The velocity c of ultrasonic waves propagating in a liquid along the path L is given by c ¼ L/td: where: td is the time-of-flight (TOF) along the path L. The path length L is assumed to be a straight line, between two ultrasonic transducers (sending and receiving ones), immersed in a measured liquid and working in a throughtransmission mode, Fig. 1. In practice, we always observe a number of ultrasonic impulses, repeatedly reflected between two ultrasonic transducers facing each other. The first impulse received by transducer travels the path L through an investigated liquid. The next impulse will travel the path 3L, etc. To determine the speed of sound we select two subsequent ultrasonic impulses. Since our measurements are differential (time difference), a measurement of the time difference between those two ultrasonic pulses and travel distance yields the sound speed in an investigated liquid.
Sound speed measurement is difficult and uncertain when using classical physical methods. Application of digital signal processing methods to determine the time-of-flight of two subsequent ultrasonic pulses, improves considerably the accuracy of sound speed evaluation. To measure the time-of-flight we employed the crosscorrelation method . The analysis of correlation provides a measure of similarity between the two considered pulses f(t) and g(t) shifted in time. Since these two pulses are of similar shape but different amplitude and delay, the cross-correlation function reaches its maximum at t equal to the evaluated time difference corresponding to the distance 2L. The time delay was measured with uncertainty 1 ns.
The distance between the transducers was determined from the calibration measurements in water as the reference liquid.
Knowing, with high accuracy the speed of sound inwater at a given temperature (NIST data) and measuring the time-of-flight, the distance between the transducers was calculated. At ambient temperature, the distance L ¼ 10.278 mm. Distance L was evaluated with the uncertainty of 10 mm.