APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MEASURING PARAMETERS OF A MIXTURE HAVING LIQUID DROPLETS SUSPENDED IN A VAPOR FLOWING IN A PIPE

摘要

An apparatus 10,70 and method is provided that includes a spatial array of unsteady pressure sensors 15 - 18 placed at predetermined axial locations X₁-X_N disposed axially along a pipe 14 for measuring at least one parameter of a solid particle/fluid mixture 12 flowing in the pipe 14 . The pressure sensors 15 - 18 provide acoustic pressure signals P₁(t)-P_N(t) to a signal processing unit 30 which determines the speed of sound a_mix of the particle/fluid mixture 12 in the pipe 14 using acoustic spatial array signal processing techniques. The primary parameters to be measured include fluid/particle concentration, fluid/particle mixture volumetric flow, and particle size. Frequency based sound speed is determined utilizing a dispersion model to determine the parameters of interest.