Detecting settled solids in a conduit for transporting a slurry
AssigneeCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
InventorsAndrew George Chryss, Krishna Mohanarangam
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Abstract
A device (100) for detecting settled solids (300) in a conduit (200) for transporting slurry. The device (100) comprises a housing (110) positionable to define at least a segment of a flow path for the slurry. The device (100) comprises a reference temperature sensor (140) associated with the inside of the housing 110 in order to measure an ambient temperature of the slurry within the conduit. The device (100) further comprises a plurality of heaters (150) spaced around part of the inside circumference housing (110) that are maintained at a target temperature that is higher titan the ambient temperature of the slurry.
Claims19
A device for use in detecting settled solids in a conduit for transporting slurry comprising:
- a housing to define at least a segment of a flow path of the slurry;
- a reference temperature sensor associated with an inside of the housing to measure an ambient temperature of the slurry;
- and
- a plurality of heaters spaced on at least part of a circumference of the inside of the housing that are maintained at a target temperature that is higher than the ambient temperature of the slurry, wherein a surface of each heater is directly exposed to the flow path of the slurry.
A method for detecting settled solids in a conduit for transporting a slurry, the method comprising:
- measuring an ambient temperature of a slurry in the conduit;
- supplying power to a plurality of heaters that are spaced on at least part of a circumference inside the conduit to maintain the heaters at a target temperature that is higher than the ambient temperature of the slurry, wherein a surface of each heater is directly exposed to the flow path of the slurry;
- measuring power consumed by the plurality of heaters;
- and
- determining an indication of whether there are settled solids in the conduit based on the power consumed by the plurality of heaters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.