Optimal Vessel Materials for Ultrasound Metrology

Ultrasound metrology can measure flow velocity in a non-invasive way. However, the wall of the vessel between the ultrasound transducer and the test fluid plays an important role. Our study aims to find the vessel material that most efficiently transmits sound between the ultrasound transducer and the test fluid, in order to optimize signal strength and minimize the influence of the wall. In this study, we investigated the effect of different wall materials on the echo intensity and velocity measurements in water and liquid gallium. Comparing theoretical predictions from acoustic transmission models to experimental results, we also explored the effect of the thickness of the wall. Our study suggests that transmission coefficients alone cannot predict the performance of wall materials accurately. The work presented here opens a way to perform high precision ultrasound measurement through vessel walls.