Measurement of solid suspension concentration and flow velocity with temperature compensation using a portable ultrasonic device

Abstract

Ultrasonic spectroscopy is highly suitable for real-time measurement, in particular for dense particle systems. In the present study, a novel measurement device, namely a portable ultrasonic device (PUD), is designed and manufactured for measuring solid suspension concentration and flow velocity simultaneously with respect to the propagation of ultrasound waves in a solid–liquid mixture at different temperatures. A series of experiments were conducted in the laboratory to obtain the ultrasonic attenuation of kaolin and reservoir sediment solutions within a wide range of concentrations (1000–300 000 mg/L) at various temperatures (15–27°C). The resulting data were regressed to establish linear functions of attenuation and temperature for concentration. The experimental data were compared with theoretical simulated results to show the effect of particle size distribution on concentration measurement. The flow meter part of the PUD was verified by a standard-speed carriage in the towing tank. According to experimental tests by PUD, it was demonstrated that the accuracy for concentration in full scale is ±5%, and the accuracy for flow velocity is ±2%. Compared with sampled data, good agreements were also found by employing the PUD for sediment concentration and flow velocity measurements in turbidity currents during typhoon floods in a reservoir, which demonstrates that the PUD is operable and reliable on site. Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor K. Heal Citation Huang, Y.J., Sung, C.C., Lai, J.S., Lee, F.Z., Hwang, G.W., and Tan, Y.C., 2013. Measurement of solid suspension concentration and flow velocity with temperature compensation using a portable ultrasonic device. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (3), 615–626.