Optimisation of the pulse-echo method with an application to acoustic thermometry

Abstract

In acoustics, pulse echo methods are well known as a means of measuring time of Hight. Traditional techniques for generating acoustic waves in solid ferromagnetic waveguides include piezoelectric, capacitive and magnetostriction. Piezoelectric and capacitive techniques are preferred due to the inefficiency of magnetostriction caused by electro-mechanical coupling losses and the fact that most ferromagnetic materials show low levels of magnetostriction. The aim of this study was to optimise the magnetostrictive effects for sensing applications based on a ferromagnetic waveguide using the pulse echo method. The results obtained were implemented in the design of an acoustic thermometer.

Two configurations for signal generation and recovery were examined, the use of a single wound copper coil acting as a transceiver coil, and the use of separate transmit and receive coils. Results obtained using the latter configuration indicated better signal to noise ratio's and provided the flexibility to manipulate the point of signal recovery. The pulse echo method was implemented and optimised.

An acoustic thermometer based on an existing design was developed by inducing a partial reflection from a set position in the waveguide, defining a sensing probe. Awareness of the elastic properties of the waveguide material enabled the guaging of its temperature by measuring the acoustic pulse velocity in the probe.

The accuracy of the instrument was increased through signal conditioning, examined together with cross correlation and an increased sampling frequency. Systematic errors were resolved through calibration, giving the instrument an overall accuracy of ±O.56"C for the range of temperatures between 2O"C and 400"C.