Radiological sensors for cross-correlation flow metering

The most common purpose of industrial flow metering is to determine the mass flow rate of a product. Ultrasonic cross-correlation flowmeters give velocity data, and so (at best) the volumetric flow rate for the multiphase mixture is determined. Mass flow depends also on the fluid mean density which in turn depends on the void/solids fraction in the liquid. Gamma-ray attenuation is a traditional methodology for measuring density or void fraction, whereas acoustic attenuation is difficult to interpret in these terms. If gamma-ray absorptiometric sensors can also be used to derive cross-correlation velocity data, then the possibility arises of inferring mass flow rates from a single non-intrusive sensing head. The authors outline aspects of the design and evaluation of one such system