Measurement of viscosity and shear wave velocity of a liquid or slurry for on-line process control

An on-line sensor to measure the density of a liquid or slurry, based on longitudinal wave reflection at the solid-fluid interface, has been developed by the staff at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The objective of this research is to employ shear wave reflection at the solid-fluid interface to provide an on-line measurement of viscosity as well. Both measurements are of great interest for process control in many industries. Shear wave reflection measurements were conducted for a variety of liquids. By analyzing multiple reflections within the solid (only 0.63 cm thick-similar to pipe wall thickness) we increased the sensitivity of the measurement. At the sixth echo, sensitivity was increased sufficiently and this echo was used for fluid interrogation. Shear wave propagation of ultrasound in liquids is dependent upon the viscosity and the shear modulus. The data are analyzed using the theory for light liquids (such as water and sugar water solutions) and also using the theory for highly viscous liquids (such as silicone oils). The results show that, for light liquids, the shear wave reflection measurements interrogate the viscosity. However, for highly viscous liquids, it is the shear wave modulus that dominates the shear wave reflection. Since the density is known, the shear wave velocity in the liquid can be determined from the shear wave modulus. The results show that shear wave velocities in silicone oils are very small and range from 315 to 2389 cm/s. Shear wave reflection measurements are perhaps the only way that shear wave velocity in liquids can be determined, because the shear waves in liquids are highly attenuated. These results show that, depending on the fluid characteristics, either the viscosity or the shear wave velocity can be used for process control. There are several novel features of this sensor: (1) The sensor can be mounted as part of the wall of a pipeline or tank or submerged in a tank. (2) The sensor is very compact and can be located within the process stream. (3) The sensor can interrogate and characterize very attenuative liquids or slurries because the sensor operation depends upon reflection at the interface between the solid and the fluid, rather than on transmission through a liquid. (4) The sensor performance is not affected by fluid flow rate, entrained air, or vibration.