Differential torque densitometer
OwnerLeroy C. Delatorreinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A densitometer suitable for fluid measurements in remote, hostile environments comprises one or more pairs of matched weight masses housed within a tube and having respectively different densities. When immersed in the subject fluid, the buoyancy differential between the masses is converted to a proportional torque oriented about an axis aligned substantially parallel with a pipe bore. The torque is transferred through a calibrated environmental isolation cylinder to an electric property sensor positioned in a protected environment. A proportionalized electric property signal is transmitted to a value reading station.
Claims18
A fluid density measuring apparatus comprising:
- a first mass having a first weight and a first volume;
- a second mass having a second weight and second volume, said first weight being substantially the same as said second weight and said first volume being greater than said second volume;
- a first torque shaft having a longitudinal axis secured non-rotatively to a housing structure;
- a first balance beam non-rotatively secured to said first torque shaft with respective moment arms extending in opposite directions from said first torque longitudinal shaft axis;
- first and second links secured at one respective end to a respective moment arm and another end to said housing structure, said first and second masses suspended from respective links between said ends;
- coupling means non-rotatively secured to said first torque shaft for translating torsional displacement of said first torque shaft to angular displacement of a first torsional element about said longitudinal axis;
- electrical sensing means for converting said angular displacement of said first torsional element to a proportional change in an electrical property;
- and,
- means for translating said electrical property change to a value corresponding to a density of a fluid in which said masses are immersed.
A fluid density measuring apparatus comprising:
- a first mass having a first weight and a first volume;
- a second mass having a second weight and second volume, said first weight being substantially the same as said second weight and said first volume being greater than said second volume;
- first and second links respectively suspending said first and second masses along substantially parallel vector directions of weight force, one end of each link secured to a housing and an opposite end of each link secured to a torsion coupling, said torsion coupling having a torque axis aligned substantially parallel with said weight force vector direction;
- electrical sensing means for converting angular displacement of said coupling about said torque axis to a proportional change in an electrical property;
- and,
- means for translating said electrical property change to a value corresponding to a density of a fluid in which said masses are immersed.
A method of measuring a fluid density comprising the steps of:
- providing at least a pair of masses, each mass having weight substantially equal to the other but substantially unequal buoyancy;
- suspending said masses in a fluid on opposite sides of a first torque axis, directional vectors of said mass weight aligned substantially parallel with said torque axis;
- generating a torsional force about said axis by a buoyancy differential between said masses;
- converting said torsional force to an angular displacement about said torque axis;
- altering an electrical property in proportion to said angular displacement;
- and,
- translating said electrical property alteration to a density value of said fluid.
An apparatus for measuring the density of a fluid comprising:
- at least first and second masses having equal weight and unequal volume, first and second links secured at one end thereof to a tubular housing and at another end thereof to a torsion beam, said torsion beam having a torque axis substantially parallel with an axis of said tubular housing, said first and second masses, respectively, suspended from said links at a point between said ends, a torque shaft secured to said torque beam and to extend along said torque axis, a sensor responsive to angular displacement of said torque shaft to change an electrical property and calibrated translation means to convert said electrical property change to a density value of a fluid in which said masses are immersed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.