A new method for ultrasound detection of interfacial position in gas-liquid two-phase flow

Ultrasonic measurement techniques for velocity estimation are currently widely used in fluid flow studies and applications. An accurate determination of interfacial position in gas-liquid two-phase flows is still an open problem. The quality of this information directly reflects on the accuracy of v...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2014-05, Vol.14 (5), p.9093-9116
Main Authors: Coutinho, Fábio Rizental, Ofuchi, César Yutaka, de Arruda, Lúcia Valéria Ramos, Neves, Jr, Flávio, Morales, Rigoberto E M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Bubbles
Computer engineering
Doppler method
Failure
gas liquid two-phase flow
Liquids
Measurement techniques
multiphase flow
Plexiglas
Sensors
Spatial filtering
Statistical analysis
Transducers
Ultrasonic imaging
Ultrasonic testing
Ultrasonic transducers
ultrasound
Velocity
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Ultrasonic measurement techniques for velocity estimation are currently widely used in fluid flow studies and applications. An accurate determination of interfacial position in gas-liquid two-phase flows is still an open problem. The quality of this information directly reflects on the accuracy of void fraction measurement, and it provides a means of discriminating velocity information of both phases. The algorithm known as Velocity Matched Spectrum (VM Spectrum) is a velocity estimator that stands out from other methods by returning a spectrum of velocities for each interrogated volume sample. Interface detection of free-rising bubbles in quiescent liquid presents some difficulties for interface detection due to abrupt changes in interface inclination. In this work a method based on velocity spectrum curve shape is used to generate a spatial-temporal mapping, which, after spatial filtering, yields an accurate contour of the air-water interface. It is shown that the proposed technique yields a RMS error between 1.71 and 3.39 and a probability of detection failure and false detection between 0.89% and 11.9% in determining the spatial-temporal gas-liquid interface position in the flow of free rising bubbles in stagnant liquid. This result is valid for both free path and with transducer emitting through a metallic plate or a Plexiglas pipe.
ISSN:1424-8220
1424-8220
DOI:10.3390/s140509093