Velocity measurements in metallic melts

Various developments of velocity measuring techniques, their test in different liquid metals, and applications in hot melts are reported. A Mechano-Optical Probe (MOP) performing local measurements up to temperatures of about 700°C has been developed and successfully tested. The Ultrasound Doppler Velocimetry (UDV) can be considered as another attractive technique to get velocity data from opaque flows. To extend the application range to higher temperatures and to abrasive liquids a new integrated ultrasonic sensor with an acoustic wave guide has been designed. First successful measurements in a CuSn melt of about 620°C and in liquid Al of about 750°C were carried out. A fully contactless investigation of the mean velocity field is possible by magnetic tomography. Local measurements of the induced magnetic field and the application of inverse reconstruction techniques allow an analysis of the flow structure. A first demonstration experiment showing the feasibility of this approach for the reconstruction of the three-dimensional mean velocity structure is presented.