Back to results
US 7,739,911 B2Granted
Ultrasonic characterization of solid liquid suspensions
AssigneeBattelle Memorial Institute
InventorPaul D. Panetta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Using an ultrasonic field, properties of a solid liquid suspension such as through-transmission attenuation, backscattering, and diffuse field are measured. These properties are converted to quantities indicating the strength of different loss mechanisms (such as absorption, single scattering and multiple scattering) among particles in the suspension. Such separation of the loss mechanisms can allow for direct comparison of the attenuating effects of the mechanisms. These comparisons can also indicate a model most likely to accurately characterize the suspension and can aid in determination of properties such as particle size, concentration, and density of the suspension.
Claims30
A method of characterizing a solid liquid suspension, the method comprising:
- obtaining two or more property measurements for the suspension using an ultrasonic field;
- converting the obtained two or more property measurements to comparable quantities, wherein the comparable quantities allow at least two of the obtained two or more property measurements to be compared with each other;
- determining, according to the comparable quantities, that a first loss mechanism for the suspension caused a higher percentage of an energy loss or attenuation of the ultrasonic field in the suspension than a second loss mechanism for the suspension, the first and second loss mechanisms each comprising a different interaction between the suspension and the ultrasonic field;
- and
- selecting from a plurality of models, according to the determination made according to the comparable quantities, a model for characterizing the suspension, the selected model accounting for one or more effects of the first loss mechanism on the ultrasonic field in the suspension.
2 more elements
A system for characterizing a solid liquid suspension, the system comprising:
- an ultrasonic measurement device;
- and
- a computer, wherein the computer is configured to perform a method comprising:
- receiving from the measurement device two or more property measurements for the suspension;
- converting the obtained two or more property measurements to comparable quantities, wherein the comparable quantities allow at least two of the obtained two or more property measurements to be compared with each other;
- determining, according to the comparable quantities, that a first loss mechanism for the suspension caused a higher percentage of an energy loss or attenuation of the ultrasonic field in the suspension than a second loss mechanism for the suspension, the first and second loss mechanisms each comprising a different interaction between the suspension and the ultrasonic field;
- and
- selecting from a plurality of models, according to the determination made according to the comparable quantities, a model for characterizing the suspension, the selected model accounting for one or more effects of the first loss mechanism on the ultrasonic field in the suspension.
5 more elements
A computer readable medium containing instructions that can cause a computer to execute a method, the method comprising:
- obtaining two or more property measurements for a solid liquid suspension using an ultrasonic field;
- converting the obtained two or more property measurements to comparable quantities, wherein the comparable quantities allow at least two of the obtained two or more property measurements to be compared with each other;
- determining, according to the comparable quantities, that a first loss mechanism for the suspension caused a higher percentage of an energy loss or attenuation of the ultrasonic field in the suspension than a second loss mechanism for the suspension, the first and second loss mechanisms each comprising a different interaction between the suspension and the ultrasonic field;
- selecting from a plurality of models, according to the determination made according to the comparable quantities, a model for characterizing the suspension, the selected model accounting for one or more effects of the first loss mechanism on the ultrasonic field in the suspension;
- and
- storing the results of the determination.
3 more elements
A method of characterizing a solid liquid suspension, the method comprising:
- obtaining two or more property measurements for the suspension using an ultrasonic field;
- determining, based at least in part on the obtained two or more property measurements, one or more attenuations of the field by individual loss mechanisms, wherein each of the one or more individual loss mechanisms comprises a different interaction between the suspension and the ultrasonic field, the one or more attenuations of the field by the one or more individual loss mechanisms being determined by one or more of a group consisting of,
- a difference of an attenuation of a through-transmitted signal and an attenuation of a backscattered signal,
- a difference of an attenuation of a backscattered signal and an attenuation of a diffuse field signal, and
- an equivalent of an attenuation of a diffuse field signal;
- determining, according to the determined contributions, that a first of the individual loss mechanisms for the suspension caused a higher percentage of an attenuation of the ultrasonic field in the suspension than a second of the individual loss mechanisms for the suspension;
- selecting from a plurality of models, according to the determination made according to the determined contributions, a model for the solid liquid suspension, the selected model accounting for one or more effects of the first of the individual loss mechanisms on the ultrasonic field in the suspension;
- and
- determining one or more characteristics of the suspension by evaluating one or more of the property measurements according to the selected model.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.