Acoustic propagation in viscous fluid with uniform flow and a novel design methodology for ultrasonic flow meter

Ultrasonic flow meter with non-invasive no-moving-parts construction has good prospective application for space on-orbit fluid gauging. In traditional pulse transit time flow meter, inconsistency of ultrasonic transducers leads to measurement error and plane wave theory, bases of transit time flow meter, is valuable only for low-frequency wave propagation in inviscid fluid and will lose feasibility when fluid viscosity is considered. In this paper, based on the hydrodynamics of viscous fluid, wave propagation with uniform flow profile is mathematically formulated and a novel solution for viscous fluid using potential theory is firstly presented. Then a novel design methodology of continuous ultrasonic flow meter is proposed, where high measurement rangeability and accuracy are guaranteed individually by solving the integral ambiguity using multi-tone wide laning strategy and the fractional phase shift using phase lock loop tracking method. A comparison with transit time ultrasonic flow meter shows the advantage of proposed methodology. In the end, parametric analysis of viscosity on wave propagation and ultrasonic flow meter is compressively investigated.

► Wave Propagation in viscous fluid with uniform mean flow is mathematically formulated.
► A novel analytical solution based on potential theory is given.
► A novel design methodology for continuous ultrasonic flow meter is proposed.
► Measurement performance is guaranteed by multi-tone wide laning and phase lock loop strategy.
► Parametric analysis of viscosity is investigated.