Ultrasonic instrumentation for industrial process measurement

The author discusses the advantages and drawbacks of using ultrasonic techniques for the measurement of operating conditions within industrial process plant. The advantages have particular relevance to applications in nuclear and chemical industry where pure liquids or multiphase suspensions must be controlled. The most important advantage of ultrasound as a sensing medium is that the measurement can be noninvasive and nonintrusive. Other advantages of ultrasonic process process instrumentation include accuracy, fast response, low maintenance and the absence of any hazard. An ultrasonic scanning probe which moves vertically within a sealed tube, is described as an example. Signal processing techniques used with the US equipment is also discussed