Noninvasive Acoustic Measurements in Cylindrical Shell Containers

Abstract

Acoustic time-of-flight (ToF) measurements enable noninvasive material characterization, acoustic imaging, and defect detection and are commonly used in industrial process control, biomedical devices, and national security. When characterizing a fluid contained in a cylinder or pipe, ToF measurements are hampered by guided waves, which propagate around the cylindrical shell walls and obscure the waves propagating through the interrogated fluid. We present a technique for overcoming this limitation based on a broadband linear chirp excitation and cross correlation detection. By using broadband excitation, we exploit the dispersion of the guided waves, wherein different frequencies propagate at different velocities, thus distorting the guided wave signal while leaving the bulk wave signal in the fluid unperturbed. We demonstrate the measurement technique experimentally and using numerical simulation. We characterize the technique performance in terms of measurement error, signal-to-noise-ratio, and resolution as a function of the linear chirp center frequency and bandwidth. We discuss the physical phenomena behind the guided bulk wave interactions and how to utilize these phenomena to optimize the measurements in the fluid.

Measurement of Pipe and Fluid Properties With a Matrix Array-Based Ultrasonic Clamp-On Flow Meter

“…This has been done non-invasively in similar applications. In [19]- [21], transmission measurements were performed with singleelement transducers placed in diametrically opposite locations on a liquid-filled pipe to determine the water cut level and the sound speed of different oil-water mixtures. The measured signals contained information from the liquid as well as the pipe wall (i.e.…”

Quantitative Ultrasound Spectroscopy for Screening Cylindrical Lithium‐Ion Batteries for Second‐Life Applications

“…While our preliminary analysis suggests that the quantitative parameters extracted here may be robust to these expansion/contraction changes within our current analysis window, future experiments involving coupled ultrasound measurements and detailed cell thickness assessments could provide a more comprehensive understanding, particularly in the context of potential aging effects. Furthermore, prior studies have examined ultrasonic methods in cylindrical structures like pipelines and fluid‐filled shells, demonstrating the effectiveness of these techniques in gathering internal information from such structures [73,74] …”

“…Furthermore, prior studies have examined ultrasonic methods in cylindrical structures like pipelines and fluid-filled shells, demonstrating the effectiveness of these techniques in gathering internal information from such structures. [73,74] Ultrasound propagation in intricate structures, like the "jelly roll" form of cylindrical batteries, presents significant complexities. The simulation employed in our study qualitatively elucidates the ultrasonic wave propagation mechanisms in cylindrical batteries under specific experimental conditions.…”

Measurement of Pipe and Liquid Parameters Using the Beam Steering Capabilities of Array-Based Clamp-On Ultrasonic Flow Meters

“…In [ 18 , 19 ], it is proposed to measure the sound speed of the liquid inside a pipe using pulse-echo in a similar configuration to that shown in Figure 1 b, but a priori information about the pipe wall is needed to compensate for its effect on the measured signals. In [ 20 ], it was shown that transducer array-based clamp-on UFMs may use guided waves to invert for the necessary parameters of the pipe and the liquid without any a priori information.…”