Experimental study of ultrasonic wave propagation in a long waveguide sensor for fluid-level sensing

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Abstract

This work reports an ultrasonic long waveguide sensor for measuring the fluid level utilizing longitudinal L(0,1), torsional T(0,1), and flexural F(1,1) wave modes. These wave modes were transmitted and received simultaneously using stainless-steel wire. A long waveguide (>12 m) covers a broader region of interest and is suitable in the process industry's hostile environment applications, "fluid levels and temperature measurements." In this work, we used fluids "diesel, water, and glycerin" for measuring fluid levels based on the sensor's reflection factors from time domain and frequency domain signals. We examined the impact of wave modes' attenuation effects for long waveguide sensor design while changing the waveguide lengths. Initially, we obtained the L(0,1) and T(0,1) modes reflections from the 12.6 m waveguide length when one end of the long waveguide was fixed with a shear transducer at 45° orientation. Subsequently, we want to study and identify all wave modes'' (especially F mode) travel distances. Hence, we would like to investigate the guided wave propagation characteristics (attenuation, ultrasonic velocity, and frequency of all wave modes) in the long waveguide while cutting systematically at intervals of 1 meter, starting from its original length of the waveguide 12.6 meters by analyzing the A-scan signals of various lengths of a single waveguide. This simple and cost-effective technique can monitor the high fluid depths and temperature in power plants, oil, and petrochemical industries while designing a long waveguide sensor with appropriate ultrasonic parameters.

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About the authors

Abhishek Kumar

National Institute of Technology

Author for correspondence.
Email: abhik@student.nitw.ac.in
India, 506004, Telangana

Suresh Periyannan

National Institute of Technology

Email: sureshp@nitw.ac.in
India, 506004, Telangana

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Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
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2. Fig. 1. Dispersion relation for stainless steel: phase velocity (a); group velocity (b)

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3. Fig. 2. Orientation of the waveguide and transducer at 45° for propagation of modes F(1,1), T(0,1), and L(0,1) in the experiment and photo excitation of the modes

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4. Fig. 3. Block diagram of the experimental setup (a): 1 - shear transducer; 2 - waveguide; 3 - generator-receiver; 4 - PicoScope; 5 - computer; 6 - controlled tank; 7 - controlled sample. Transducer holder (b); real experimental setup for liquid level measurement (c): transducer holder (1); shear transducer with waveguide at 45° (2); coupler (3); long waveguide (4); sample and controlled tube (5); generator/receiver (6); PicoScope (7); PC (8)

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5. Fig. 4. Received A-scan signal (waveguide in air medium)

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6. Fig. 5. Hilbert transform of the obtained A-scan signal and its enlarged image for glycerol (a) and diesel fuel (b)

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7. Fig. 6. FFT for the obtained modes L(0, 1) (a), T(0, 1) (b) of the signals from glycerol

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8. Fig. 7. FFT for the obtained modes L(0, 1) (a), T(0, 1) (b) of water signals

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9. Fig. 8. Dependence of the reflection coefficient on the level of different liquids

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10. Fig. 9. Error bounds for L(0,1), T(0,1) of the 1st pass and L(0,1) of the 2nd pass in water (a); diesel fuel (b); glycerol (c)

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11. Fig. 10. Hilbert transform for the received A-scan signals at waveguide lengths of 12.6; 6.6; 3.4 and 1.7 m

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12. Fig. 11. Changes in the amplitude of signals of wave modes L, T, F when changing the length of the waveguide

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13. Fig. 12. Dependence of the signal frequency L(0, 1), T(0, 1), F(1, 1) on the waveguide length

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