Signals features extraction in radioisotope liquid-gas flow measurements using wavelet analysis

Knowledge of the structure of a flow is significant for the proper conduct of a number of industrial processes. In this case, a description of a two-phase flow regimes is possible by use of the time-series analysis in time, frequency and state-space domain. In this article the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is applied for analysis of signals obtained for water-air flow using gamma ray absorption. The presented method was illustrated by use data collected in experiments carried out on the laboratory hydraulic installation with a horizontal pipe, equipped with two Am-241 radioactive sources and scintillation probes with NaI(Tl) crystals. Signals obtained from detectors for slug, plug, bubble, and transitional plug – bubble flows were considered in this work. The recorded raw signals were analyzed and wavelet energy was extracted using multiresolution analysis. It was found that energies of wavelet approximation at 1-5 levels are useful to recognize the structure of the flow.