Flow measurement by means of wideband acoustic signals in single-mode waveguides

Abstract. A novel concept of an acoustic flowmeter, based on single-mode waveguides, is proposed, implemented, and analysed in this work. Instead of transmitting a pulse diagonally across the duct's cross-section, this device operates with two ducts that operate simultaneously as pipes and as waveguides. Below the frequency threshold for single-mode propagation, acoustic waves are forced to traverse the waveguides with a plane front, precluding the possibility of beam drifting, inner reflections, and spreading losses. This enables the designer to flexibly increase the sound path and perform a highly sensitive measurement of the flow velocity and speed of sound, even if the excitation frequency is required to be kept below a relatively low value. A device based on this principle was constructed and tested for flow measurements in air. It consists of two waveguides of a circular cross-section (5 mm diameter) coupled to electroacoustic transducers for the transmission of a wideband chirp (9.8–18.2 kHz). Usage of a wideband signal was possible due to the combined frequency response of a special kind of micromachined ultrasound transducer (MUT) and a commercial micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) microphone. The constructed flowmeter was capable of measuring flow velocities up until the transition to turbulent flow at 16 L min−1 with a resolution of 0.3 L min−1, and it also detected changes of less than 0.2 m s−1 in the speed of sound. This topology for flow measurement could prove advantageous for applications where gases of variable composition are conducted in ducts of diameters in the millimetre range.