Air-in-water indicator

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided that indicate the amount of gas such as air in a clear liquid such as water. The apparatus includes a transparent pipe (60), an input coupling (16) at a first end of the transparent pipe, and a shutoff valve (20) at the second end of the pipe. The first end of the pipe is connected to a source of water (12) under pressure, whose air content is to be determined. With the valve (20) open, water is allowed to pass through the pipe and valve to purge the pipe of air and any previous water. The shutoff valve is then closed, to contain the water under pressure. The dissolved air in the static, pressurized water, immediately forms microscopic air bubbles, which result in the water having a "milky" appearance. The presence of the milky appearance indicates the presence of a considerable amount of dissolved water (when the water is not under high pressure). The reflectivity of the water indicates the amount of dissolved air per unit volume of water (when not under high pressure).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.