists in determining the propagation times tAB and tBA.
These times are affected by the drag effect in the direction
of the flow and in the opposite direction. In analog
systems these time measurements are commonly done by
the leading edge and zero crossing procedure (Fig. 2).

L t −t
vm = ⋅ BA AB (3)
2 cos ϕ t AB ⋅ t BA
This shows the mean flow velocity vm, and from this,
together with the cross-sectional area ac of the pipe which
is already known, the flow rate Q can be calculated.
Q = vm ⋅ ac (4)

The most important feature of this method of measuring

flow rates is that the two transit times tAB and tBA of the
signal and the geometric dimensions are needed (Equation
3). Neither the speed of sound c, which is dependent on
pressure, temperature and density, nor any other material Fig. 2: Leading edge and zero crossing procedure
constants particular to the type of gas being measured are

Fig. 3: Two path leading edge ultrasonic meter using a Time-to-Digital-Converter

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15TH WORLD CONGRESS OF INTERNATIONAL MEASUREMENT CONFEDERATION IMEKO-XV, OSAKA, JAPAN, JUNE 13-18, 1999

The received ultrasonic signal is recognized by a 2. Path Configuration

threshold being exceeded. The subsequent zero crossing
of the received ultrasonic signal is defined as the time of Unsteady flows, in general, do not have fully developed
receipt and it triggers the stop of the propagation time flow profiles. For a precise flow measurement it is
measurement. However, the zero crossing is distinctly necessary to integrate the flow over the entire cross-
later than the time at which the sound has passed the flow section of the pipe. Typically, ultrasonic gas flow meters
channel. This offset of times, too, must be subtracted of have path configurations that only use a very small portion
the measured ultrasonic propagation times tAB and tBA. of the flow area.
In order to have an ultrasonic gas flow meter to be Figure 4, for example, shows the flow profile of a
suitable for unsteady flow, a high sample rate must be double bend. Also, a single direct ultrasonic path is
achieved. The main limiting factors are the ultrasonic shown. It is obvious, that such a system cannot cover the
transit times tAB and tBA in acoustical paths depending on entire flow profile.
the speed of sound c and the travel length L and the
transient response of the ultrasonic transducers. For a
quick time measurement a high speed Time-to-Digital-
Converter-IC (TDC) is used. It has the ability to handle
four ultrasonic channels with a time resolution of only 270
ps. With this circuit, a sample rate of more than 200 Hz
became possible. Figure 3 shows the block diagram of the
two path Ultrasonic Meter used for the experiments of
pulsating flow.
The Ultrasonic Meter uses four transducers for two
channels. As the transducers work as transmitters as well Fig. 4: Flow profile behind a double bend
as receivers an appropriate switching for the
transmit/receive-amplifiers is necessary. Also an For a good coverage of the flow profile, the ultrasonic
analog/digital conversion for a temperature and pressure flow meter presented here has two specially designed
measurement is provided. The time measurement is done elliptical surfaces (Fig. 5).
by the TDC on a separate PCB in a standard Personal
Computer. For the communication with external devices
(test rig for calibration, etc.) a serial interface can be used.
Although high sampling rates can be achieved with
these electronics, such analog systems have some
disadvantages relating to the signal to noise ratio. In order
to have precise time measurement the received ultrasonic
signal must have a higher level than any other occuring
noise signal (Figure 2). Otherwise time measurement will
stop when a noise signal exceeds the threshold level.
Therefore, for the commercial version of the Ultrasonic
Meter USM, digital signal processing using pattern
recognition and correlation techniques are used. With
these techniques, in general, it is possible to detect
ultrasonic signals below the noise level. But, using pattern
recognition and correlation methods, time consuming
calculations are necessary, decreasing the sample rate.

