Acoustic sand detector for fluid flowstreams

A system for determining at least one of the particle production rate, particle volume production rate, and particle mass production rate of particulate solids entrained in a fluid flowstream flowing through a conduit and the like, said system comprising:

• impact-receiving means intersecting said flowstream and adapted to be impacted by at least some of the entrained particles in said fluid flowstream and for transmitting acoustic energy generated by the impacts of the particles to sensor means;
• sensor means connected to said impact-receiving means for converting mechanical displacement of said impact-receiving means to an electrical signal;
• amplifier means for amplifying the magnitude of said electrical signal;
• and
• circuit means for converting said electrical signal for each impact to a signal which is proportional to the energy imparted to said impact-receiving means by each particle impacting said impact-receiving means over a predetermined period of time, said circuit means including a variable gain amplifier for transmitting voltage signals in a frequency range of at least 300 KHz to 800 KHz ban pass and means for multiplying the voltage signal output from said variable gain amplifier times itself to provide a voltage squared output signal.