Hydrodynamic Effects on Spectroscopic Water Detection in Gasoline Pipe Flow

The hydrodynamic effects on spectroscopic water detection were microscopically investigated in a gasoline pipe flow. The effects of the gasoline flow rate and the water content on the water droplet characteristics were investigated experimentally using a phase Doppler particle measurement system. The characteristics of spectral absorbance of water and gasoline were measured using a spectrophotometer to determine the optimal wavelength of the incident light for spectroscopic water detection. The effects of the droplet size on the light transmittance characteristics were calculated using the light extinction theory of Mie scattering on polydisperse particles and experimental results on the water droplet size in the gasoline flow. The measurement results of spectral absorbance showed that gasoline was almost transparent at 980 nm wavelength of light while water showed peak absorption at this wavelength, therefore, it was appropriate incident light for spectroscopic water detection. It was found that the flow conditions of the gasoline flow rate and the water content influenced the Sauter mean diameter and the volume concentration of water droplets, which influenced the light transmittance.