Fig. 5: Sound path configuration and view of the

ultrasonic meter USM

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15TH WORLD CONGRESS OF INTERNATIONAL MEASUREMENT CONFEDERATION IMEKO-XV, OSAKA, JAPAN, JUNE 13-18, 1999
The ultrasound is reflected at these surfaces and
focused towards the receiving transducer [1]. In this way,
more than 90% of the cross-section of the flow is covered
by the measurement. It can be shown that this ensures
accurate results even in heavily distorted flow profiles
[2,3]. An elliptical reflection surface with the ultrasonic
transducers in the focal points leads to equal travel lengths
for all sonic beams. So a gas type dependency can be
avoided. Another advantage of this arrangement is the
higher sound intensity level caused by the focused
ultrasonic sound. This improves the signal to noise ratio.
3. Flow Measurements
To show the functionality of this ultrasonic gas flow
meter, experimental results are presented. First, a rotary
piston meter (Fig. 6 and 7) producing unsteady gas flow is
shown and explained.
Fig. 6: Rotary piston meter (ELSTER)
Fig. 8: Test arrangement (sonic nozzle prover) in line with a rotary piston meter and an Ultrasonic Meter
In this type of meter the internal walls limiting the
measuring rooms are put in rotation by the flowing gas.
The two pistons typically have the shape of a '8' (Figure 7).
The number of revolutions is corresponding with the
transported gas volume. The rotating pistons generate
pulsations. Conventional flow measurement systems in
general are not able to record the quick changes of the
actual flow.
Fig. 7: Cross-section of the pistons
(Click on Fig. 7 to start video clip)
Therefore the ultrasonic flow meter is put in line with
the rotary piston meter (Figure 8). A constant test flow is
generated by a sonic nozzle prover [4]. The pressure ratio
necessary to maintain critical conditions in the sonic
nozzle is surveyed by pressure measurements in the inlet
air container before and behind the sonic nozzles.
Although a constant flow rate of Qb=20 m³/h is provided
by the sonic nozzle prover the ultrasonic gas flow meter
shows periodically changes of the flow rate of about 25%
in Figure 9, generated by the rotary piston meter. The
measurements represent just one revolution of the rotary
pistons. For a better clearness, the different positions of
the pistons are shown according to the measurements.
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15TH WORLD CONGRESS OF INTERNATIONAL MEASUREMENT CONFEDERATION IMEKO-XV, OSAKA, JAPAN, JUNE 13-18, 1999
Fig. 9: Flow rate Qb of a rotary piston meter for one revolution of the pistons
One revolution of the pistons gives four maxima with a
shift of 90°.
The ultrasonic gas flow meter measurements (1) have
deviations from the ideal curve. The reason for this effect
can be found in the turbulence in the flow. One ultrasonic
measurement represents the state of the actual flow
condition for a very short time of only a few hundred
microseconds, just like flashlight. A little bit later, during
the next measurement, the turbulence conditions have
changed a bit, which might cause a change up to several
percent in the measurement.
In order to eliminate these deviations, next, an averaging
of n=10 measurements has been performed (2). This
resulting curve can be compared with a theoretical
calculation of the flow rate (3). With a CAD system the
transported volume through the rotary piston meter can be
calculated. For this purpose, the enclosed area separated
by the pistons is calculated for different angles over one
revolution in 10° steps. The transported volume is given,
taking the area differences between successive positions
multiplied by the length of the pistons. Considering the
rotational speed of the meter the flow rate can be
determined. In Figure 9, the calculated flow rate by the
CAD data can be compared with the ultrasonic
measurements. Especially the averaged ultrasonic flow
rate measurements (n=10 samples) (2) are in very good
agreement with the calculated CAD data (3).
Looking at the pulsations in more detail, they are
basically not a single sine wave. Over one revolution of
the rotary piston four wave movements can be seen due to
symmetry reasons. Minima occur at 0°, 90°, 180°, 270°
and 360°. In the contrary, the maxima appear at 45°, 135°,
225° and 315°. They are wider than the minima. The
rising slopes are more steep than the falling ones.
For an analysis of the flow rate, a FFT of the ultrasonic
measurement for the raw data has been made. It is shown
in Figure 10. Besides the continuous flow (f=0 Hz) a
fundamental wave appears at 8.6 Hz. Additional four
harmonic waves can be detected. Higher harmonics
disappear in the noise and can be neglected. The noise is
evenly distributed, showing no extra sources for
pulsations. In order to prove that the spectrum of the USM
with the fundametal wave and its harmonics represents the
actual flow, in Figure 10 an inverse FFT is made (1). The
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15TH WORLD CONGRESS OF INTERNATIONAL MEASUREMENT CONFEDERATION IMEKO-XV, OSAKA, JAPAN, JUNE 13-18, 1999

