Situation

In industry, the measurement of gas or liquid flow often plays a decisive role in process control or calculation of costs. Exact registration of mass or volume flow is also essential in power plants, pipeline systems, water distribution and certain domestic applications. Since most measuring methods require a special velocity profile, which in practice often doesn't exist, there is a great need for flow profile independent measurement systems.

Objective

Development of an ultrasound system which allows:

• measurement of liquid flow spatial distribution
• reconstruction of velocity profiles
• profile independent flow measurement

Theory of Operation

The system developed at IBMT is based on a tracking algorithm. In pulse/echo mode, the ultrasound transducer emits short signals and receives the echos reflected from scatterers carried by the flowing medium. A correlation algorithm evaluates the velocity of scattering patterns in different depths. Each channel provides a one dimensional velocity profile and the use of a digital signal processor allows high measurement rates.

Features

• DSP-based real time system
• recording and graphical representation of flow profiles
• profile independent flow measurement in pipes and flumes
• adaptable to different measuring tasks

Fields of Application

The system is suitable for multiphase fluids like suspensions, emulsions and liquids with gas bubbles.

Some possible fields of application are

• water distribution
• chemical industry
• material-handling technology
• foodstuff industry
• pipelines
• power plants