Apparatus for the automatic measurement of the apparent density of the mud in a liquid, system for the automatic measurement of the ponsar index of such a mud using the apparatus and process for measuring said index

A process for measuring the Ponsar index of a mud or sludge contained in a liquid, comprising the steps of:

• filling a bottle with mud-containing liquid,
• filling a first container with clarified liquid,
• filling a second container with a given clarified liquid quantity,
• filling said second container with a given mud-containing liquid quantity,
• immersing said bottle in said first container,
• waiting for a given time to enable said bottle to reach a first stable position inn said first container,
• taking of measurements by a measuring system which supplies an electric signal as a function of the position of said bottle in said first container,
• calculation by an electronic processing system which determines the apparent density of one volume of the liquid containing mud, weighed into the clarified liquid, on the basis of said electric signals corresponding to the positions in the clarified liquid-fill container, of the bottle respectively filled with clarified liquid and mud-containing liquid, by appropriately controlling the filling and emptying and the displacement of the bottle, wherein said calculation produces a first quantity which is a function of a first position,
• raising the bottle,
• emptying and rinsing said bottle,
• filling the bottle with clarified liquid,
• immersing the bottle in said first container,
• waiting for a given time until the bottle reaches a second stable position in said first container,
• taking of measurements by said measuring system,
• calculation by said electronic processing system of a second quantity which is a function of said second position,
• calculation by said electronic processing system of the apparent density of the mud based upon the first and second quantities,
• determination by said electronic system of the mud volume decanted or settled in said second container and determination by the electronic system of the Ponsar index on the basis of said volume and the apparent density of the mud.