Determining the transfer function for unsteady pressure measurements using a method of characteristics solution

An inverse Fourier transform method for removing lag from pressure measurements has been used by various researchers, given an experimentally derived transfer function to characterize the pressure plumbing. This paper presents a Method of Characteristics (MOC) solution technique for predicting the transfer function and thus easily determining its sensitivity to various plumbing parameters. The MOC solution has been used in the pipeline industry for some time for application to transient flow in pipelines, but it also lends itself well to this application. For highly nonsteady pressures frequency-dependent friction can cause significant distortion of the traveling waves. This is accounted for in the formulation. A simple bench experiment and proof-of-principle test provide evidence to establish the range of validity of the method.