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US 12,693,266 B2Granted
High-temperature and high-pressure speed of sound apparatus and measuring the speed of sound in a sample at high-temperature and high-pressure
AssigneeGovernment of the United States of America, AS Represented By the Secretary of Commerce
InventorsElizabeth Grace Rasmussen, Mark Owen McLinden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high-temperature and high-pressure speed of sound apparatus measures the speed of sound in a sample at high-temperature and high-pressure, the apparatus includes: a defined-length spacer that has a fixed length spacer portion; an acoustic reflector, such that a crucible is interposed between the acoustic reflector and a pressure vessel, the pressure vessel in which is disposed the crucible, the disposed defined-length spacer, the sample, an acoustic reflector, and an acoustic rod; and the acoustic rod on which is disposed an ultrasonic transducer.
Claims21
A high-temperature and high-pressure speed of sound apparatus for measuring the speed of sound in a sample at high-temperature and high-pressure, the high-temperature and high-pressure speed of sound apparatus comprising:
- a pressure vessel containing a crucible, wherein the crucible contains a defined-length spacer disposed in the crucible in the pressure vessel and on which is disposed an acoustic reflector and an acoustic rod that is axially in mechanical communication with the acoustic rod and radially in mechanical communication with the crucible and the defined-length spacer comprises a central fixed length spacer portion and that receives the sample, and the defined-length spacer axially receives the acoustic rod on one end and axially receives the acoustic reflector on the opposing end, wherein the crucible is radially interposed between the defined-length spacer and the pressure vessel, the acoustic rod is fixedly spaced apart from the acoustic reflector by the fixed length spacer portion, and the sample is axially interposed between the defined-length spacer and the acoustic reflector;
- the acoustic reflector disposed on the interior bottom of the crucible, and the defined-length spacer and in mechanical communication with the crucible and the defined-length spacer and in ultrasonic communication with the acoustic rod, wherein the acoustic reflector receives an excitation acoustic pulse from the acoustic rod via the sample, reflects the excitation acoustic pulse toward the acoustic rod as pulse echoes, and in combination with the acoustic rod repeatedly reflects the pulse echoes through the sample to form a sample acoustic pulse, wherein the crucible is interposed radially between the acoustic reflector and the pressure vessel, and the sample is interposed axially between the acoustic rod and the acoustic reflector;
- the pressure vessel in which is disposed the crucible, the defined-length spacer, the sample, the acoustic reflector, and the acoustic rod and that receives the crucible, the defined-length spacer, the sample, the acoustic reflector, and the acoustic rod, mechanically stabilizes the crucible, the defined-length spacer, the acoustic reflector, the sample, and the acoustic rod, and provides high-pressure and high-temperature conditions for the sample during determination of the speed of sound in the sample;
- and wherein the acoustic rod disposed in the pressure vessel, the defined-length spacer and on which is disposed an ultrasonic transducer and in ultrasonic communication with the acoustic reflector and the ultrasonic transducer and that receives the excitation acoustic pulse from the ultrasonic transducer, communicates the excitation acoustic pulse to the acoustic reflector via the sample, receives the pulse echoes from the acoustic rod via the sample, in combination with the acoustic rod repeatedly reflects the pulse echoes through the sample, converts the pulse echoes to the sample acoustic pulse, and communicates the sample acoustic pulse to the ultrasonic transducer, wherein the acoustic rod is axially interposed between the ultrasonic transducer and the defined length spacer.
1 more element
A process for measuring the speed of sound in a sample at high-temperature and high-pressure using a high-temperature and high-pressure speed of sound apparatus, the process comprising:
- providing the high-temperature and high-pressure speed of sound apparatus comprising:
- a pressure vessel containing a crucible, wherein the crucible contains a defined-length spacer that is disposed on the pressure vessel and on which is disposed an acoustic reflector, an acoustic rod;
- is disposed in the crucible;
- is axially in mechanical communication with the acoustic rod and radially in mechanical communication with the crucible;
- and comprises a central fixed length spacer portion;
- and axially receives the acoustic rod on one end and axially receives the acoustic reflector on the opposing end, wherein the crucible is radially interposed between the defined-length spacer and the pressure vessel, and the acoustic rod is fixedly spaced apart from the acoustic reflector by the fixed length spacer portion;
- an acoustic reflector disposed on the interior bottom of the crucible, and the defined-length spacer and in mechanical communication with the crucible and the defined-length spacer and in ultrasonic communication with the acoustic rod, wherein the crucible is interposed radially between the acoustic reflector and the pressure vessel, and the sample is interposed axially between the acoustic rod and the acoustic reflector;
- the pressure vessel in which is disposed the crucible, the disposed defined-length spacer, the sample, the acoustic reflector, the acoustic rod and that receives the crucible, the defined-length spacer, the sample, the acoustic reflector, and the acoustic rod, and mechanically stabilizes the crucible, the defined-length spacer, the acoustic reflector, the sample, and the acoustic rod;
- and wherein the acoustic rod disposed in the pressure vessel, the defined-length spacer and on which is disposed an ultrasonic transducer and in ultrasonic communication with the acoustic reflector and the ultrasonic transducer, wherein the acoustic rod is axially interposed between the ultrasonic transducer and the defined length spacer;
- receiving the sample in the defined-length spacer, such that the sample is axially interposed between the defined-length spacer and the acoustic reflector in the pressure vessel;
- subjecting the sample to high-pressure and high-temperature in pressure vessel;
- communicating an excitation acoustic pulse from the ultrasonic transducer to the acoustic rod;
- receiving, by the acoustic rod, the excitation acoustic pulse;
- communicating the excitation acoustic pulse from the acoustic rod to the sample;
- communicating the excitation acoustic pulse through the sample to the acoustic reflector;
- receiving, by the acoustic reflector, the excitation acoustic pulse from the sample;
- reflecting, by the acoustic reflector, the excitation acoustic pulse towards the acoustic rod through the sample as pulse echoes;
- repeatedly reflecting, by the acoustic reflector in combination with the acoustic rod, the pulse echoes through the sample to form a sample acoustic pulse;
- receiving, by the acoustic rod, the pulse echoes;
- converting the pulse echoes to a sample acoustic pulse;
- communicating the sample acoustic pulse to the ultrasonic transducer;
- and determining the speed of sound of the sample from the sample acoustic pulse.
19 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.