An exploratory study of using external fluid loading on a vibrating tube for measuring suspended sediment concentration in water

This paper presents an exploratory study of using external fluid loading on a vibrating tube for measuring the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in bodies of water such as rivers and reservoirs. This new measuring concept provides an opportunity for an automated on-site monitoring of the conditions in a body of water by taking the fluid sample instantaneously in the area surrounding the vibrating tube. The physical properties of the fluid sample are those of the fluid that naturally flows around the tube, and are more representative of those of the water with SSC to be measured. The theoretical analysis presented in this paper shows that the resonance frequencies of an immersed vibrating tube change significantly with mass density variations that normally occur in bodies of water with suspended sediment. These changes are sensitive enough to have a possible 1% resolution of the measured fluid density. The signal processing issues are discussed, and a schematic of a conceptual measuring setup is proposed. Based on the theoretical analyses and other measurement issues presented in the paper, using the loading by external fluid on a vibrating tube is feasible for measuring the SSC in water bodies.