Measurement of Sludge Inside a Fuel Tank by Ultrasonic Pulse in a Heat Engine Plant

Abstract

We developed a system to measure shape and amount of sludge sedimentation in a tank using an ultrasonic pulse scanned in the oil tank. Measurement of the amount of oil sludge by ultrasonic pulse requires basic parameters such as sound velocity and surface scattering strength; we therefore measured these parameters. Two experimental formulae of the sound velocity for LPP (low-viscosity oil) and HPP (high-viscosity oil) were obtained. V(LPP)=1483.4-3.48T and V(HPP)=1580.4-4.20T, where T is temperature of the oil in the tank. Characteristics of surface scattering strength depending on incident angle were also measured.