Acoustic device and method for measuring gas densities

Abstract

Density measurements can be made in a gas contained in a flow through enclosure by measuring the sound pressure level at a receiver or microphone located near a dipole sound source which is driven at constant velocity amplitude at low frequencies. Analytical results, which are provided in terms of geometrical parameters, wave numbers and sound source type for systems of this invention, agree well with published data. The relatively simple designs feature a transmitter transducer at the closed end of a small tube and a receiver transducer on the circumference of the small tube located a small distance away from the transmitter. The transmitter should be a dipole operated at low frequency with the kL value preferably less than about 0.3.