Ultrasonic time-of-flight estimation based on maximum likelihood data fusion using triangular distribution

In this paper, a data fusion proceeding was developed based on the Maximum Likelihood Estimation technique (MLE), considering the variables to be fused, having symmetric triangular probability distributions. This procedure was utilized to the wind speed measurement by means of indirect measure of the ultrasonic time-of-flight (ToF), fusing two independent measurements obtained by threshold detection and phase difference techniques. A computational model was built and simulations with different levels of additive noise and Wind velocities were carried out. The results were satisfactory, evidencing that this technique is quite promissory to instrumentation and measure applications.