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US 4,763,525 AGranted
Apparatus and method for determining the quantity of gas bubbles in a liquid
AssigneeThe Standard Oil Company
InventorWesley N. Cobb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for measuring the quantity of bubbles in a gas/liquid mixture. An ultrasonic wave is launched into the mixture and the magnitudes of two reflected waves are measured and compared. The logarithm of the magnitudes of the reflected waves is a measure of the quantity of gas content. The method and apparatus are suitable for measuring gas bubble content repetitively in a mixture turbulently flowing through a conduit.
Claims23
An apparatus for quantitatively measuring the gas bubble content of a liquid containing gas bubbles, said apparatus comprising:
- ultrasonic means for launching, during a first time period, longitudinal waves in a liquid containing gas bubbles;
- a ultrasonic means for detecting, during second and third time periods, longitudinal waves reflected from said gas bubbles and for generating electrical signals in response to detection of longitudinal waves, said first, second and third time periods occurring sequentially without overlap;
- first and second peak signal detectors for sensing the peak amplitudes of electrical signals produced by said second transducer in response to reflected waves detected during said second and third time periods, respectively, and for generating first and second magnitude signals, respectively indicative of the relative peak amplitudes of longitudinal waves detected during said second and third time periods;
- first and second logarithmic amplifiers connected to said first and second peak signal detectors, respectively, for receiving said first and second magnitude signals and for producing first and second logarithmic signals proportional to the logarithms of the amplitudes of said first and second magnitude signals;
- and
- means receiving said first and second logarithmic signals for comparing said first and second logarithmic signals to each other to determine the gas bubble content in said liquid.
3 more elements
A method of quantitatively measuring the gas bubble content of a liquid containing gas bubbles, said method comprising:
- launching, during a first time period, longitudinal waves into a liquid containing gas bubbles;
- detecting, during second and third time periods, longitudinal waves reflected from said gas bubbles and generating first and second electrical magnitude signals in response to said waves detected during said second and third time periods, respectively, said first and second magnitude signals having amplitudes indicative of the peak amplitudes of waves detected during said first and second time periods, respectively, said first, second and third time periods occurring sequentially without overlap;
- determining the relative amplitudes of said first and second magnitude signals by generating first and second logarithmic signals proportional to the logarithms of the amplitudes of said first and second magnitude signals, respectively;
- and
- comparing the relative magnitudes of said first and second logarithmic signals to determine the gas bubble content of said liquid.
2 more elements
An apparatus for quantitatively the gas bubble content of a liquid containing gas bubbles, said apparatus comprising:
- a single ultrasonic transducer affixed to the outside of a wall of a vessel containing a liquid including gas bubbles, said transducer for launching, during a first time period, longitudinal waves in said liquid and for detecting, during second and third time periods, longitudinal waves reflected from said gas bubbles, said first, second and third time periods occurring sequentially without overlap;
- synchronizing means for activating said ultrasonic transducer to launch waves during said first time period and for activating said transducer to detect waves during said second and third time periods so that longitudinal waves reflected from said vessel walls are not detected;
- means receiving said detected longitudinal waves for determining the relative magnitudes of longitudinal waves detected during said second and third time periods and for generating said first and second magnitude signals indicative of said relative magnitudes;
- and
- means receiving said first and second magnitude signals for comparing said first and second magnitude signals to determine the gas bubble content of said liquid.
2 more elements
A method of of quantitatively measuring the gas bubble content of a liquid containing gas bubbles, said method comprising:
- launching from a single ultrasonic through the wall of a vessel and into a liquid including gas bubbles contained within the vessel, during a first time period, longitudinal waves;
- detecting with said transducer, during second and third time periods, longitudinal waves reflected from said gas bubbles, said first, second and third time periods occurring sequentially without overlap;
- selecting said first, second and third time periods to prevent detection of waves reflected from the walls of a vessel containing said liquid;
- determining the relative magnitudes of said longitudinal waves detected during said second and third time periods;
- and
- comparing the relative magnitudes of the longitudinal waves detected during said second and third time periods to each other to determine the gas bubble content of said liquid.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.