Liquid density monitoring apparatus
AssigneeFluid Data Systems
InventorEugene A. Glassey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid bulk density monitoring apparatus which is particularly suitable for monitoring suspended sediment levels has a plummet suspended from one end of a balance beam and submerged in a vessel containing a liquid to be monitored. A sensor detects tilting of the beam from a reference or balance position as a result of variation in the sample bulk density, and produces an output to an output device for recording density variations. The apparatus is designed to compensate automatically for any changes in temperature, for example by making the plummet of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion substantially the same as that of the liquid being monitored.
Claims10
A liquid density monitoring apparatus for monitoring any change in density of a liquid as a result of change in sediment concentration in the liquid, comprising:
- a support base;
- a fulcrum mounted on the base;
- an elongate balance beam pivotally supported on the fulcrum at an intermediate point in the length of the balance beam for tilting movement of the balance beam about the fulcrum;
- a plummet suspended from the beam on one side of the fulcrum;
- a sample vessel for containing a liquid sample positioned below the beam in alignment with the plummet to receive the plummet for submersion in said liquid sample in the vessel, said liquid sample having a density proportional to the sediment concentration in the liquid sample, whereby the plummet has an effective weight which varies as a function of the density of said liquid sample and temperature of said liquid sample;
- a weight secured to the beam on the opposite side of the fulcrum to the plummet to counterbalance the plummet when the effective weight of the plummet is at a reference weight corresponding to a predetermined reference density of said liquid sample;
- sensor means for sensing a null position of the beam and producing an output control signal proportional to tilting of the beam from the null position as a result of change in the effective weight of the plummet from said reference weight;
- a poise movable along the beam to counterbalance tilting of the beam from the null position;
- drive means linked to said sensor means and said poise for driving said poise along the beam in response to said output control signal until the null position is detected;
- data output means linked to said drive means for producing an output proportional to said tilting movement of the beam as a result of change in the effective weight of the plummet;
- and
- temperature responsive means for offsetting variations in the effective weight of the plummet as a result of temperature variations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.