Fig. 10: Analysis of the Ultrasonic Meter measurements

constant part of the fundamental wave and four harmonics pulsating flow, which is not affecting the constant nozzle
are taken into consideration. The noise has been flow.
neglected. Figure 10 compares the flow rate calculated by
the CAD data (3), the averaged flow rate measurements of
the ultrasonic meter (2) and the inverse FFT of a single
Ultrasonic Meter data set (1). All are in excellent
accordance.
After that, another check was made. The Ultrasonic Meter
was taken out of the pipe and put directly in front of the
intake of the rotary piston meter. Figure 11 shows a direct
view of the intake. The rotary pistons are situated in the
center and the elliptical walls with the transducers of the
Ultrasonic Meter can be seen in the front.
With this arrangement, the flow rate of the air sucked out
of the room has been measured. The measurement results
are nearly the same as in Figure 9 and 10. They all were
taken at atmospheric conditions. The pressure loss of the
rotary piston meter is less than 1 mbar and can be
disregarded. So, the unsteady input flow of the rotary
piston meter is equal to the output flow. In the contrary,
the flow through the sonic nozzle is constant. Obviously, Fig. 11: View of the intake with the Ultrasonic Meter in
the pulsating flow goes through the pipe into the inlet air front and the rotary piston meter behind
container. The volume of it is large enough to buffer the

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15TH WORLD CONGRESS OF INTERNATIONAL MEASUREMENT CONFEDERATION IMEKO-XV, OSAKA, JAPAN, JUNE 13-18, 1999
Finally, an example of a shutting valve is given in Figure 12.
Fig. 12: Flow behind a shut-off valve
The Ultrasonic Meter is mounted in front of the inlet
pipe of a test rig. After an entrance length of 40 D a shut-
off valve is closed. The sudden stop of the gas flow causes
a pressure build-up in front of the valve due to mass
inertia. The pressure compensation lead to oscillating
movement with a reverse flow.
4. Conclusions
The measurements show that the Ultrasonic Meter is
capable of registering unsteady flows. Using Time-to-
Digital-Converters high sampling rates can be achieved.
The sample rate is limited mainly by the time of flight,
thus depending on the speed of sound and length of the
ultrasonic paths. Using elliptical reflection surfaces a
good coverage of the flow profile is assured. So, distorted
flow profiles will not affect the measurement accuracy.
In industral applications flow measurement devices have
to be insensitive against noise. For this reason the Elster
Ultrasonic Meters USM have been equipped with digital
electronics using DSPs for correlation and pattern
recognition techniques (Figure 13).
Fig. 13: Elster Ultrasonic Meters USM
This series has been designed mainly for compressed air
up to 20 bar and combustible gases (natural gas, etc.) up
to 16 bar. The Ultrasonic Meters USM are available in
diameters of 3" (80mm), 4" (100mm) and 6" (150mm).
The concept of modern Ultrasonic Meters give
opportunity of accurate measurements of distorted flow
nearly without any pressure loss.
References
[1] B. Nath, V. Lötz-Dauer, V. Wetzel, A. Hilgenstock, S.
Kolpatzik, Measuring Response of Ultrasonic Gas
Meters in Dependence of Gas Types, Int. Gas
Research Conf. IGRC, San Diego, USA, TSP-02
[2] A. Hilgenstock, M. Heinz, B. Nath, Numerical Flow
Simulation as a Tool for Developing and Calibrating
Ultrasonic Flowmeters, Proc. 8th Int. Conf. on Flow
Measurement FLOMEKO '96, Beijing, China, pp.
156-161
[3] A. Hilgenstock, T. Hüwener, B. Nath, Prediction of
Measurement Errors of Ultrasonic Flow Meters in
Disturbed Flow Conditions, Int. Gas Research
Conference IGRC, San Diego, USA, TSO-08
[4] B. Nath, H. Dietrich, Parallel Use of Sonic Nozzles
and Turbine Gas Meters for High-Accuracy Test Rigs,
Proc. 9th Int. Conf. on Flow Measurement FLOMEKO
'98, Lund, Sweden, pp. 315-320