Liquid Flow Rate from Acoustic Measurements

Tiancheng Feng

Abstract

This thesis explores non-intrusive acoustic methods to measure liquid flow rates in fluid coking processes. Traditional intrusive techniques are impractical in harsh reactor conditions. Experiments with commercial-scale spray nozzles demonstrated that acoustic emissions from the nozzle conduit, coupled with passive and active denoising techniques, can be correlated to the liquid flow rate. Key findings include reliable flow rate predictions despite varying gas flow rates and vibrations. Adaptive filtering provided effective denoising while wavelet methods were ineffective. The proposed method provides accurate liquid flow rate prediction and suggests broader industrial applications.