Exact analytical solution to ultrasonic interfacial reflection enabling optimal oil film thickness measurement
File(s)Revised Manuscript - 2020-06-05.pdf (2 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The ultrasonic reflection from a lubricated interface has been widely analyzed to measure fluid film thickness, with different algorithms being applied to overcome measurement accuracy and resolution issues. Existing algorithms use either the amplitude or the phase angle of the ultrasonic interfacial reflection. In this paper, a new algorithm (named the “exact model – complex”) that simultaneously utilizes both the amplitude and the phase of the complex ultrasonic reflection coefficient is proposed and mathematically derived. General procedures for theoretical analysis in terms of measurement accuracy and uncertainty are proposed and applied to the new algorithm, the beneficial features of which (as compared to other existing algorithms) can be summarized as: 1) a direct calculation, instead of an iterative approximation, 2) guaranteed maximum measurement accuracy, and 3) acceptable measurement uncertainty. None of the existing methods have showed this combination of benefits. Moreover, two groups of raw data from previous experimental studies are utilized to further validate the practical feasibility of the new algorithm. Overall, the proposed “exact model – complex” algorithm fully exploits the potential of ultrasonic reflection for oil film thickness measurement, with an accurate and a convenient calculation suited to practical implementation.
Date Issued
2020-11
Date Acceptance
2020-06-19
Citation
Tribology International, 2020, 151, pp.1-10
ISSN
0301-679X
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
1
End Page
10
Journal / Book Title
Tribology International
Volume
151
Copyright Statement
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301679X20303546?via%3Dihub
Subjects
Mechanical Engineering & Transports
0910 Manufacturing Engineering
0913 Mechanical Engineering
Publication Status
Published online
Date Publish Online
2020-07-04